Kidney disease,
made clearer —
by someone who lives it.

CKD stands for Chronic Kidney Disease. It means your kidneys are losing their ability to filter waste and excess fluid from your blood over time. It is measured in five stages — Stage 1 is mild, Stage 5 is kidney failure.

The term “kidney failure” is technically Stage 5 CKD. It does not always mean your kidneys have stopped completely — it means they are working at less than 15% of normal capacity. At that point, most patients start dialysis or prepare for a transplant.

The important thing to know: CKD is manageable at every stage. Getting information early is the single biggest advantage you can give yourself.

Dialysis does the filtering work your kidneys can no longer do. The most common type — hemodialysis — connects you to a machine that cleans your blood over three to four hours, typically three days a week.

Day one is overwhelming for almost everyone. The chair, the needles, the machine sounds, the other patients — it is a lot at once. What most people do not tell you is that it gets quieter. Your body adjusts. You find your routine. Your care team becomes familiar. Most patients describe month three as the turning point.

Bring headphones, a light meal, and something to occupy your time. The first session is the hardest one.

Your kidneys normally remove excess potassium, phosphorus, sodium, and fluid from your body. When they stop doing that job well, those things build up — and at high levels, they can affect your heart rhythm, your bones, and your blood pressure.

The restrictions feel extreme at first because they are. But they are also specific to your stage and your lab results. What your neighbor on dialysis avoids may not be the same list as yours. Your nephrologist and renal dietitian will give you a personalized plan. The goal is to keep your body in balance so you feel as well as possible between sessions.

Start with one question at a time. Do not try to learn everything in the first week — the information will be there when you are ready for it.

The most useful first steps: understand your current eGFR (your kidney function number), get a referral to a renal dietitian, and ask your doctor what stage you are in and what the next milestone to watch for is.

The CKD Care Companion app was built for exactly this moment. It gives you a private place to track your labs, log your fluid intake, and build an emergency card for ER visits — no account required, nothing leaves your phone.

Yes — and this is one of the most important things a new patient can hear. CKD progression is not a fixed clock. Blood pressure control, blood sugar management (especially for diabetic kidney disease), a low-sodium diet, staying hydrated without overdoing fluids, and avoiding NSAIDs like ibuprofen are all proven to slow the rate of decline.

No single change reverses CKD, but consistent daily choices compound over months and years. Patients who take an active role in their care consistently do better than those who leave it entirely to their clinical team.

A transplant is a major surgery where a healthy kidney — from a living donor or a deceased donor — is placed in your body. Your existing kidneys are usually left in place.

To be considered, you go through an evaluation at a transplant center. They review your overall health, your heart, your lungs, and your support system. If approved, you are added to the national waitlist. Wait times vary significantly by blood type, location, and whether you have a living donor.

A living donor — a family member, friend, or even a stranger — can dramatically shorten the timeline. If anyone in your life has offered to be tested, encourage them to call a transplant center. It costs them nothing to find out if they qualify.

For questions about the transplant process in Tampa, the team at TGH can be reached at 813-844-5669.