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.
The answer for individuals changes from person to person, because failing kidneys is only one factor to determine patientsâ life expectancy. If you are in early stage kidney disease, it is still possible to live as long as healthy people with effective treatments and healthy diet and lifestyle.