According to the National Kidney Foundation, one out of every nine people in the United States is affected by kidney disease.  Dialysis Without Fear (Oxford University Press, 2007) is a family guide for dialysis patients who suffer from kidney/renal failure and who wish to simplify their lives and dispel the misconception that one must be "tied down" to their dialysis machine for the duration of their treatment, whether it is for a brief stint or for life.

The New York Times published a report examining the six leading causes of illness and death in the United States today.  Diabetes ranks fifth among them and accounts for nearly 73,000 American deaths annually, more from any disease except heart disease, cancer, stroke and pulmonary disease.  According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention only seven percent of these patients with diabetes are doing what they should to protect themselves and receiving all the treatments they need.

"Kidney failure is often one of the most serious complications that diabetics may face.  Kidney failure is on the rise in the U.S. which is largely due to the rise in Americans suffering from diabetes," says Daniel Offer, M.D., author of Dialysis Without Fear (Oxford University Press).  "Kidney disease is very insidious in nature and often goes undetected until it is too late.  Symptoms of kidney failure may include poor appetite, nausea, vomiting, itching, fatigue, bloating, confusion, high blood pressure or labored breathing.  Individuals diagnosed with diabetes should have their kidney function monitored regularly by their physicians."

Dialysis is the artificial replacement for lost kidney function, designed to remove impurities and wastes from the blood when the kidneys are unable to do so.  More than 400,000 people in the United States undergo kidney dialysis; and for many, the prospect of a regular appointment with a dialysis machine seems like the end of life itself.  But that reaction could not be more wrong.

"We decided to write a book that we wished had existed when my dad first started dialysis.  My dad was totally unprepared and uneducated about the realities of this life transition," says co-author and daughter Susan Offer Szafir.  "Because he was a physician, it is possible that other medical professionals assumed he 'knew if all.'  But the truth was, he knew nothing."

The book provides an account of what being on dialysis is like and what one can do to maintain as normal a life as possible during treatment, written by this family who knows first-hand. While the family acknowledges the difficulties of being on dialysis, they try to realistically assess how a dialysis patient can travel, work, and continue to partake in life's joys and celebrations with as little hindrance as possible.

Topics covered include:

* Choosing the best dialysis method
* The impact of dialysis on professional and personal relationships
* The financial implications of dialysis
* Pursuing a kidney transplant
* Eating and drinking for optimum health
* Traveling on dialysis

Dialysis Without Fear is authored by Dr. Daniel Offer, who has seven plus years on dialysis (since 1999), his wife, Marjorie Offer, and their daughter, Susan Szafir Offer.  They share anecdotes and lessons learned from veteran patients, staff, and doctors and try to provide a "how to" guide to living life on dialysis for the entire family.