Poll results: the most appealing Nephrology Consult scenario chosen, perhaps not surprisingly, was workup of new-onset glomerulonephritis (44%). I would contend that many individuals choose Nephrology because they are interested in issues such as glomerulonephritis, interesting electrolyte and acid-base cases, and workup of new-onset renal failure–even though the bulk of the work is dialysis and access-related.
Check out the new poll question in the right margin.
Thanks for your comments, Michelle, and best wishes for the future. It's always good for doctors to hear the patient's perspective on how to cope with such difficult medical illnesses.
I am a renal patient, and I just wanted you to know that I've learned a lot from this blog. I've had fsgs for almost twenty years, and I am now being referred for a possible pre-emptive transplant. Who knew that kidneys and their functions were so complicated?
I know that this is a blog for professionals, and I see that what makes for interesting practices for most of you is a new nephritis work-up, but please remember that we, the patients, are scared to death. We fear feeling so ill that life becomes torture. Bad kidney function and shedloads of potent medicines become soul-destroying and, for a lot of us, financially crippling. A diagnosis of CKD is a life-changing event; it physically feels like the world has tilted on its axis. For us, this is a battle that will never really be won, even if we are lucky enough to have a successful transplant.
Again, thank you for your blog. It is both illuminating and, frankly, terrifying.