Health Update
I saw my new nephrologist today to find out the results of the blood tests he ordered last week.
Although he is not worried that Cinryze is any danger to me and this may be what is “normal” for me, my kidneys are only working at 60%. However, “normal” for my age group is 90%. Not until people are in their 90s do you see a drop in kidney function of 50%.
This means, based on all the other tests, that my weight is down (yay!), my cholesterol is back to normal (yay!), the kidneys are producing clean and clear urine (yay!), I’m not diabetic (yay!), and I have excellent blood pressure (yay!), but I have the kidneys of an 80 year old woman.
Huh.
So now it’s off to have a sonogram of my kidneys to see if there is anything odd looking about them, literally.
In the meantime, I have no new symptoms, no changes in diet, and no clue what the heck is going on, but again, 60% won’t kill me and so, not to worry.
Yesterday my father-in-law found out that his are working at less than 25%. Dialasis is suddenly an unexpected and permanent reality for him… we really weren’t expecting this. Hope the sonogram turns out okay. I’d hate for you to have to go through more kidney worries on top of everything else. Hugs!
Dearest Saje
How dreadful for your father-in-law; may the Lord and Lady give him the strength and courage to see him through his ordeal. I’ll add him to my morning blessing ritual, if you think it’s okay. Apparently there are absolutely no warning signs of impending kidney damage and failure. I, myself, feel fine in this area (i.e., no lower back pain, no urinary problems, no fever, etc.) and there are no signs indicative of a 40% decrease in kidney function. If my immunologist had not done the first blood test back in May, I would still be oblivious of this little factoid, and I’m not sure the test is part of the regular “annual” blood tests all doctors put their patients through. It makes me wonder how many people out there have decreased kidney function and are undiagnosed.
Thanks for the hugs!
♥Kat
Thanks, and please do feel free to add him to your blessing ritual. You are exactly right about the no warning signs… he feels better now than he has in a long time! He’s doing well; it just came out of nowhere, but at least his spirits are still keeping up.
Hmm, that is odd. I’m glad all the other tests came back good tho. Hopefully more tests will give you more good news.
Hi Drowsey
It is odd, but then, everything about my health has been odd, so why am I surprised that this is, too? Geesh!
Sure was surprised about the weight loss—I think their scale must be broken. Would be a nice surprise if it were really true, though.
Thanks for stopping by; I’m glad to see you back in the e-world, for sure!
Hugz ♥Kat
You could just cough up 10,000 for a black-market kidney and have it daisy-chained into one of your existing two, so then you’ll have three, and you’ll be back up to 90 percent.
How many kidneys do Martians have? Four? Can’t you spare one of yours?
Hi Kat, Good to see you are doing well. Wouldn’t worry about that kidney thing it will be okay.
I like your new look on the site. I have been out of touch for quite awhile. Very busy with life and death if you know what I mean.
Hi Catz!
I’m so happy to hear from you. Life does seem to sweep us away sometimes; its complications and joys can be so all-consuming. Thanks for the vote of confidence, though, and the nice compliment.
I’ve poked my head in on your site a few times in the past weeks, but saw you were off-line. Hope this means you’ll be posting again soon.
Lots of hugz,
Kat
—– Original Message —–
Sorry to hear that your kidneys are misbehaving. Here’s hoping that the sonogram gives your Drs some answers that help you
Thanks, Mama Kelly. Into each life a little acid rain doth fall, eh? I’m just happy that, everything being relative, my health is actually better now than it has been in a very long time. I feel pretty confident that I can get the pH of my “rain” as right as rain can be (for me) and just get on with living. Faerie hugz, Kat —– Original Message —–
Do you think there is any connection between your kidney problems and HAE and/or its past/present treatments?
The final decision of the nephrologist was that HAE itself is the probable culprit and not any treatments I received (i.e., Danocrine or Cinryze) because swelling in the abdominal cavity from HAE has caused either extreme dehydration because I couldn’t consume or retain liquids or it completely blocked the urinary tract. This has happened too numerous times to even count. It is possible I have had this damage for many years and it was only now diagnosed. Kidney damage has no symptoms and is not affected by diet or exercise, except to be sure to be sure to drink plenty of fluids.