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Jan Estelle, a dietitian who works at Fresenius Medical Care in Oak Ridge, has stage 3 chronic kidney disease, but she doesn't let it interfere with her life.
She uses her own experience to help dialysis patients achieve a better lifestyle through healthier diet and exercise.
Nearly 1 in 9 Americans are affected by chronic kidney disease, which can progress to kidney failure and require dialysis.
"I'm not on dialysis, but I understand what it's like to be very ill and afraid," Estelle recently told The Oak Ridger.
"When people come in here for the first time, they're scared," she said.
Estelle, who has worked at the Fresenius dialysis clinic for three years, also works at the clinics in LaFollette, Harriman and North Knoxville.
She said she was diagnosed with lupus at the age of 17; she spent a lot of time learning to understand what she was dealing with -- and how to help herself through diet and exercise.
"I went back to school when I was in my 40s, so I could become a dietitian, and graduated in my 50s," Estelle explained.
"I have an empathy and understanding for what it's like to be very sick," she said.
"When patients come here and I meet with them for the first time, I tell them, 'I don't fix what isn't broken.'"
Dialysis patients are forced to follow strict dietary guidelines which, if ignored, can lead to death, according to information from Fresenius. Many foods healthy citizens take for granted -- like nuts, beans, salt and some vegetables -- are not safe for dialysis patients, and can cause serious health problems.
"We don't make a lot of adjustments in their diet at first," Estelle said.
Dialysis patients at Fresenius meet one-on-one with Estelle at least once each month. Each patient's diet is different, and depends on the results of their most recent lab work.
"Most of them have to monitor their fluid intake and eat a high-protein diet," she said.
"Because I've had so many restrictions on my diet, I understand what it's like," Estelle said. "We try to fit in what they like or find a good substitute for that food."
To help chronic kidney disease patients who receive regular dialysis as part of their treatment, Fresenius Medical Care North America -- which operates dialysis clinics around the country, has worked with Chef Aaron McCargo Jr., star of Food Network's "Big Daddy's House," to develop tasty, satisfying and new dialysis-friendly recipes.
Dialysis patients at Fresenius receive a copy of the cookbook, which helps them plan their meals and understand exactly what they are eating to benefit their health.
Patients with chronic kidney disease can lead "normal" lives, if they follow their treatment plans, take their prescribed medications and pay attention to the foods they eat, according to Estelle.
"If you do those things, you'll feel really well," she said.
Leean Tupper can be contacted at (865) 220-5501.
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