Protecting what's left

[MooseMom]

What are you all doing to preserve what little function you have left?  I take meds or supplements to control potassium, high blood pressure, high blood lipids, protect me from gout, folic acid to protect me from cardiovascular inflammation, follow my diet and eat just small amounts of animal protein each day.  I imagine you all do pretty much the same thing, but is there anything extra that you do that may make it longer before you start D?  Anything I haven't thought of?

[kristina]

Of course, there is no getting away from the fact that this is a very scary time.

One of the things which I focus on, which is not the first thing that comes to mind
at a time when everything seems to revolve around diet and medication,
is to find ways of relieving the stress of this situation,
because I think this does have a beneficial effect - that is only my opinion.

For me I indulge myself in my very favourite music,
literature, films, and anything else that interests me that diverts my mind,
relaxes me and sometimes gets my grey cells working in a different direction.

This is a good balance against the heavy weight of end-stage-renal-failure and the future.

Good luck from Kristina.

[MooseMom]

Oh kristina, that is just so true, and I'm glad you mentioned that.  You know, I have to say that I have suffered far more psychologically and emotionally from CKD than physically.  The worry and the fear of the future weighs on me much more heavily than taking pills, having blood drawn and seeing the doctor.  My biggest battle has been with my mind.  No doubt about it.

[kristina]

Thanks, MM.

The way I get my mind around the strict food-diet-problem
(apart of taking the supplements), is, to repeatedly tell myself
that “food is only fuel for my body”.

This helps me to withstand the same diet every day, day after day.
This is supported by designing a daily diet,
the meals of which I actually like and I find I look forward to.

Within this strategy I have analysed the foods and liquid which I have,
so that I get as much nourishment as I can,
without giving my body too much work to do.

My liquid intake finishes around 6 o’clock in the evening,
which gives my kidneys a good rest through the night,
and my food has largely been digested,
and the body feels comfortable when I sleep.

Because I have the same amount of food and liquid every day
I am able to see my changes in weight and monthly blood-results
and make fine adjustments if necessary.

By taking this attitude towards my diet I feel more relaxed
and my body feels more relaxed and I am not too distressed
about this important and very serious part of ESRF before Dialysis.

I have seen no reason to make major changes to my diet
and I remain quite calm about it and this is very important to me
because I feel this gives my kidneys a much better chance.

good luck from Kristina

[billybags]

My husband stopped having dairy. So no milk, he drinks black tea, no custard, very little cheese, no bacon, no alcohol and definitely no salt. He does not have gravy or sauces, apart from that he eats home cooking, very rare he eat any process food. I must say he does treat his self now and again to a bacon butty. Our dietitian once said " a little of what you fancy in moderation"

[MooseMom]

I have come to realize that I just don't fancy the foods that I know will harm me.  I really resent having to THINK about food choices all the damn time, but I am way past the stage of being mad that I can't have orange juice or bananas.  If there is something that I really want, I will have just a bite or two, and that's all I'm willing to have.  Nothing is worth jeopardizing my health for.  My husband might bring me home a chocolate as a "treat", but I just don't see food in that light anymore.  If I know it will harm me, it is no treat!

One thing I have had to do, though, is eat smaller portions more frequently throughout the day.  I don't get hungry...I go from feeling fine to feeling really sick if I don't eat something immediately.

I love bacon butties.  I have found a bacon that is free of phosphates, and it is delicious. 

[boswife]

interesting thread    ANd...I'd love to hear of the Bacon you speak of MooseMom.

[MooseMom]

interesting thread    ANd...I'd love to hear of the Bacon you speak of MooseMom.

http://www.nimanranch.com/index.aspx

There is a local, family owned grocery store near us that I usually go to, and they've started carrying meat from this ranch.  The danger from processed foods usually comes with the amount of phosphates used, so I don't buy anything with the word "Phosphate" in it.  Cured meats will have phosphates, so that usually means bacon is a no-no.  But this ranch does uncured bacon, and sure enough, no phosphates appear on the label.  Now, they DO do other pork products, like a ham or ham steak, that DOES have phosphates, but their uncured bacon does not, and it is really tasty.

I've also been able to find several places that make their own handmade sausages and bratwursts, so I can avoid phosphates there, too.  I don't eat a lot of these types of foods, but when I do, I like being able to make good choices.

[cariad]

MM, Nueske's up in Wisc also makes uncured bacon. They sell it at most of the local shops here and people rave about it, as they rave about Niman's. No idea which is better tasting or less expensive, but if your source for Niman's ever dries up, you have a fallback position.

Gwyn gets his bacon and all his other meats from the meat CSA. Carnivores would do well to look into this option for themselves - every thing is grassfed, no hormones, and animals only receive antibiotics if they need them. Better for the environment, much better for the animals. We pay an average of around $5.25/pound for everything (chicken, pork, lamb, beef - all different cuts) or $80 a month for over 15lbs. The thing about grassfed is it is more nutritionally dense, and so you need less of it to feel satisfied. Gwyn swears this is true. (I'm a vegetarian so what do I know?) Oh, but I do eat eggs which we also get from them, and the yolks are so orange it is like a blazing sun on one's plate. Worlds away from those anemic, pale yellow eggs one receives from the chain markets. No idea if grassfed would alter potassium or phos content somehow.

[MooseMom]

Great idea!  I don't eat a lot of meat, myself, and I am picky about the meat I do eat.  I'm really lucky that I have the opportunity to buy meat from grassfed animals; most people don't have that option without going to a lot of time and expense.  I had not realized that grassfed is more nutritionally dense, but I guess that does make sense...AND it RHYMES!

[Restorer]

Cheap bacon (think store-brand, Hormel, Farmer John's) wil have phosphates. Those are also the kinds of bacon that are pumped full of smoke flavoring, rather than actually being smoked. Cured doesn't necessarily mean phosphates, but uncured bacon is generally of high enough quality that it won't have added phosphates.

That said, I hardly have the money for cheap bacon, let alone good bacon, so I do with bacon what I do with most other things that are bad for me - don't buy them in the first place.