The older I get the more and more concerned I get about my overall health. I want to be healthy and live a long life. Who doesn’t?
I regret (terribly!) not taking better care of my health growing up. Take for example my obesity. I have been obese since I was a toddler. I have lost, and gained, and lost and gained over and over again the past forty-something years. Right now I am still considered obese, but I’m not as heavy a I once was (I’ve lost about 40+) pounds.
I had an appointment this past week with a Cardiologist for a check up. I have never been to a Cardiologist before, but my husband felt it was a good idea. At least to get a baseline so that the doctor can keep check on things and make sure my “ticker” (heart) is in great shape for years to come. Unfortunately the appointment had to be rescheduled.
When most people think of their overall health I’m sure they worry about things like their heart, joints and eye sight, to name a few. How many people think about their kidney health? To be honest with you, I don’t ever really think about my kidneys… do YOU?
Did you know…
A staggering 1 in 10 people have kidney disease – an estimated 26 million Americans – and most do not find out until their kidney disease is advanced.
WOW! That is SHOCKING news!
I know my brother-in-law had kidney cancer. He ended up having the effected kidney removed. The surgery was a success (thankfully).
Actor Paul Rodriguez and actress Gloria Garayua are staring in a multi-award winning patient education series called Fixing Paco. It’s sponsored by the Mendez National Institute of Transplantation Foundation (MNITF).
On the FixingPaco.org website, the general public can get information about kidney disease and prevention, becoming an organ donor, and kidney transplantation. In addition, the Fixing Paco web series provides comprehensive education about being proactive in one’s healthcare as well as valuable information including how to access transplantation, what it takes to maintain a transplant, and how a positive attitude and lots of support can create the power of hope.
There is an extremely high need for organ donors. Currently, there are approximately 120,000 people waiting for a lifesaving organ transplant in the U.S., and of these, approximately 100,000 need a kidney transplant.
I’ve thought about being a bone marrow donor. And it is listed on my driver’s license that I am an organ donor. I know you can survive with one kidney. I would consider being a kidney donor, but being Diabetic I don’t know if that would make me an ideal person to donate a kidney. If someone was in need and the doctor’s said it was OK for me to donate, I would consider it.
Please take a moment to learn more with this brief Public Service Announcement.
You need to learn the FACTS about kidney disease, as well as have your doctor give you a simple test each year to make sure your kidneys are healthy and stay that way.
When it comes to diseases such a kidney disease its best for find out right away when there is a problem so that it can be treated rather than wait to find out when it’s too late.
The tag line for this campaign is “Get the Facts! Get Checked! Get Healthy!” I think that is a wonderful tag line. WE ALL need to learn the facts. WE ALL need to get checked out by our doctors and WE ALL need to do what we can to get healthy and stay healthy. Even if you don’t want to do it for yourself, do it for your loved ones who care about your health and well being.
To learn what YOU can do NOW visit FixingPaco.org. There you can learn more about the campaign and kidney health as well as learn more about becoming a transplant donor.
You can also learn more about the campaign on the campaign’s official Facebook page.
Have you or someone you know been touched by kidney disease?
Did you or someone you know ever received, or donate, an organ?
Feel free to share your thoughts. I always love to hear from readers.
Kimberly
*I have partnered with MNITF to bring you this information. Although compensated the opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.