Part 2 of our 3 part series on mental health and coping at different stages of IgAN
IgA Nephropathy (IgAN) is an autoimmune disease that attacks the kidneys. It usually progresses slowly, but some people with IgAN eventually develop end-stage kidney disease, which means they will need dialysis or a kidney transplant.
Nearing dialysis or kidney transplantation can be an especially emotional time and can come with a series of stressors. There are often a lot of decisions to be made, but also a lot of “hurry up and wait” and these lulls of time can be hard. It’s important to stay in tune with your thoughts, emotions and support systems.
We are grateful to welcome back our guest Dr. Daniel Cukor, clinical psychologist and director of Behavioral Health at the Rogosin Institute in New York City, to discuss some of the common struggles and coping mechanisms that often come into play at this stage of IgAN.
In this episode, we talk about what people can do when beginning dialysis or preparing for kidney transplantation.