For the visits where dialysis modality, schedule, access, and lifestyle decisions are made. Bring your partner; the decisions are big and the appointment is full.

About my kidney disease

1. What stage am I at, and what’s the expected progression?
2. When do I need to start dialysis, and what determines the timing?
3. Am I a candidate for transplant? When should evaluation start?
4. Are there things I can do to delay dialysis (diet, blood pressure, medications)?

Modality choice

1. What are my options — in-center hemodialysis, home hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis?
2. Which do you recommend for me, and why?
3. What’s the time commitment for each (per week, per session)?
4. What lifestyle changes does each option require?
5. Can I switch modalities later if the first one isn’t working?

Vascular access

1. What access do I need — fistula, graft, or catheter?
2. How long does fistula maturation take, and when should it be placed?
3. Who places the access, and what is the surgery like?
4. What can damage the access (BP cuffs, IVs, sleeping on it, weight-bearing)?
5. What signs would mean the access is failing?

Diet and lifestyle

1. Will I see a renal dietitian? When?
2. What’s my fluid restriction, and how is it calculated?
3. Potassium, phosphorus, sodium limits — what are mine?
4. Can I keep working full-time? Part-time?
5. Can I travel — domestic, international, on cruises?

Long-term outlook

1. What’s the expected timeline for me overall?
2. What’s the most-common complication I should watch for?
3. What does life on dialysis at year 1, year 3, year 5 typically look like?
4. Who’s on my care team, and who do I call for what?