Get Your Sleep-Help Your Immune System-Not a Joke!

This Winter season is very, very bad. My RN sister said that there is alot of junk going around, flu, fever, and pneumonia. Getting plenty of rest is esstential to protect yourself and your family. I have a very, very strong immune system for a dialysis person and I had the flu for 24 hours. In 2006, I had Acute Pneumonia and I was in the hospital for 19 days, this was before I was on dialysis. I had less than a 50/50 chance of surviving, Pneumonia is not a joke. If you think you have it and you have the flu, fever, get your fanny to the physician, Urgent Care, or the Emergency room. If you have allergies and asthma, as I do, go to your allergist, they know if you have allergies, asthma, or something else, they can tell the difference, many cannot. I have had allergies and asthma, since high school, for 30 years. When I had Acute Pneumonia, I was in the ICU for a few weeks. I do not want to see anyone pass away. I have almost been dead three times in my life, so I have lived it. If the flu, fever, or pneumonia kicked my fanny, it is also going to kick your fanny. I am only 45 years old, just turned 45. Wash your hands with anti-bacterial soap, handwash or Bleach wipes, clean anything before you touch it, if someone else has used it. BE CAREFUL!!!

In addition to getting sufficient sleep, eating healthy and following good infection prevention strategies, the dialysis regulations require dialysis clinics to inform patients about the flu and pneumonia vaccines. Facilities should encourage patients to take pneumonia shot if they haven’t already had it (once in a lifetime is enough) and the flu shot each year between 10/1 and 3/31. Medicare covers both of these vaccines at 100% when given at the dialysis clinic or by a provider that accepts Medicare assignment. Dialysis clinics are supposed to track the percent of patients who have been vaccinated as part of their quality assessment and performance improvement activities.

You can read more about Medicare coverage of screening and prevention services here:
http://www.medicare.gov/coverage/preventive-and-screening-services.html

Here’s info about the flu from CDC:
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/keyfacts.htm

Here’s info on pneumonia from CDC:
http://www.cdc.gov/Features/Pneumonia/

Yes, Excellent. That is great advice for everyone to follow.

Sleep does support better immune functioning, so this is good advice all around–even for folks whose kidneys DO work!

Just read the intro to the new NKF KDIGO guidelines for CKD patients and read that it recommends that CKD patients who have received the pneumonia vaccine revaccination every 5 years (4.6).