What you’ll get out of this episode
Tim Fitzpatrick chats with Steve Winfree about the struggles he and so many other patients face when it comes to living with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end stage kidney disease (ESKD). Steve takes us through his journey, from his surprise diagnosis while playing college basketball to eventually needing dialysis to survive, and finally to his transplant story that went viral and has logged more than 700 MILLION views to date. Since receiving his transplant from his wife, Heather, Steve has embarked on a personal mission to help other patients and care partners to share their stories and better understand their care.
In this episode you’ll discover:
Quotables
“The only thing I learned about dialysis through Google and looking through all these sites, was that it was very scary sounding. There was definitely a negative connotation over dialysis. It was something you wanted to avoid and should try your hardest to avoid and stay away from. Because of that, it scared me and it scared a lot of patients.” @Steve_Winfree #IKONAhealth on Ep28 @t-minus10
“Patients need to remember, I saw this all the time, doctor’s work for you in a sense, right? Like they are on your team. So, utilize their expertise, utilize their knowledge. Go into these meeting’s knowing you’re the expert on you” @Steve_Winfree #IKONAhealth on Ep28 @t-minus10
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Steve & Heather Winfree on Facebook
“The most powerful thing you can do as a kidney patient is to turn pain into purpose.
I stand by my saying that, "if you can take the worst thing happening in your life and find a way to use it to help others going through the same thing", you can answer the question 'why me?' at the end of the day.
It took time for me to fall into that mindset after dealing with self pity and feeling sorry for myself. Your journey as a kidney patient, and any other disease, makes you very unique. People want to hear stories from others just like them. They yearn for that familiarity.
This is a photo from my very first dialysis session and my first time speaking to congress on Capitol Hill. The world needs your story, so please do not be afraid to share it!” @Steve Winfree on Linkedin
About Your Host
Tim Fitzpatrick is the CEO of IKONA Health, a company using neurobiology and immersive technology to improve how patients learn about their care and treatment options. Tim co-founded IKONA based on his own patient experiences while serving in the US Navy and now in the VA health system. He has served as Principal Investigator on multiple federal research grants, has co-authored papers on learning science, VR, and mental health in the age of COVID-19, and has partnered with top healthcare investors and institutions including the National Science Foundation, Department of Defense, National Artificial Intelligence Institute, StartUp Health, On Deck, FundRx, MATTER and NVIDIA.
T-Minus 10 is a part of the Slice of Healthcare podcast network.