Dialysis: What type of dialysis are you on?

@cehunt57, thanks for the support, encouragement, and info!

Since I have dentition issues in addition to CKD, diabetes, GP, etc., I have had to try to design a liquid-to-soft diet plan which is low-fiber (opposite the diabetic diet's higher fiber!) and which does not conflict too much with a renal diet.

Kidney function so far remains stable just below 30. . .

However, since I'm currently not on dialysis, I'm not getting enough protein since the veggies on a vegetarian/vegan kidney friendly diet which have complete proteins (corn, squash, beans) either have too much fiber also and/or too much potassium. Either that or the higher protein foods I need also have too much fat for a GP diet. (Sigh!)

As a fellow diabetic, I'm sure you understand when I say I cannot do 6 small meals a day because it would involve 7 needle sticks of insulin a day, one short acting lower-dose insulin shot with each of the 6 meals and a long-acting insulin injection at bedtime. Have had to compromise and eat 3 slightly larger than small meals (taking insulin only for those and one long acting dose at night) plus 3 snack meals (less than a small meal.)

I also take one 500+ mg ginger capsule with the 3 larger meals (to reduce nausea and promote gastric motility) but not with the snacks. My ginger intake is much lower than the recommended upper limit; right now this fairly low dosage is helping a lot and all in all I've been having three or even four good days a week lately instead of one or none.

I'm one of those CKD patients whose potassium levels have fairly recently become too low; I suspect this is related to malabsorption from GP rather than a kidney deciding suddenly to filter potassium better (that's my version of a sick joke, sorry.) As a result, since I use no added salt whatsoever, not even in cooking, I have been using 1/16 to 1/8 tsp of the salt substitute potassium chloride, aka Nu-Salt, on days I know my potassium intake will be too low for that day. I ran this idea by my Neph before doing it, of course, and she approved. She's also the one who reminded me I could take ginger to see if it helped with nausea and so far she's been right on both counts.

If I could just find a way to take in more protein and less fat I'd be a happy camper!

So good to hear from you. Hang in there!

Hi - I just pop in now and then, but it was so nice to see your name. You’re so knowledgeable that I’m sure you’ve thought of this, but do you have a particular problem with, adding protein powder to your food? All the best, Vicki.

Hi - I just pop in now and then, but it was so nice to see your name. You’re so knowledgeable that I’m sure you’ve thought of this, but do you have a particular problem with, adding protein powder to your food? All the best, Vicki.

@ldrlaw I use a homemade shake to get my protein powder in. Use pea protein, not whey. Some blueberries or a banana, Greek yogurt, almond milk, scoop of protein powder. This works for me. My challenge is albumin levels every month. Once we go onto dialysis, protein is critical, as dialysis tends to deplete our system of that.
Ginger

Hi Ginger,
Cheryl here (CKD stage 4, not on dialysis yet, approved & accepted for kidney transplant, sort of looking for a living kidney donor.) Just want to check that what I think I know about Protein is correct.
1).Protein is hard on kidneys; some kinds worse than others (red meat) A renal dietician can help customize a diet to get the correct type and amount of protein needed for kidney patients who need to limit protein.
2). Dialysis can deplete protein so if and when that becomes necessary, protein may need to increase. Again a renal dietician can help with the details of types and quantities of protein that need to be consumed.
Am I on the right track?