pre-dialysis patient

[buffalogal855]

Hello - I'm here for support and information.  My husband's nephrologist is talking about dialysis, but has not set up an appointment yet with the dialysis team.  His creatinin is 2.9.  Also am interested in what kind of diet he will  have to follow.  Thank you for listening.

[Deanne]

A creatinine level of 2.9 sounds a bit low to be starting dialysis. Is his disease progressing rapidly that he's talking about dialysis already? For pre-dialysis, he should probably be maintaining a low-moderate protein and low sodium diet. Any other restrictions depend on how his potassium and phosphorus levels look in his bloodwork. Once he's on dialysis, his diet will depend on they type of dialysis he choses - peritoneal or hemodialysis.

I'm sorry you and he need to go through this. 

[willowtreewren]

Hi, Buffalo Gal!

It sounds like your husband's neph is giving him the heads-up that dialysis will be in his future. That is much better than finding out that he has to start immediately and not being ready for it.

Hopefully your husband will have time to learn about the different modalities (this is a good place for that), so he can make an informed decision about what kind of dialysis will fit his life-style best.

Then he can go about getting things in place for when the time comes.

 

Aleta

[Rerun]

I started dialysis when my creatinine was 10, but I was pretty sick by then.  It will depend how he feels, along with his bloodwork. 

When he is on dialysis he will be assigned a dietition and a social worker.  He will be given a list of low potassium foods as wll as low Phosphorus foods and high proten foods.  Dialysis will take out the bad stuff but also takes out some of the good stuff like protein so we are on high proten foods and I still have a hard time keeping my proten to 4.0.  High protein like Peanut Butter is also high in Phosphorus so it is a bad food.  He will learn all this once he is on dialysis.

Best of luck.     

[M3Riddler]

Hello - I'm here for support and information.  My husband's nephrologist is talking about dialysis, but has not set up an appointment yet with the dialysis team.  His creatinin is 2.9.  Also am interested in what kind of diet he will  have to follow.  Thank you for listening.

buffalogal,

I would start learning as much as you can about your husbands condition and why his kidneys failed. Your husband should learn as well. An educated patient is a patient in control. I would call and ask to speak to a renal dietition. Emphasis on renal....   Also ask for materials on different types of dialysis. Your nephrologist should go over every type in detail to help you both decide which is best for his lifestyle. i highly recommend Home Hemo with NxStage. You will be in complete control and do not have to rely on someone else and their schedule.
Your diet will be liberal as you dialyze 5 or 6 days per week so diet is not as important. it also removes more toxins than in-center dialysis and you do not get the washed out feeling.
Do not be afraid to ask your doctors questions. They should be able to provide or direct you to the answers.
You will have to work as a team..... Do not solely rely on others to treat you.... You should be involved as much as possible...

This is the time that the decisions should be talked about such as what type of access for dialysis will be used. If hemo is chosen, a fistula must be created and this can take 3 or more months to mature before it can be used.  I would schedule an appointment with a nephrologist that specializes in dialysis and not just  a regular nephrologist.

///M3R

[buffalogal855]

Thank you everyone for the encouragement.  We go today for blood work and then call Friday for results and will go from there.  Trying to stay positive and take one day at a time!

[woodsman]

Thank you everyone for the encouragement.  We go today for blood work and then call Friday for results and will go from there.  Trying to stay positive and take one day at a time!

Are you in buffalo ny??  good luck

[Ang]

find out as much as you can about how you want to do dialysis,where you want to do it,what to eat.

is there a clinic that you can visit to see what the routine and set up is.

do you have any one that runs talks by dialysis patients.

this journey is different for everyone,try and get a different perspectives of what people have gone thru.
good luck