Dear patient, The best way to protect your kidney, with the limited things you can do because of the serious underlying disease, is to avoid medications or conditions that cause deterioration of kidney function; the 2 most common and easy to ignore are dehydration and antiinflammatories such as ibuprofen. Sickle cell patients indeed can get end stage renal disease, and if you get to that stage, then dialysis, either intravascular or peritoneal, could be indicated to replace the functions of the kidneys. Yours truly, Dr Brenes-Salazar MD Cardiology Mayo Clinic MN