Q: How can I tell if my child may have kidney disease?
A: Refer to the symptoms listed above. Contact your pediatrician for a complete examination if your child has any of these or similar symptoms.
Q: How serious is this disease?
A. Any kidney problem should be addressed as soon as possible. You should see your pediatrician right away if your child is retaining fluid (swelling), can’t urinate, or is lethargic and fatigued. He or she can do tests that will eliminate certain possibilities and help determine whether further testing is warranted.
Q: What should we expect if our child is diagnosed with renal disease?
A. Fortunately, many kidney problems can be diagnosed with standard blood, urine, and radiology tests and may be easily treated. If your child’s condition is more serious, treatment may be more extensive and in some cases may include surgery, dialysis, or kidney transplant.
Q: Will my child experience pain?
A. Because most kidney-related diseases are silent, your child may not be feeling pain at all. That is why accurate, timely diagnosis is crucial. At Rainbow, we believe it is critical to manage pain for children. If difficult treatments should become necessary, we pay close attention to what your child is feeling and make every effort to keep him or her as comfortable as possible.
Q: How will we be able to afford all this?
A. At Rainbow no child who needs help is turned away. Medicare pays the major share of the costs incurred by patients on dialysis or who receive transplants. Insurance may cover some or all of the remainder—please consult with your insurance company. If you have questions about finances, call the nephrology office at 216.844.7700.