As someone who has gone through a kidney transplant, this is actually a bit depressing since progress in this field is painfully slow.
I have seen these articles pop up at regular intervals for a decade now, and if we're going to be honest: nothing much has happened during that decade. This is still an under-funded area where nothing more than "pre-clinical" prototypes keep getting press - and then nothing.
I used to be active on various forums for kidney patients (one of which had more than 27.000 members last I checked). I'm not very active anymore because it is too depressing to read about people who are less fortunate than me (I have good health, live in a country with socialized medicine and my total cost per year for keeping the transplanted healthy is less than $300). For instance non-affluent people living in the US.
I've lost count of how many americans I've known who have ended up in a place where taking their own life seems like the best option. Either because they are tired of finding money for the medications that keep them alive, tired of navigating bureaucracy, because they don't want to drag their entire family into a financial hole, or because they are just physically exhausted. (Dialysis is time-consuming and slowly ruins your body)
Take some time to think about that. Think about what it means that every so many months someone on a forum you frequent tells you "I've had it - I'm going to give up and die". It can be quite taxing if you allow yourself to care.
So excuse me for being negative, but this isn't anything to be excited about. This is just a reminder that nothing much that actually has any impact is happening in this area.
Please take some time to review the national statistics for the US and please consider becoming an organ donor.
In September 2019 i was diagnosed with kidney function of 54 percent (at 44) out of 100. It doesn't run in the family and my other prior condition was high cholesterol at 37 then at 40 i had some Gout attacks. I took a statin for the high cholesterol for a few years. I never took any other meds outside of a sleeping pill here and there (12 times in a few years). My kidney doc thinks my kidney damage was from medication i took so maybe it was the statin.
After being diagnosed my doc said avoid taking all meds, which i did and do. I also went ahead and changed my diet where i drink 3 liters of water per day and cut out all pork and redmeatl, as well increased my fruits & vegetable intake. Also, avoid fatty foods and lost five to ten pounds (around 170 5'10). My kidney function as of just getting my results today is 79 out of 100(creatitine 1.1). Though my monthly test shows me the average to be in the low 70s usually. Not sure why it was higher this month..did lose a few pounds further.
Overall Im thinking if I continue on with this lifestyle I may not have to go on dialysis for another 20 to 30 years possibly more. Yet its all in the air thus I constantly get it monitor each month to bi-monthly even if my doctor says that's not needed. She did say sure try changing your diet/lifestyle and see how it works. Some docs I hear will just say diet won't improve your kidney yet I joined a Facebook group where a guy's kidney was completely failed yet his wife revolutionized his diet and his function went from crazy low on dialysis to like 30 percent and off of dialysis.
I am just sharing my experience with my kidney issues maybe it will help others .. maybe not. Im not here to argue just offer what has worked for me positively and many others in that Facebook group mentioned.
It's obviously a hard problem. As someone who used to do dialysis-access operations (AV fistulas/AV shunts), just looking at their diagram and seeing 3 location with a plastic::tissue interface (artery, vein, bladder) is a massive hurdle alone. The connection between the artery and the device will stenose, the connection between the vein and the device will clot (despite whatever is in the press release, I can guarantee it will). And then exposing the entire apparatus to the bladder - it will get infected, and then the whole thing needs to be removed.
So, even if they got the actual device perfect, the realities of interfacing that with an actual person, for any reasonable length of time... Don't hold your breath.
This is why kidney transplant is so great... it's all real tissue, even if you need lifelong antisuppression.
As someone who has also gone through a kidney transplant I relate with you completely. I stopped visiting those websites because I too get overwhelmed with the content.
I have taken my life circumstance to share my story and ask others to sign up to become an organ donor. It can change the life of someone and you can truly make a difference not only for a person but an entire family.
I also look at this news as positive, Ill take anything no matter how slow the progress is. Decades ago before transplant techniques were developed my story would have ended (unless I had a twin) but its because of work like this I'm able to type this out right now. So perhaps a few decades from today someone will benefit from this technology and not have to go through what you and I did.
Ill add the link in for the National Kidney Registry who do great work and if someone wants donate their cause can do so.
https://www.kidneyregistry.org/
I’m on my 7th year of having a transplanted kidney, having a scumbag disease that will eventually destroy my current one… I feel your cynicism. On the other hand this stuff still gives me hope, I dream of the days I don't need to start the day and end the day with meds… One day
That’s awesome to hear that youve gotten a transplant and are still in good health. I suspect that you didn’t need one because of CKD caused by diabetes/blood pressure?
Probably high blood pressure for 15+ years, but at the point where this was discovered it was impossible to know for sure if it was the primary reason or a consequence of kidney failure. Fortunately, the blood pressure turned out to be easy to manage with medication.
And after the transplant, things have gone exceptionally well and I live a completely normal lifet. I just need to down a fistful of pills every day :-)
Holy crap, that sounds exactly like mine. We dont know the reason why I had kidney failure and there was so much damage a bioposy would not be fruitful. The guess is blood pressure, but its not known.
If the experience taught me anything: make sure you start doing an annual health checkup with bloodwork every year or two starting in your 20s. It is likely I could have avoided this.
I dont know the term, but by the time we found out there was so much bruising on the kidney, couldnt do a biopsy as it would cause bleeding and further delay the transplant. I didnt want any more delays so I opted out of it after discussing with my doctor.
I have seen these articles pop up at regular intervals for a decade now, and if we're going to be honest: nothing much has happened during that decade. This is still an under-funded area where nothing more than "pre-clinical" prototypes keep getting press - and then nothing.
I used to be active on various forums for kidney patients (one of which had more than 27.000 members last I checked). I'm not very active anymore because it is too depressing to read about people who are less fortunate than me (I have good health, live in a country with socialized medicine and my total cost per year for keeping the transplanted healthy is less than $300). For instance non-affluent people living in the US.
I've lost count of how many americans I've known who have ended up in a place where taking their own life seems like the best option. Either because they are tired of finding money for the medications that keep them alive, tired of navigating bureaucracy, because they don't want to drag their entire family into a financial hole, or because they are just physically exhausted. (Dialysis is time-consuming and slowly ruins your body)
Take some time to think about that. Think about what it means that every so many months someone on a forum you frequent tells you "I've had it - I'm going to give up and die". It can be quite taxing if you allow yourself to care.
So excuse me for being negative, but this isn't anything to be excited about. This is just a reminder that nothing much that actually has any impact is happening in this area.
Please take some time to review the national statistics for the US and please consider becoming an organ donor.
https://www.organdonor.gov/learn/organ-donation-statistics