Free telephone conferences for transplant recipients
"Making
the Most of Your Life: Issues for Today's Transplant Recipient"
A series of free phone discussions presented by the National Kidney Foundation
SAVE THE DATES!
Please join the National Kidney Foundation (NKF), Chancellor, actor Ken Howard,
and a community of transplant recipients-of all organs-for
a series of three one-hour telephone discussions about some of the most
important issues transplant recipients are facing today. Things like
understanding Medicare coverage and other financial issues, getting the facts
about depression - how to recognize and treat it, and finally empowering
ourselves to be better advocates for our care. As transplant recipients,
we face issues related to daily living plus additional challenges you have that
come with transplantation. But we are not alone-we can help one another by
sharing information and providing support.
WHY THESE TOPICS?
To prepare for this series of calls, the National Kidney Foundation asked
transplant recipients what they wanted to learn more about. We got a huge
response, and these three topics emerged as some of the most important, unique
challenges recipients are now facing. We then reached out to transplant
recipients and health care professionals who were willing to share information
and talk about their individual experiences.
HOW WILL THESE CALLS WORK?
Each topic will be scheduled on three different days and times to allow many of
us to participate.
Preregistration
strongly encouraged.
Preregister on line at www.transplantrecipients.org
under meetings and events! On-line preregistrants will have be able to
preview extra materials ahead of time. You may also register by calling
800-622-9010 between the hours of 9am EST and 5pm EST. You may also just
join the call without preregistering, simply by calling 800/620-7912 and enter
the passcode 78383 - however, preregistration is encouraged, since it will
give you access to extra materials.
CALL SCHEDULE:
1) "Getting the Most out of Medicare"
May 11th, Wednesday, at 8PM EST
May, 12th, Thursday, at 8PM EST
May, 28th Saturday, at 5PM EST
One constant about Medicare, is that it is always changing. Though
Medicare is a federal program, each recipient's benefits under Medicare are
dependent on a recipient's unique circumstances (e.g., the type, date, and place
of your transplant, other coordinated insurance benefits, and-for the first time
because of recent changes in Medicare-income.) Understanding your rights
and benefits under Medicare and how Parts A, B, C, and D fit your needs may feel
like alphabet soup. We will discuss the nuts and bolts of Medicare and
then move to talk about changes we anticipate in the next few years due to the
recently enacted Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization Act of 2003.
2) "Understanding Depression"
June 12th, Sunday, at 4PM EST
June 16th, Thursday at 9PM EST
June 25th , Saturday at 3PM EST
Before transplant we focus on just staying alive. It is not unusual
for us to be depressed as we hope to live and at the same time know we may not.
After transplant there may be tremendous pressure on us to just be happy that we
are alive, and usually we are! But the phenomenal experience of
transplantation brings a wide range of emotion, and learning to cope with a new
set of challenges that come with living with the chronic condition of transplant
is challenging. We have the same life problems as the general non
transplanted population-along with other challenges. Join us as we talk
about depression and the complex issues that cause it.
3) "Helping Others while Empowering Ourselves"
July 10th Sunday at 5PM EST
July 21st Tuesday 21 at 8PM EST
July 30th Saturday at 1PM EST
After transplantation we are grateful and proud to be able to go on with our
lives. However, many of us are so thankful to our donors, living and deceased,
and to our family and friends who were there for us*and because we have learned
so much upon our journey that could be helpful to candidates and the newly
transplanted we have a burning desire to help others and give back!
How do we make our experience count, how do we help others as they begin or
travel along their journey? Lets talk*
Write and read transAction's message board at www.transplantrecipients.org
and contribute to our conversation threads about Medicare Changes, Depression
and Patient Empowerment. Write your questions on the message board or send
questions and comments directly to transActioncouncil@kidney.org.
Join the transAction Council online and receive our newsletter, Transplant
Chronicles.
The National Kidney Foundation gratefully acknowledges the support from Roche
for this program.
Catherine Paykin, MSSW
Transplant Programs Director
National Kidney Foundation
30 E. 33rd St.
New York, NY 10016
800/622-9010x144
212/889-2210 x144
cathyp@kidney.org
