Op-Ed: I Have Stage 4 Renal Cell Carcinoma, and I’m Surprisingly Content

Joel Stern stage 4 cancer

Chicago Health is committed to publishing a diversity of opinions. The opinions expressed in this op-ed article are the author’s own. This op-ed is part one of a two-part series. I am addicted to playing tennis. I play with 18-year-old kids and adults 60 and above in USTA mixed leagues. However, as I get older, […]

Mayo Clinic Q&A: Kidney Donors Do Not Need to Be Relatives

Kidney Donation, Chicago Health Magazine Online

DEAR MAYO CLINIC: I’ve heard of people being a living kidney donor for someone they don’t know who’s in need of a transplant. How does that work? Don’t you have to be a relative, or at least a friend, to donate a kidney? ANSWER: If you’re interested in being a living kidney donor, it’s not […]

A few easy steps keep kidneys healthy

Hand holding model of human kidney organ at body

The Medicine Cabinet: Ask the Harvard Experts By Howard LeWine, M.D. Q: I recently had a blood test that showed my kidneys are not working like they used to. I have high blood pressure, but otherwise consider myself healthy. What can I do to help preserve my kidney function? A: Great question! Your situation is […]

Up for Grabs

cooler with heart transplant

An adventure through the evolving science of organ transplantation By David Himmel It is late morning in early May 2014. Ozzie Rivero’s pager buzzes. The message reads: “heart offer.” Rivero takes action. Within the next 24 hours, he will be part of a harried effort to retrieve a still-beating heart from a deceased donor’s body […]