Wishing For More Public Kidney Awareness Articles Like This:

@feisty76 As you have discovered, we have a wonderful sources of information here at Mayo Connect, thanks to members contributing their hard work like @kamama94 or posting about their personal experiences as a patient or family member. Another source you will find a lot of information is rsnhope.org This site is near and dear to my heart, as the founder is a friend of mine, and I attended the monthly in-person support meetings until this past July when i moved from the area. There is a lot of information there to peruse.
Ginger

I agree completely, Ginger, with all you said about this wonderful Mayo Connect source as well as some other good kidney sites. My point was that most members of kidney support groups are themselves patients or family caregivers of patients who have spent the time searching to find more answers and information kidney issues.

I just wish there were more articles published for the general public to read. Those not yet diagnosed but who could greatly benefit from what most of us are learning to deal with the hard way after diagnosis. Had absolutely no intent to downplay what these wonderful, trusted support and information sites provide.

@feisty76 I know you were not downplaying any source of information. One thing I have heard time and again, from kidney patients and in my experience, kidney disorders kinda "sneak up" on a person, quietly and slowly. Unless there is a traumatic organ shutdown due to a sudden onset, we go for years with declining kidney function, not realizing what is going on as our kidneys struggle to keep up their end of the bargain to keep this miracle we call our body, going. The two leading causes of kidney issues are high blood pressure and diabetes, but we rarely hear a doctor tell us that, do we? My husband's kidney issues were due to high blood pressure. He tells me if he had been told/educated, he would have started long ago to take care of himself. My own kidney issue is due to a rare autoimmune disease. Guess we gotta take up the oar and start spreading the word!
Ginger

So glad you understood I was only wishing for more general public awareness. Lori Hartwell's story is truly inspiring and the rsnhope.org site is one I found before discovering the Mayo Connect forum. Wealth of good information shared on her site as well. Really great that two kidney warriors also happen to be good friends!

@fiesty76, In reply to your wish for more public kidney awareness articlles here is a Mayo Clinic Radio program that was featured during Kidney Awareness Month in 2019. I like this podcast because Dr. Ladan Zand, a Mayo Clinic nephrologist, discusses chronic kidney disease and offer tips to keep your kidneys healthy, as well as conditions that put people at risk for kidney disease.
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/page/podcasts/newsfeed-post/national-kidney-month/

Thank you Rosemary for the podcast link and informative interview with Dr. Zand. Mayo Clinic's site has long been my first stop for learning about health issues, symptoms and treatments.

New to Mayo Connect (M.C.), I had wondered if there were a way to be notified of future pod casts so was happy to find a place to sign up for those at the interview site.

As an olde schoolmarm, it was hard to get bathroom breaks except at lunch and end-of-day so for decades, I practiced and became far too accomplished at "holding in the urine". Now realize that was not a healthy accomplishment.

Nor did I ever question the years of taking Advil or the toll high blood pressure meds or decades of antibiotic and steroid prescriptions or other meds could take on the kidneys. That is why I so wish more of the general public could become more aware of the importance kidneys play before lab reports become so out-of-whack that primary docs finally take notice.

In discussing symptoms, Dr. Zand mentioned that more frequent nightly bathroom trips might signal a need for earlier screening. I had attributed mine to aging.

Also thanks for your "spotlight" interview with John. Still learning how to "navigate" M.C. so was unable to "comment or reply" but read your interview with him with interest as well.

@fiesty76, I'm glad that Rosemary showed you how to follow Mayo Clinic Radio and podcasts here on Connect: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/page/podcasts/

You may also wish to follow About Connect for future Member Spotlights and Connect updates: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/page/about-connect/

As long as you are logged in, you should be able to comment/reply to anything on Connect. If you have technical difficulties, don't hesitate to contact me using this form: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/contact-a-community-moderator/

When you said "As an olde schoolmarm, it was hard to get bathroom breaks except at lunch and end-of-day so for decades, I practiced and became far too accomplished at "holding in the urine". Now realize that was not a healthy accomplishment," I immediately thought of @retiredteacher, as she too has shared that this is one of the not so positive aspects of teaching.

@fiesty76 I understand what you mean. We do, indeed, need to know more about our kidneys. When I was young, it became a part of my career. Schoolteacher=kidney problems. I taught for 45 years and was never in a position to leave a class because I had to go to the bathroom. So, I did not drink enough water and if I had to go, too bad. The time between classes was not long enough--three minutes. It would take me that long to get to a bathroom that was shared by ten or more teachers, and if there was a line, forget it. So as I began my teaching career, I began having UTI's and even kidney infections. My urologist would always say, "You have to drink more water and go regularly." He did not understand that I was responsible for a room of teenagers just waiting for me not to be vigilant. So over the 45 years that I taught, I took meds for problems and just dealt with it. However, even had I known the damage that would be done, I could not have changed my situation. Now that I am retired I am glad to know anything that helps my kidneys function as well as possible after so many years of abuse. I also agree that there should be more information in the forefront to make people aware of kidney disease and how to prevent it.
Carol

@colleenyoung So many careers require you to be vigilant, and not always able to take a "comfort break" as needed. Like @feisty76 and @retiredteacher, if I had known how damaging it was to my health, I would have pushed the issue more, and campaigned for more coverage.
Ginger