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In short, yes! Diet and exercise play a key role in kidney disease. Following a kidney-friendly diet and exercising regularly can help you feel better ­and help slow your kidney disease down. To start, find nutrition information and exercise tips to work into your daily life and speak to your nephrologist about how to adapt these for your personal needs.

Most kidney patients see their nephrologist about once a month but it’s best to ask your nephrologist about your meeting plan at your first appointment.

Your nephrologist will be able to explain the treatment options that are available to you. This could mean dialysis, either hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis, or a kidney transplant. Explain your needs to your doctor – for example, if you’d like to work or travel while undergoing treatment – and your doctor can let you know what treatments might work best. Before your first appointment, find out more about dialysis and kidney transplant so you know the basics when you sit down to talk things over.

Many patients are able to fit dialysis treatments around their work schedule. If it’s a flexible dialysis schedule that’s important to you, home dialysis might be your best option. If working is important to you, make sure to mention this to your nephrologist at your first appointment.

Most likely, yes. But, a low-salt diet doesn’t have to mean low-taste. There are plenty of kidney-friendly recipes you can try that taste good and adhere to your diet.

Yes! We partner with The Road Back to Life, a nonprofit organization founded by former Puget Sound Kidney Centers patients who provide mentoring and peer support. The groups address a variety of topics, including transplant, home dialysis and adjustment, and are an excellent source of information for people new to dialysis. They have monthly virtual support groups. To learn more visit www.kidneysupportgroup.org. Please contact us at 425-259-5195 to learn more or ask your nephrologist for other support groups you could join.