We are out in the community teaching as many as we can about this silent killer. We have nurses that check for blood pressure and glucose. I share my story, the good, the bad and the ugly if it helps one person my job is done!!!!!
Book Monica Starks to come out and speak to your virtual group, your face-to-face group, your church members, your employees, your family reunion, and your classroom. Everyone needs to know this information. EVERYONE
Understanding Chronic Kidney Disease
This is a permanent access called a fistula. Some people have their fistulas in their arms I have mine in my thigh. There are two needles used for each treatment. One needle pulls the blood out of my body ( arterial) and sends it through the dialysis machine. The other needle ( venus) send the cleaned blood back into my body. I stick myself with both needles for each treatment and then connect myself to the tubes I have prepared into the machine. I use disposable needles and tubes so everything is fresh and clean.
You don't want to give tons of valves of blood every month, do you?
This is just one of my monthly work ups as a dialysis patient.
The awareness is in the community about breast cancer and prostate cancer.
We are working to be the awareness of CKD is in the community too.
Clip Courtesy of Fox8.com below to view entire interview
This catheter is temporary access into your body for dialysis. This is a direct line to your heart as well. These are not usually used for long, they pose a risk of infection.
This is what a dialysis machine looks like.
That's my blood flowing through it going into the artificial kidney on the right. That is a dialysizer. It cleans the toxins out of my blood then returns the blood back into my body. This process is repeated for hours. After this process is complete I am very tired, lethargic and drained!
This is not a very pleasant picture to look at but life on dialysis is not pleasant. We promise to bring you the truth about this disease.
This picture is of my fistula in my leg after it was infiltrated with one of the needles. It was swollen and bruised and I couldn't use it for three weeks, still had the chest catheter so we used it.
This is the number sometimes referred to as a kidney score. This is how the doctors can determine how well your kidneys are functioning.
The issue is that if your number is between 15 and 60 and you are in stage 1-3 you most likely have NO SYMPTOMS. THE ONLY WAY TO FIND OUT IN THESE STAGES IS BY HAVING THE TEST DONE.
The test is a combination of a urine test and a blood test. The research explains that the doctors in combination with nutritionist can slow down the progression or maybe even stop the disease from turning into failure in these stages. So whats the problem you might ask? Most people are not diagnosed in the early stages because they are not symptomatic. You have to be tested.
We suggest that if you have one of the risk factors you should be discussing with your PCP if you have been tested and if not will they do it for you.
The risk factors are:
- DIABETES
- HYPERTENSION (high blood pressure)
- FAMILY HISTORY
- OVER THE AGE OF 60
- MINORITY STATUS
IF YOU WAIT UNTIL YOU ARE SYMPTOMATIC ITS MOST LIKELY TOO LATE. YOU MAY BE IN STAGE 4 OR 5. IF YOU WAIT UNTIL STAGE 4 OR 5 THE ONLY OPTIONS YOU HAVE ARE DIALYSIS, TRANSPLANT OR DEATH.
THIS IS REAL. Millions are waiting until. they are symptomatic and are being diagnosed once they are in stage 4 or 5 and their options are limited. Don't let this be you.
CONTACT MONICA:
(440) 735-8737 •
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