Mom feeling bad and itchy

[ODAT]

Yesterday my mom said she didn't feel good, sick to her stomach - didn't feel like eating (I think all she had all day was tea, toast, soup, and ginger ale), and that she was "sweating like a drunken sailor." She laid around and napped on and off all day.

Today she is not feeling much better and is complaining of itchiness. I asked if she wanted me to call her doctor or if she could wait til her doctor appt tomorrow at 10:30. She said she'd wait. I hope the doctor has his eyes open and sends her to the hospital if necessary. There are a lot of issues to be discussed. My sister Cathy is going. Mom has been short of breath even moreso than usual. My dad smoked and had emphysema so I'm sure mom has a lung condition as well. We want her to have chest xrays, and ultrasound for her stomach (she has football sized bumps on each side of her stomach - it used to just be on one side, but in the last month she got the other one). Now this itching, sleeping, and not feeling well. She said she was up and down all night.

I'll keep you posted.

thanks,
Kim

[jbeany]

The itchiness is part and parcel of kidney failure.  The kidneys, even at 14% function, are not clearing the phosphorous out of her system.  It builds up and causes itchiness.  Ask the docs if they have checked her phos. levels.  She may need to start adjusting her diet now, or possibly need to start taking binders with her food.  I did both a year before I started actual dialysis.  At 14%, the kidneys are also doing an inadequate job of clearing toxins, and some of them may be coming out in her sweat.  The toxins may be irritating her skin as well.   If she's sweating a lot, it's going to make it even itchier - try more frequent showers to wash off the toxins.

I'd be more worried about the shortness of breath, actually.  It could have to do with a fluid build-up on her lungs if she's retaining fluid from the poor kidney function.

[paris]

ODAT, I am about the same level as your Mom and have many of the same symptoms. No appetite, lots of vomiting and the shortness of breath, sweating--all part of where she is at in this journey. Don't have the football size "bumps"--not sure what that is. Glad she is seeing the dr. tomorrow. Make sure your sister has a list. My doctor just takes the list from me and starts going through it issue by issue. I have good communication with my neph.  Please let us know what happens at the doctor.

[ODAT]

jbeany, thank you so much. I sent your message to my sister so she can be better prepared at the doctor appointment. It is her pcp. Her appt with Neph (is that right) doc isn't until 11/06.

[ODAT]

paris, the bumps in her stomach have been there a while. I had taken her to a hernia doc, but he was a jerk. All's he said was 'it's not a hernia.' Our fault we let the ball drop (no pun intended - football - man, I am punchy today worked all day on a computer problem at work and finally figured it out!) and never pursued it. It never caused any discomfort, but hopefully whatever it is it's harmless.

[goofynina]

Good info Jbeany    Have them check her calcium level as well, the lumps in her stomach may be calcium deposits that develop if her phosphorus gets too high and the calcium starts coming out of her bones (i have them in my stomach as well)     Please keep us posted on how she is doing, until then i will be sending good thoughts and prayers her way 

[Jill D.]

I know when I started getting a lot of those symptoms I was getting prescriptions for meds monthly if not weekly - PhosLo for phosphorous, K-oxalate (sp?) for potassium, sodium bicarbonate for acidosis, hecterol for hyperparathyroidism, iron infusions, etc. That was spring of 2005, and I was scheduled for a transplant in Aug. 2005. The transplant fell through, so I had fistula surgery in October and started hemodialysis in April 2006. By that time my creatinine was around 8.0. I dreaded starting hemo, but looking back I should have started earlier but the whole transplant thing was in limbo at that time. It is so important to get the toxins out of your body; meds can only do so much and dialysis really helps.

[ODAT]

Hi, I've been too sick to go see my mom. Luckily my sis Cath checks up on her and only lives 10 minutes away. Mom has barely eaten since Wednesday. She is drinking ginger ale (told her to keep up the water) and dry toast. Barely any toast even. She isn't as itchy, but is still getting sweats and chills.

Cath took her to the PCP Friday. He did order blood work and is checking her calcium. He said looks like she's got the bug. My mom and I did get sick at the same time. We went to my uncle's service Monday night. No one there looked sick though. I have not lost my appetite though, but then again she could have what I have and because of her other conditions she lost her appetite.

I talked to her this morning. She had just got off the phone and didn't feel like talking much more. She has been in bed or on the couch for days. I keep thinking that even if I wasn't sick, I would be scared to go over because I would probably take her to the hospital. I don't want to jump to conclusions, but I don't want to miss anything either. I already feel like that happened with my dad during his stay at the hospital.

I am waiting for the kidney doc to call me and I will tell him what's going on. He may have a different perspective than the PCP on how to handle mom right now. I expect to hear from him tomorrow although mom said she was going to call the doctor tomorrow (PCP) if she didn't feel any better.

Hope you all are doing okay. take care

[ODAT]

well, mom finally ate half of a dinner last night. she felt woozy and I told her she really had to eat. she hadn't eaten since tuesday. she sounded better. still difficult to guess if it's only a bug or related to her kidneys. the pcp said her numbers looked good. I told her and i'll tell my sis that we need to KNOW the numbers. no one is asking what numbers and what are they so we can keep track of the changes. still waiting for the kidney doc to call.

hope you's are all doing okay!

[paris]

Asking for copies of her labs will help you track what is going on and give you a better understanding of what is going on. I ask for mine everytime and they are more than glad to make a copy for me. Hope your Mom is doing ok.

[Ohio Buckeye]

I DO HOPE YOUR mOM IS FEELING BETTER REAL SOON AND YOU
FIND THE CAUSE.

[ODAT]

We are going to have to assume it was a bug, because she is better now. Eating and even drove herself to two appointments and the store in one day. Told her to take it easy though cuz she's still weak. She did take a two hour nap when she got home. I think her and I had the same thing, we got sick at the same time and her getting sicker is probably due to all the other health issues she has.

thanks for your tips and things to watch out for. I'll start a new post when I hear something on her labs (probably not till 11/6).

[goofynina]

Glad to hear mom is feeling better ODAT, give her my best please