Stage 5 with HIV in Canada.

[LEDZEP]

Good day.

     In 2003 i had a accidental needle stick at work and months later found out i had HIV.Around 2005 i started on a antiviral cocktail of 3 drugs and over the last few years my kidney function started to drop slowly but the doctors were keeping a close eye on my blood work.In January of this year my GFR had suddenly dropped to 45 so they changed one of my drugs called Truvada that is notorious for harming some peoples kidneys.Then in April i started to feel real tired and i thought maybe my HIV levels like the CD4 cells had dropped which causes fatigue.On April 30th i woke up at 2 am and could not breath because my lungs were full of fluid.I went to emergency and after a day of tests i was told my kidney function had dropped to 9 and i was stage 5.

So after a month in hospital i started dialysis 3 times a week at the renal unit.I soon thought a better option would be home dialysis so i started a 6 week home dialysis training session at the hospital.Its been two weeks and i am learning a lot everyday.I have started a blog telling my kidney disease experiences so check it out if anyone is interested.I look forward to being a part of the community here.


                                           Take care.Mike.http://mike2kal.wordpress.com/

[MooseMom]

Oh wow, what a story.  I'll be interested to hear whether or not you and your plumber will be able to salvage your garden.  I hope so since it is your "baby".  I've put a lot of work into mine and would be royally pissed off if something dialysis related meant it had to be upended.  However, you should feel good about doing dialysis at home.  That will keep you healthier and more able to play in your garden!

[Shaks24]

Welcome LEDZEP  .  Glad you found this site and hope it brings you many good experiences. There is a wealth of information and many compassionate people.

[MaryJoe]

Hi, Mike, welcome to IHD! I had a longer welcome post in mind, but my husband just came in and offered to take me out to dinner, so... Anything that includes me not having to cook is to tempting to refuse   !

  

[LEDZEP]

Thank you for the welcome and kind words i really appreciate it.Yes MooseMom i have been a professional landscaper/designer for close to 30 years so i take a lot of pride in my yard and of course it adds a great deal of value to my home.If you check my latest blog post i emailed my mayor this morning to voice my concerns.



                                    Take care.Mike.http://mike2kal.wordpress.com/

[MooseMom]

Good for you for contacting the mayor, and I'm glad that Mr. Murray replied.  I really hope your trees are spared!  You have enough going on without having to worry about your beautiful trees.  When you are going through something like dialysis training, any other problems just become magnified.  It's like you have no extra psychological energy to deal with anything else.

[Poppylicious]

  Mike! Lovely to meet you! 

Enjoy the blogging experience ... I have two blogs but only tend to write when I'm feeling p*ssed off or sad.  They are a brilliant way of getting things off your chest without having to turn to violence or alcohol!