Do diabetic retinopathy and kidney disease often happen within a short time period of each other?

No: Diabetic retinopathy develops usually after 3-5 years in type i diabetics whereas kidney disease aka nephropathy typically develops 10-15 years after diagnosis of diabetes is made. Timing in type II diabetes is less clear, however it usually takes few years after retinopathy to develop clinically significant kidney disease.

Diabetic: Diabetes causes damages to blood vessels all over the body. Typically, it has effects on the eyes, heart, kidneys, and nerves. Often, the degree of organ damage is correlated with the tightness of blood sugar control. However, in some people, these organs are not affected at the same time. I often see diabetics with eye damage before their kidneys are damaged.