I need Dialysis soon

[irv31]

You guys are so supportive its amazing Ive told my family and friends about this site and they are all joining so they can see what Im going thru and ask alot of questions, I go to Cornell Medical Jan 6th,Irv

[monrein]

Good move Irv and we look forward to meeting your family and friends too. 

[pelagia]

We look forward to meeting the family, Irv! 

[Wallyz]

Hey Irv, welcome.

Ditto getting the fistula, and start pushing now for home hemo dialysis.  You will probably want to go on dialysis before you transplant. 

I have diabetes as well, and I am on the list in Seattle.  I have kids about your kid's age, and I know how sad/frustrating/scary that can be.

[kellyt]

Irv, that is wonderful that your family is interested in joing and, more importantly, learning about your struggles!  Before joining this site I knew no one personally with kidney disease or who was or had been on dialysis.  I myself knew nothing about the disease or the struggles to come.   Bless them and bless you!   This site is great!   

[Ang]

   Irv


  i  wish  you  well  in  your  journey  ahead, when  to  get  a  fistula  is  the  $64,000

   question,  you  need  to  be  guided  by  your  neph  who  should  go  by  your  bloods  and  your  general  well  being.

   remember  information  is  power  and  you  can  always  get  a  second  opinion.

   get  the  fistula  earlier  rather  than  later  as it takes  6 weeks  too  mature  and  too  be  able  to  use

[Chris]

Hello and    from another diabetic who has the eye problems, neuropathy, and a few other things wrong.

I suggest getting something done sooner than waiting till something gets worse. That's my experience with diabetes and it's complications.

[Lucinda]

Hi Irv and welcome.  I am due to start dialysis next month and I have been putting it off for two years.  I am afraid I am a bit stubborn and I am not enrolled in the very sensible school of thought - start early!  All in all, I don't feel too bad.  The nausea is a little irritating sometimes and the anemia is not great but is controlled with infusions and EPO.  You will get a lot of support and knowledge here.  I think everyone goes through the same thoughts as you are at the moment - as everyone here knows, I REALLY went through it.  But after a while you come to terms with the changes you are  going to be experiencing.  Everyone here is absolutely terrific.  The advice is invaluable and people like Kit, Zac, Monrein - everyone in fact, are an inspiration.  Best advice I can give and it has been a great help to me over the past two years is to stick to a good diet and exercise regimen.  Do everything that will maximise your remaining kidney function.  Blood pressure is really important.  Get blood pressure medication if your pressure is anyway high and cut back on eating a lot of salt.  Try and keep you stress levels down and remember, of all the diseases you can get this is one of the best.  There is at least an alternative there to keep you alive. One of the best ways to keep your stress levels down is to get your fistula in place ASAP.  Just tell the doctor you want to have it done now.  It will give you a much greater sense of security that it is there if you need it.  As I said, mine has been in for two years now and has not been used but I feel so much better knowing it is there if anything goes wrong suddenly.  I have had many family members with renal disease and most of them have lived to a good age, others weren't so lucky but my Dad died at 77 and his sister who had a transplant was well into her 80's and they had renal disease most of their lives. You need to take each day as it comes and try not to look too far into the distance.  Take care of your health and fitness and don't waste this time when you are free from restraints worrying about the future problems.  When you have to cope with it, you will.          

[irv31]

Thanks lucinda
 I just got out of the hospital , I came down with Pneumonia and had a congestive heart,ugh, I'm home now but i still feel weak, my creatinine level is still hovering around 4, Dr says my kidneys are around 20 percent, I wish I had an answer for everything but I don't, thank for all the support, Irv

[graeme]

Hi Irv,

I was diagnosed with IGA Nephropathy and hyper tension 10 years ago with a kidney function of about 20%. My renal Dr. prescribed blood pressure medication and which stabilised my kidney function which remained at 20% plus until late last year when it shot down to 8%... I had a Tenchoff cathater inserted and went on to Peritoneal Dialysis 4 weeks ago.

I have been fortunate that I have no other complicating diseases like diabetes and am otherwise quite healthy.

From my point of view, while there is something that can be done about removing the impurities out of your blood the sooner the better.

With regards to the fistula... Due to my location and the fact that there is no hemo clinic here they didn't give me one but I would take the advise from others in a similar situation to yourself (and your doctors). It may seem daunting at first but I'm sure you get used to it and you also have to consider the alternative...??

Lucinda offers good advise re diet and the resources on this site are fantastic.

I hope you are feeling better

[Mellow]

Sorry to hear about the hospital stay. There is a pneumonia shot you can get. I had one several years ago and so far so good. I guess I don't understand your doctors reluctance to recommend you get a fistula.  I had the fistula put in about 3 weeks ago.  They put in two. One at the wrist and one near the elbow. Something to do with my veins probably not developing at the wrist area. So probably just an ugly scar there. However, the surgery was simple and all my activities are back to normal. Can do yoga poses, lift weights, play pickleball, and anything else that involves my arm strength. Having the fistula makes me rest easier knowing that in a couple of months if I do need dialysis I will be ready.

I hope diet and excercise will keep me off dialysis forever but that may be wishful thinking. I monitor every bite of food that goes in my mouth for carbs, calories, protein, sodium and postassium.  I would probably eat slugs if I thought it would help. Our situations are differenct in that you have chronic failure while my is acute. Caused by my immune system attacking my kidneys. My kidney biopsy showed my kidneys 85% scarred. Dead. I do go out to the mall every couple of weeks  to Brookstone and sit in one of their $4,000 massage chairs  for free for 15 minutes. And I am looking into reflexology (foot massage) to stimulate my kidney and immune system function.  So far my creatine has reduced from over 7 to less than 3 in four months. However life seems to be a crap shoot. So who know what is really going on or to happen. 

Since, I don't have any expertise to offer all I can say is what I am doing and maybe give someone a new idea that may or may not work for them.
Good Luck.
Mellow