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As I said on my Main "Drats, I've Got Kidney Failure" Page, I found out that I have Chronic Kidney Disease.
I will tell you what happened to me so that you can, hopefully, obtain helpful information from it. First
of all, I am NOT a professional. The information I give in the following pages are only my opinions,
my deductions, of what I've read about the subjects of diabetes and kidney disease, and what I've been told by my doctors.
See your medical doctor regularly.
If you are DIABETIC, you MUST keep your blood sugars and blood pressures as near to
normal as possibe. Also, keep away from the salt and, by all means, stay on your diet. If you do these, and I
said IF, then you MIGHT avoid kidney failure and the slippery slope to kidney dialysis. Here goes
my attempt to help - - -
Since
it was discovered that my Potassium and Creatinine were high, the end of May 2006, I've been stuck, probed and prodded, gone
thru countless blood draws, been Nuclear Renal Scanned, 24-hr Urine Creatinine Clearance Test, and have seen a Dietitian.
I was thrilled to see my Nephrologist (kidney
specialist) because he was also my husbands so long ago. I had more blood work done and finally had an Ultra Sound of
my kidneys. We've guessed that I'm at Level 3 of
kidney failure - - - that's from Level 1 to Level 5 being on dialysis.
My
Diabetic Renal Diet is on the following pages, along with the allowed foods and amounts of servings for each food. My
dear mother (she's 92) asked me, "How long will you be on this 'test' diet"? Sorryyyyyy - - this is IT, this is my "DIET"
from now on! I've been on it a few months now and let me tell you, you don't want it.
Please, all of you DABETICS out there, who think you can cheat and eat what you want and have a donut here and there, a piece
of cherry pie too, then forget it - - - unless, of course, you want to end up with kidney failure and on dialysis.
My kidney loss is not entirely due from my diabetes.. No, I
did my best. My diabetes and kidney failure is inherited from a long line
of relatives. (I guess you could say, "I was cursed" [joke]). Out of 9 of mother's siblings, 8
of them had diabetes and 4 were on kidney dialysis. My 92 year old mother is the only one living out of the 9 siblings
and she got diabetes when she was 87! AND my aunts and uncles aren't all: out of at least 20 first cousins, 16-17
of them have diabetes (or had and have died from it). One of these first cousins, is about 9 years younger
than me, is on dialysis (had 2 strokes and 1 heart attack so far). Many 2nd cousins.are in the same shape. Oh,
and my father developed diabetes at 77. Both my grandmothers had diabetes. So, for me, I didn't have much of a chance
NOT to develop kidney failure right along with the diabetes.
My kidney specialist told me that I have about
10 years before I go on dialysis - - - that is IF I take care of myself, do exactly as I am told! If I don't, then I'm
in "the chair" (perhaps the same one my husband
was in for 4 1/2 yrs). My doctor did tell me not to compare myself with any other diabetic with kidney failure.
We are all different. However, every person who developed kidney failure eventually ends up on kidney dialysis.
Period! (Unless we are Raptured first).
When I was in the hospital for pneumonia from Aug 1st thru the
10th (four days in ICU), my CREATININE "MYSTERIOUSLY" came DOWN !! That's not all - - my potassium
and sodium levels had come down to normal. I asked my doctor what happened and he pointed "upward toward
Heaven", quietly quoted a Scripture to me, smiled and left my room!! This is AFTER the Kidney specialist had told me
that "kidneys do NOT get better --- always end up on dialysis" OH, is that RIGHT? Doctors don't know
EVERYTHING. Afterall, we do have "The Great Physician" if we are Believers - - and I am a believer WE can expect
help if we only ask for it.
God Bless you and I'll help all that I can - - - Joyce
Email me: joyce79102@sbcglobal.net
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DRATS - - - - - -> to Page 2
