Forgetful?

[Goofy]

Lately I've been having problems remembering things.  Conversations, put things down and don't remember where, at work I'll start one project and if I walk aways for a few minutes, when I get back I completely forget what I'm doing.  I've left the burner on the stove on, things are hard for me to comprhend and I get confused a lot.

I can't figure out if its from the kidney disease or if I'm just preoccupie?  I'm an administravtive assistant and my job is not really demanding.  Kids are grown.  I think the main problem is, my husband has been out of work for a while now.  He's self employed and if he doesn't work, he doesn't get paid.

So I'm trying to figure out if that's the problem or could my confusion be caused by the kidney disease?  My kidney function is under 10% and I'm not on dialysis.  Does anyone else have the same problems?  Could it just be my old age?  I'm in my early 50's and if I'm like this now, I can't imagine what I'll be like in a few years!

[Rerun]

Fuzzy thinking is a symptom of renal failure.  My god, you toxins are almost high enough to kill you on their own, so fuzzy thinking is bound to overtake you.  Plus you are probably not thinking clearly enough to know how sick you are.  You may need to go get a blood test and see if you need to start dialysis.


NOW.... what did I come in here for??               

[Bajanne]

NOW.... what did I come in here for??               

Rerun is correct.  Check with your nephrologist and see.

[KICKSTART]

Errr   what was the question ?

[Jean]

AMEN to that!!!!

[kellyt]

Yes.  I found myself wondering around my house trying to remember why I went into a specific room, what I was there to get, etc.  Also, I would be talking and would get stuck on words.

"Did you put the book back on the... the...um....the ... what's it called...the...SHELF?  Yeah, the shelf!!"

Very annoying.  And I'm sure added stress of your husband not working adds to it.    We are also self employed and that can be extremely stressfull, even when you are getting a paycheck regularly.   

[Rerun]

Seems like I've read this before...........

                                               

[kellyt]

Hi Rerun.      Welcome to IHD.  There is an Introduction Section, check it out.  Someone might already have a screen name similar to yours, but I'm not 100% sure on that.



 

[LightLizard]

at least i don't have azlheimer's. and i'm glad i don't have alzheimer's, either!
 

seriously, if your kidney function is less than 10 percent and you have not
been advised that it's past time to start dialysis, you need another nephrologist, badly!

[dwcrawford]

I had similar episodes when I had A Fib.  When the A Fib was fixed it cleared up almost instantly.  I am on dialysis now since May 1.  It is starting again mostly with words, names and "what did I  come in here for?".  Is this every a side effect of dialysis (all labs and everything else is nearly perfect).  Seriouslyl, I'm getting a worried.  Yesterday I made a list to go grocery shopping, but when I got there I had forgotten my list.  Went to take a birthday gift to a friend later in the day.  I opened the garage door, got in the car and forgot where I was going.  It comes back to me in a few minutes though.  usually.  I had a test from my Internist and it shows no signs of Alz (and I can't spell anymore).  Plain ole Old Age, maybe?

[Goofy]

You guys are all so funny!  I do the word thing too!  It does get very frustrating.  Its nice to know its not just me!

As far as starting dialysis goes, I think my nephrologist would also like to me get a new one!  He's upset with me because I won't start.  I'm sure some of you have already read some of my posts asking questions about when others started.  I know what my numbers are but I feel good.  That's where I'm having my problem starting.

I came to this site looking for input and everyone did get me scared (I already have the PD cath buried under my skin so it just needs to be exposed to get going). 

After reading many posts here, I went to the surgeon and told him I'd call him back in a few weeks to make the appointment for surgery.(I was going on vacation and would be back in two weeks).  So now I've been back for two weeks and still have not followed up.  In fact, his office called me but I said I would get back to them.

I try not to say too much here about my situation because I know many of you have already told me I'm foolish for waiting.  So I know I'd get irritated with someone like me who keeps asking questions and then does not listen!

I just can't explain in words why I won't start.  Sometimes I think I'm in denial.  I feel good and have had a lot more energy in the last 6 months then I did in the last few years.  Other then getting deathly ill, I don't know what its going to take to get me to start.

Thanks for the laughs!!  Everyone has such a good sense of humor!

[LightLizard]

well, you know best how you feel, so good for you!

when my bloodwork showed my GFR was down to 13 percent, my neph phoned me to tell me to get to the hospital immediately, or i would be very dead, very soon.

but, there must be other factors that are keeping you going. let's hope they continue.
just remember, denial kills.

[The Wife]

LL's kidney function was at 13% when his neph told him he needed to choose "life or to meet his maker." He was given a month to make his decision.  The month went quicker than expected and he started dialysis at 10%. 

I don't know how you have energy.  LL could barely walk due to the lack of energy he had when they finally started dialysis.

Please take this seriously.  When my mom was dying from heart problems (she was diabetic) and her kidney function reached 10%, the nurse told me that once her kidney function reached 4%, her other organs would shut down and she would die.  She passed a week later.

Please don't wait too long.   In fact, I hope you call your doctor tomorrow.

