Sitting in the nephrologist’s office with my spouse, I was blindsided by the news that my kidneys were “burnt out” from years of an undiagnosed autoimmune disease I’d never heard of, immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN). The specialist referral had come too late. I never felt sick, so I never had a reason to be concerned. The biopsy showed that my kidneys would not improve, and that I would need a transplant in the next 3-5 years. To maximize this time, I would have to overhaul my diet and start on a specialty medication.