John in hospital

[rose1999]

  Great stuff Yvonne, long may it continue.

[pelagia]

This is great news Yvonne.  After all of the things the two of you have been through, you deserve this time to enjoy life.   

[Yvonne]

I forgot to say on John's last check up at Renal clinic I ask what % John's kidney was working at, the Dr said 11%.
She said as we get older it decreases anyway, I'm 67 she said mine is working at probably 80%.  I was quite shocked at John's, do you think that is good or bad.

[RichardMEL]

Am I right in thinking John hasn't started dialysis yet?

11% is pretty borderline. Originally 5+ years ago I was told they usually start patients at 10% - others start earlier and some start later (I got to 6%) - the main thing is how he is feeling as much as what the labs report. If he's feeling OK in a renal sense of things (I know all his other problems have clouded things, unfortunately) then 11% is (relatively) good I would say!

[monrein]

It sounds as though D is getting very close Yvonne.  Everyone's different as to the percentage of function left when they start.  Depends on just how awful we feel, but it isn't a good idea to push it too low and risk getting too too sick, in my opinion.

[Yvonne]

Thanks.  No John has not started dialysis yet. He always looks ill around his eye's to me and his breath smells of urine.
The Stoma nurse has given him a new urostomy bag to wear, as since his operation the old ones would not stick and in the middle of the night I would have to get up and change all the bedding. This new bag has quite a big thin waterproof see through plaster to hold it on, John said it is so comfortable he can hardly feel it.  BUT now it's a job to remove, as before with the old one he had to change it every other day, this new one looks as though it could last for a week or more!. Yvonne

[monrein]

The ammonia smell and taste of the breath was one of the last straws for me.  I started D very soon after that.