[keefbeer]

Spoke to my doctor last week about this very same problem and he confirmed it is a known problem associated with long term dialysis, see http://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/dialysis+dementia
He has decided that we will keep an eye on it by doing a test used on dementia patients and repeat at four month periods to note any changes. So we have now done the first test, the first of thirty questions was believe it or not "who is the Prime Minister" FFS!
I can remember the idiots name but my problem is forgetting to lock the front door, leaving the cooker on and mixing up the names of children/grandchildren/pets.   

[gotalife]

Hmmm.  So that's what is wrong with me...no, really I am not kidding. I have been on dialysis for 10 years this time around...I find that I am not as quick as I was in thought.  I do receive in slow dialysis over eight hours. 

Thank you for the link, I will ask my doctor about it. 

[Rerun]

I have no idea who the Prime Minister is!!?? 

                                     

[thegrammalady]

april says my memory is as holey as swiss cheese  she may be right.

[dwcrawford]

thegrammalady.... did you forget about the fifty bucks I loaned you?

[RightSide]

Lately I've been having problems remembering things.  Conversations, put things down and don't remember where, at work I'll start one project and if I walk aways for a few minutes, when I get back I completely forget what I'm doing.  I've left the burner on the stove on, things are hard for me to comprhend and I get confused a lot.

I can't figure out if its from the kidney disease or if I'm just preoccupied?

Difficulty thinking, confusion, memory loss, etc., are all known symptoms of uremia:

As kidney failure progresses, patients often become drowsy or sleepy. They may sleep more, and it may become difficult to arouse them from sleep. The ability to think clearly or accomplish mental tasks may become impaired, memory may become imprecise and personality can change. Some patients develop muscle cramps or restless legs. A strange or burning sensation of the legs or feet is called “peripheral neuropathy.” As the kidney failure becomes worse, patients can become disoriented or confused, develop slurred speech, suffer from seizures and eventually fall into a coma.

http://www.aakp.org/aakp-library/symptoms-of-uremic-poisoning/

If that's happening to you now, after having been on dialysis already, then perhaps your dialysis may not be adequate.  Discuss all this with your neph.

[Jean]

that was a very interesting site, and answers a lot of questions. Thanks

[RichardMEL]

Goofy you may feel OK now, and you may wake up tomorrow feeling worse than hell. I'm not trying to scare you but there is a reality here you're seemingly refusing to accept - or rather rationalising that you don't need to yet because you feel OK. I'm very happy (seriously!) that you feel OK, but it could be a bit of an illusion. You've suggested here, and in other threads, symptoms and lab numbers that suggest definite ESRD and I know that I'd rather you did something about it sooner rather than get the wake up call after an unplanned visis to the ER.

now, I was going to write something else but I can't remember. I'm sure it will come to me.. maybe after Dialysis tomorrow....

[KICKSTART]

Dialysis today ? No tomorrow, at least i think , yeah, yeah ,tomorrow im sure, or is that shopping ?  Now where did i put that diary i write all the important things in so i dont forget them !

[Goofy]

Thanks RichardMEL.  I still can't seem to justify starting.  I know what everyone is saying but I really think I'm putting it off because I feel good.  There have been a few times where I don't feel well and I convenience myself that its time.  But when I start feeling better, that's when I change my mind.

I flip flop in my head.....should I or shouldn't I??  Like I said before, I just can't seem to put in words why I can't convenience myself to start.  I guess I think some kind of miracle will happen and I'll be cured!

I know my numbers dictate that I have ESRD but I still feel everyone is different and I'm hoping I'm an acception to the rule.  I don't think I'm in denile because I know I have the disease and realize that I will end up on dialysis at some point.  But I guess I'm just not ready yet.

[del]

Goofy no miracle is going to happen and cure you!!  Like Richard Mel said you may feel "ok" now but things can change in the blink of an eye and you can be really , really sick!! That feeling "ok " may be because you are getting used to not feeling well and you think you feel ok. (hope that made sense) The forgetfulness and fuzzy head is all part of it.  Goofy, I saw my husband so full of toxins that he was seeing things that weren't there. He saw huge birds in the sky and children on the side of the road and nothing there!!  Goofy I also saw my husband's blood pressure go so high from kidney failure and fluid that he went blind in one eye for a while ( he was lucky enough to get most of it back).  I know it is your choice but please don't delay  or you may become very sick and have all kinds of complications!!!!

[RichardMEL]

Well Goofy all I can say is that I hope you continue to feel well... I can understand wishing you are the exception and who knows (though sorry, I don't believe it since you've posted several indications of problems that are clearly related to ESRD). It's your life though and I'm sure you're sick and tired of everyone beating on you to start. Just remember that it's only people who want you to suffer less in the long run. I really hope you don't have something bad happen to you and you continue to feel well. Luckily I felt relatively well until I started - however I also see emergency patients brought into my unit(hospital attached) who are in a bad way - unconscious, throwing up every other minute, the works... I don't want you to be one of those people - they find it MUCH harder to adjust to dialysis and all that because they have to deal with being in such a desperate situation as WELL as dialysis.

good luck!