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Newly diagnosed with CKD (Chronic Kidney Disease) and terrified
Hello. I'm looking for some comfort because what I read on the internet about kidney disease is very bad. I had blood in the urine from the glomeruli of the kidneys in 2011 but we monitored it and I was doing very well things were quiet. Now suddenly it started to rise my creatinine and the percentage of my kidneys working is low as my nephrologist told me. I think I'm in stage 3 kidney disease. I'm doing tests all the time and I'm afraid that every time I go for blood tests my creatinine will be more and more up and I can't handle it all.I'm so scared it's progressing fast.I always shudder at illnesses and now something so serious is happening to me,it's a nightmare.I thought I was doing fine,I don't know what this new kidney problem is.Can can someone give me some advice to get courage for my disease? What would you say to someone who has just been diagnosed with kidney disease and is panicking? I am very sad and scared, I feel like my life is over and I am worried about my family how will I leave them .
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Contact a dietition who is kidney certified. I did that and she is very helpful. She gave me a Gold subscription to Cronometer app and she monitors what I eat from that. I am 3a ckd. My PCP would not give me a referral, so I looked at the Kidney Foundation website and found the only kidney certified dietition in Maine. It is completely covered by my insurance, as many visits as I want. She is 3 hours away, so we meet via zoom.
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3 ReactionsI have chronic kidney disease (CKD) stage 4. I’ve been diligently following this thread but it is getting tedious. It originated in 2022 and is now 10 pages long. I feel compelled to try to summarize all the great information.
* Kidney disease is assigned a number and sometimes an alphabet letter depending on the amount of function the kidneys have.
* Lab tests (blood & urine) plus formulas are used to determine the level of functioning. Regardless of the particular tests used, it is the trend results overtime that is important. A single test (type or result) isn’t all that helpful.
* MANY factors affect the above two things: genetics, age, co-morbidities, medications, diet, hydration …..
* Treatment depends on all the above. There is no such thing as “one size fits all”. It is best to find providers and specialists who are willing to look at the whole picture and collaborate with other colleagues to develop an individualized plan to meet the patient’s needs.
* Side note. Often there are no symptoms of kidney disease until it is fairly far advanced. Doctors sometimes don’t consider it a problem at all until it is in Stage 3 or worse. It is a good idea to start learning about kidney disease at the first indication there might be a problem. BUT prepare; don’t panic!
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9 Reactionswhat is cause of high creatine,nitrogen prosperous what do i do ?
@rosebackyard Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. You ask what you should do with high creatinine, nitrogen [BUN] and phosphorous levels. First, you talk to your doctor to get their input on the entire test. And you look at previous test results to compare them. One set of results is not usually valuable to make a diagnosis, it is best to look at a trend. There are additional values to take into consideration, also.
The cause of higher than normal values could very well be hydration status at the time of a lab draw, or current/recent infection, medication changes, lifestyle/diet changes, other health conditions your have. Think about all of this and prepare questions for your medical team.
Ginger
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3 ReactionsHello, everyone. I was diagnosed with CKD Stage 3A on Thursday, T2 diabetic, HBP, high cholesterol, GERD, seasonal allergies, and an irregular heartbeat. I also had lots of kidney/bladder infections as a child. I've learned a lot from reading this thread.
@cindiinnc welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I have some of the same & other related diagnoses as you. I feel like the sooner you know about this stuff the sooner you can start learning about them and how best to take care of yourself. Members here share their health journeys to support and encourage each other in their’s.
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2 Reactions@cehunt57 Thank you so much for the warm welcome. I am spending as much of my days reading up on this latest diagnosis.
Well, it has taken me 2 years post kidney transplant to really see big improvement in my energy levels, stamina, quality of life, clear headedness, med stabilization, much less pain. I have some love back for life now. I had to just accept that my recovery took longer than maybe others. Hard to accept and hard to trust this lengthy process and hard to trust my docs and me for what is, is. And to really trust God to guide my recovery in It's time, not mine. I would run out of patience, get depressed and anxious. But I got on psych meds to help and really started trusting the good docs I found who really cared about me feeling better. This makes me almost cry, as I slowly found the most caring doctors/nurses who told me the truth of my recovery and that they would not abandon me, would be there for me all the way through it all, no matter how long it took. I can today really say how blessed I am and my kidney is doing so well. Now I am potentially facing coronary artery disease. Anyone else have this pop up? I hear that the prednisone 2.5mg can make this disease worse. Blessings to all in your recovery and healing. You are never alone. BB
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2 Reactions@blbird33 congratulations on your kidney transplant.
I’m fairly certain that there must be a group with discussions regarding coronary artery disease within Mayo Clinic Connect. Hope that is helpful.
I tend to avoid steroids such as prednisone if at all possible because it raises blood sugar and I am diabetic. I don’t know the effects it has on heart conditions.