Richard Gere and Julia Roberts had obvious chemistry upon their first meeting. However, Richard was not planning on taking the role. He was on the phone ready to turn down the part when Julia slid him a post-it note with the words please say yes written on it.
Without life-sustaining dialysis or a kidney transplant, once a person with kidney disease reaches Stage 5 (end stage renal disease (ESRD)), toxins build up in the body and death usually comes within a few weeks. The decision to stop treatment should be an informed and voluntary choice.
We care about the whole patient. In the United States, 640,000 people live their lives with end-stage renal disease and more than 40 percent of Americans live with at least one chronic illness. With innovative products, therapies and coordinated approaches to care-giving, we define the highest standards for treating patients with kidney failure and other chronic diseases.