Chronic kidney disease affects 26 million adults; it is a disease that causes measured loss of kidney function over time. The best way to deal with any disease is to learn all you can and become an active participant in your care or the care of loved ones. When you are active in your own care or the care of loved ones, treatment is more effective because you understand the condition and its effects on the body. If you are waiting for a kidney transplant, receiving dialysis, or have just been diagnosed, this book will provide much needed information on this condition, from symptoms and causes to treatment.