LIVING WITH DIALYSIS PATIENT

[Raininggalaxies]

Hi everyone! My name is Ewi (nickname). I do not do dialysis, my grandma does. She's been doing it for probably 4 year or 3. She's 63 years old. Not only does she have to do dialysis 4 times a week but she also has type 2 dietbeties. Her kidneys are shot. At night her blood sugar drops to 30 sometimes and we have to get an ER sometimes. I think what has made my grandma gain 2 extra days a week for dialysis is what she eats. She eats a lot of bad food. Since I have been taking care of her Monday through Friday (I'm a teen) we eat out. It's annoying. I don't believe in fast food or foods that are highly processed. My grandma shouldn't be eating that stuff. Her kidneys can't flush out all that sodium. We are Mexican so she uses PICO de gallo from a container. Yeah her guide she has it tells her what foods she cannot and can eat. It even has a 7 day week food schedule we could go by. Well, for every tsp in that container, it has 990mg of sodium. On her food guide it says LOW sodium foods. She says she doesn't put a lot in there but she puts much over a tsp. and when I make food she says it's good but it's extremely healthy for her so it makes her mad when I tell her the next meal or next day "grandma you can't eat that" she starts getting a bit frustrated. She takes well over 12 pills a day including this syrup stuff for her dialysis. You can tell by what I'm saying my grandma is in bad shape. She can't walk for an hour straight because she has bad knees. She got surgery on one leg but needs surgery on the other. It is from lack of excercise that causes knee problems. I know what she eats is damaging her health hence all the meds and days for her dialysis. she needs a lot of protein amd fish has a lot of protein but she says its too light and red meat gives her mre protein when we shouldnt be eating red meat for more than AT least 3 times a week because of cholesterol and saturated fat because she doesnt excercise at all. All this Sounds crazy right? 

[Grumpy-1]

Welcome Ewi    My you seem to have a heavy load at such a young age.  God bless you for that.  Is there any other family members that can help as well?  I know what your grandma is going through.  I too (as a patient) try to eat healthy, but there are times when I JUST have to have some foods that are not on the required list. And sometimes I just don't care what I eat.   See if you can get your grandma to eat healthy foods and reward her with some junk foods later.  My wife and I used to do that when our kids were young.    Strange that it seems the older we get the more we revert back to our youth.   Also, the eating out part.  Can you change that habit?  You didn't say what your schedule is, but I'm guessing you have school and other things to get done and eating out is just easier.  But if you can find time to cook in stead of eating out, it would be a lot better for you grandma.  Keep coming back to this forum, ask questions, vent and rant if needed.  It always helps to have someone who knows what you are going through and can be a support.  Grumpy

[Raininggalaxies]

Welcome Ewi    My you seem to have a heavy load at such a young age.  God bless you for that.  Is there any other family members that can help as well?  I know what your grandma is going through.  I too (as a patient) try to eat healthy, but there are times when I JUST have to have some foods that are not on the required list. And sometimes I just don't care what I eat.   See if you can get your grandma to eat healthy foods and reward her with some junk foods later.  My wife and I used to do that when our kids were young.    Strange that it seems the older we get the more we revert back to our youth.   Also, the eating out part.  Can you change that habit?  You didn't say what your schedule is, but I'm guessing you have school and other things to get done and eating out is just easier.  But if you can find time to cook in stead of eating out, it would be a lot better for you grandma.  Keep coming back to this forum, ask questions, vent and rant if needed.  It always helps to have someone who knows what you are going through and can be a support.  Grumpy

Hi thanks for replying. My family like my dad, mom, aunts, and uncles help out when they can out of work. I'm on summer vacation and I thought instead of staying home all summer why not help someone like my loved one : grandma. She does eat out of her food planner for example she loves almonds...but almonds have too much potassium In them. Or fries/poattoes. Those are a killer. Only half an orange she can eat. Half a banana. Peaches in moderation. It sucks to be on a dialysis diet because you can't eat a lot of foods that contain potassium or phosphorus. Thanks for replying! 

[billybags]

Bless you for looking after your grandma, you sound so knowledgable about the renal diet. Your gran sounds like she is rebelling against it all. We all know that the diet is a bit boring, you car'nt eat this and you car'nt eat that. You can eat things in moderation, it does not hurt to have a little of what you fancy now and again ,but not all the while. I am surprised the renal team have not been on her case about it. You sound like you are doing your best for her but at the end of the day if gran can not see it, there is not a lot you can do. Welcome to the site,    please feel free to come and voice your frustrations or just for a chat.

[galvo]

G'day Ewi! I am on dialysis and a Type 2 diabetic and am an oldie, like your gran. So I understand where she's coming from, I think. She knows, certainly from your advice and her food planner, what her eating habits should be. The regimen is a harsh one and I, for one, don't follow it religously. However I do manage to balance the good with the bad and my monthly blood results show that I do this pretty well. I agree with billybags that Gran is rebelling against it all. I understand that and that is her right. She is fully informed of the situation, and has made her choice.

You obviously love your gran very much, and I reckon she loves you too. I suggest you get her to have a sit-down with you in a quiet situation and have THE TALK! Tell her that you love her, that she is killing herself, and you don't want to lose her, and that she should change her ways, and that between the two of you, the change can happen.

I think it must be terribly hard for a teenager to lay the law down to older person. But you, and she, will know that it's done from love.

One thing you didn't mention is Gran's fluid intake. I bet it's a shocker!

So, Ewi, is there any chance of my adopting you and bringing you out to Australia to look after me? You came across as a real ripper of a girl!!

Keep posting here. You'll get lots of honest advice and support.