I am on the National Kidney Foundation of Michigan’s Scientific Advisory Board. Today, at the board meeting, Celeste Castillo gave a presentation on patient and family centered care. She is a dialysis patient and told a personal story of patient centered communication. She developed end-stage renal failure when she was in college. Every week-end she wanted to do what other college students did and that was drink, so every Tuesday she would show up at dialysis with too much fluid.
Her nephrologist kept wagging his finger at her until one day he sat with her on a Tuesday and started working through the problem with her. The solution: skip the beer and learn to love…tequila. Twelve ounces of beer is roughly equivalent to 1 ounce of tequila, presto, 91% reduction in volume.
Tequila for the win.