8 Self-Care and Self-Management Tips for Kidney Patients
For kidney patients, treatments like dialysis can be literally life-saving. However, this type of treatment and many medications require a great adjustment of your lifestyle. Luckily, if you’re a responsible patient willing to commit to their therapy to the fullest, here’s how you can care for yourself and manage your kidney disease:
Stay in control with medication
Kidney patients usually have to take a lot of medication and timing is very important. Some meds need to be taken with meals, while some need to be taken before or after dialysis. To make things easier to swallow (pun intended), come up with a schedule. Firstly, organize your medication in plastic containers and set alarms so you never forget to take them in time. You should also do your best to learn about your condition and work with your medical expert to come up with a treatment that fits your lifestyle. And don’t be scared to consult with your doctor and ask for a change of medication in case you experience severe side-effect.
Adopt a new diet
For many kidney patients, switching to a dialysis diet is the hardest thing about the entire thing. A dialysis diet might be very different from your food choices up until now, and it’s best adopted when you take baby steps. Instead of focusing on things you can’t eat, focus on things you can freely enjoy every day. If you follow the guidelines, you can expect to have much better control of your health and be fitter than ever. And for many people, finding new recipes, preparing them with your family, and sharing them with your friends can be a great hobby and pastime.
Find easy dialysis access
Just because you’re on dialysis, it doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your whole life. There are easy ways to book treatments so that they minimally affect the quality of your life. Also, there are practical services like bookdialysis.com which allow you to book your treatment even when abroad. With their services, you can find dialysis clinics at your destination and enjoy the vacation of your dreams. At home, make sure to come up with a set dialysis plan so you don’t have to think every time it’s time for your treatment. Once treatment becomes a part of your daily routine, it will all be much smoother for everyone involved.
Utilize treatment time
Dialysis and other treatments force you to have a lot of downtimes. Instead of wasting it on your phone, use that time productively. Many patients choose to read a good book to relax or watch a movie or catch up with their favorite TV show. Others choose to work on their computers, answering emails and keeping up with their projects. People who have busy days often opt for nighttime dialysis which allows them more free time during the day. If your center allows such treatments, consider them for yourself.
Have regular checkups
Once you start dialysis, it can greatly affect your medication and treatments up until that moment. Therefore, it’s necessary to do regular checkups with all your other doctors—primary care provider, cardiologist, diabetes doctor, etc. Maybe your dialysis will affect your labs, goals, and medication, so it’s necessary to do regular checkups.
Make time for fun
Your entire life doesn’t have to revolve around dialysis. If you plan everything well, you can have plenty of time for work, exercise, volunteering, and hanging out with your loved ones. When you have a treatment day, even simple pleasures like watching your favorite TV show or having a tasty meal can brighten up your day. When you make time for pleasures in life, your treatment will be much easier to handle and you’ll have so many amazing things to look forward to.
Respect every minute of dialysis
One of the most important self-care and self-management points for kidney patients is to leave enough time to finish every minute of their treatment. Do the full-time what your doctor prescribed and don’t cut treatments short. Even 5 fewer minutes of your treatment can have a negative impact on your health. This negative impact might not be felt right away, but it can allow waste to accumulate in your body and cause serious health complications. Make time for treatment no matter how busy you are!
Get plenty of rest
Most patients feel a bit beat up after treatment, so in order to get your energy up, it’s important to focus on rest and recovery. People who don’t get enough rest might feel depressed and motivated to make bad decisions like disregarding their treatment or missing their medication. If you struggle with sleep, try to come up with a sleep schedule that involves waking up at the same time every day, avoiding naps in the late afternoon, and minimizing coffee and alcohol intake.
If you follow the tips above, you can expect the great benefits of your dialysis treatment. Plus, your life will get to stay as pleasant as before you got sick. Stay strong and stay committed, and you’ll go a long way.