This qualitative, exploratory study examined the self-management experiences of people with mild to moderate chronic kidney disease (CKD, Stages 1-3) to elicit participants' perceptions of health, kidney disease, and supports needed for self-management. Findings revealed a process of renegotiating life with chronic kidney disease, which encompassed Discovering Kidney Disease and Learning To Live With Kidney Disease. A number of themes were identified, including searching for evidence, realizing kidney disease is forever, managing the illness, taking care of the self, and the need for disease-specific information. The findings indicate participants with early CKD want to self-manage their ...