Re-evaluation appointment

Yesterday I had my annual re-evaluation appointment at University of Michigan. My good friends from the Y offered to drive me. They stayed with me through all the appointments and we had a nice lunch afterward. That took a lot of stress out of the day for me.

All the appointments went well. I need to lose a bit more weight that I regained this year but the renal dietician I met with was extremely helpful and encouraging. It is the first dietician I’ve ever met with that actually took the time to sit with me and really provide good suggestions. I try to be informed but I definitely learned some things from her that will be helpful going forward.

They were quite fine with my skipping the stress test this year and even said I might be able to skip it next year. I did not even have to do a chest x-ray and ekg this time, which I have always had to do in the past. They were surprised that I put myself on hold at Toledo but they said I am getting high on their list and could get a call at any time. I’m not so sure since I was originally told the wait was 6 to 7 years here in Michigan. So I still think it will be a while. Wisconsin is likely to come through before Michigan.

The really nice part was that my friend who drove me has a brother who got a kidney transplant at University of Michigan two years ago. He has fsgs that recurred shortly (within days) after a living donor transplant so he had a lot of complications. The meds really made him depressed in the beginning and he was even suicidal for a time before he was released from the hospital. My friend was upset that he received so little psychological support during the whole process before and after the transplant. He stuck it out though and is doing well two years out.

We had a great conversation about the psychological stresses that go along with ckd and the transplant process. She really understood how hard it all is. She and her husband were so supportive and encouraging. It was a really good experience. I have gained some really good friends at the YMCA and they are now a big part of my support system.

It’s funny—I’ve had several conversations with my sister in Wisconsin about these re-evaluation appointments. I have gone to several of them alone and always minimized how stressful they are. My sister has gone with me twice and has oftened commented on how hard it must be to go to them alone. So when my friends offered to take me I accepted even though I was a little uncomfortable about asking so much from them. My sister really encouraged me to let them take me. I am so glad I did! It really made the day so much more manageable and less stressful.

I was a tad dehydrated but the labs still came out well. Creatinine 2.94 egfr 16. They are always a little worse at these appointments because I don’t drink much beforehand so I can keep my weight down. I am now motivated to try some new things with my diet and work on losing some weight. Much better that last year when I drove two hours home demoralized and discouraged from the Toledo appointment in 90 degree heat with no air conditioning and a huge headache.

It is great to have good friends!