From what I've been able to determine, the pattern is diagnosis, disease progression, dialysis, transplant, return to normal life - for Nimfa the timeline could be anywhere from four to 40 years.  With technology and research, the outlook is much more positive than it was even 10 years ago.

My research on the net shows we're far from being alone in this.  About 250,000 people in the U.S have end stage kidney disease, over 40,000 from IgAN.  Over 186,000 are on dialysis, and many I've talked to or heard from are still living active, fulfilled lives.  The number of kidney transplants performed each year continues to increase and success rates also continue to rise.

According to the National Kidney Foundation, an estimated 10,000 to 14,000 people who die each year meet the criteria for organ donation, but less than half of that number give the gift of life and become actual organ donors.  Currently, there are over 30,000 people awaiting transplants.

Here's the story of IgAN from our perspective.

To learn more about IgAN, visit the IgAN Home Page maintained by Russ George.

To learn more about kidney disease, visit the National Kidney Foundation or call 1-800-622-9010.

Our perspective on IgAN