Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a progressive condition where the kidneys' ability to filter waste from the blood slowly declines. Symptom identification can be challenging in early stages, but as the disease advances, telltale signs emerge, including persistent fatigue, nausea, loss of appetite, swelling in the ankles and feet (edema), changes in urination frequency, and muscle cramps. When kidney function drops to a critical level (end-stage renal disease), treatment requires renal replacement therapy, which is either dialysis—a procedure that mechanically filters the blood—or a kidney transplant surgery, which involves replacing the failed kidney with a healthy donor kidney. This journey involves a multidisciplinary team of care providers, primarily led by a nephrologist (kidney specialist) and including dietitians, nurses, and transplant surgeons. The associated costs are among the highest for any chronic condition, encompassing ongoing dialysis sessions, a lifetime of immunosuppressant medications post-transplant, and the immense expense of the transplant surgery itself, making comprehensive health insurance and financial counseling a critical part of patient care.