Has anyone done the Kidney Smart Classes from Davita?

@anet Any time we can attend education on kidney disease and treatment options, we have the chance to increase our knowledge base. Several years ago I took a class, and doing it in person we could ask questions. It was all new to me, and so confusing. But invaluable. You might read/see/hear things you had not considered. Being able to speak with someone who has been trained to answer concerns, and connecting with others, is worth the time spent. Also, check to see that you can also attend the classes. As spouse/caregiver/health partner, you will feel more comfortable understanding all that is involved. Yes, there is online training available, but I really like in-person, myself.

Any other questions I can answer for you?
Ginger

Thank you for the suggestion. I would definitely go with him. He prefers the online things, but I may try to work on getting him to go. We did get some positive info from the doctors office today. He says even though his egfr is low, his labs are mostly good. He is not diabetic and his potassium, calcium phosphorus and Urine reports are all normal. His blood pressure is stable and they told him to watch his diet more carefully and drink more water. We will go back in three months unless there is a problem.

I would love to take kidney cancer classes. My local hospital offers tons of community classese but NONE on cancer. I take a few, as often as I can...meditation, nutrition, and others. They have been great. But I still have some trouble putting all this new info into context.

I would love to take such classes. Is there like a clearing house where these classes are offered?

Cindy

I would love to take a class or connect with others with kidney cancer. What online or in person class did you attend, Ginger? I would love to hear others experiences too! Thanks so much!
Koke

Yes, I attended the Kidney Smart class, in person, prior to COVID. I attended as a caregiver for a patient in stage 4 CKD caused by diabetes. The class was a video presentation accompanied by a workbook. The presentation included general information about kidneys and how they work, diet, forms of dialysis, and transplant. The emphasis was on the common causes of kidney disease: diabetes and high blood pressure. I do not recall discussion about CKD caused by cancer or plasma disorders, but that was not my focus since my condition had not yet been diagnosed.

My husband and I attended a class on peritoneal dialysis that was put on by Davita. It included a workbook, slides and videos. It seemed pretty thorough and was recommended by my nephrologist. I suspect other classes offered by them would be informative and beneficial.

There information was very good but I was disappointed in how pushy they were with me on things my employer should be doing for me and if it was up to them I would have had a fistula in immediately. I ended up never being on dialysis and got a live donor. I didn’t have a good experience with them myself but others may.

@koke The classes I have taken were education about kidney function and chronic kidney disease. Not about kidney cancer specifically. I have done in-person about 5 years ago, and several online. In this Covid and post-Covid era, Zoom meetings and events appear to be the majority of opportunities. I actually like that, since we can interact with a much wider audience!

My kidney care now, being on dialysis, is through Fresenius. The other major player in the game is DaVita.
Fresenius information for kidney patients re treatment: https://fmcna.com/patient-care/kidney-care/
DaVita education link: https://www.davita.com/education

In addition, there are different organizations. The National Kidney Fund is an awesome source to answer your questions: https://www.kidney.org/kidney-basics. Remember, there are always differing opinions, differing information, and new things being found out almost every month!

@mimi2019 Congratulations on your live donor!
Ginger