For whatever reason, some doctors will see a patient's kidney function deteriorating and, even when the patient questions the doctor about it, the doctor says they're "not concerned" about it. Many don't become concerned until stage 3 of kidney disease. In my case, when my primary care doctor mentioned my kidney function she casually referred to it as kidney insufficiency and moved on to other topics. (She never referred me to or suggested that I see a nephrologist.) I began to research on my own and became aware of the seriousness of the situation. The results of the next lab test showed that my kidney function had deteriorated even more. And here's the worst part. My doctor didn't even mention my kidney function after that test. I only found out the value by looking in the patient portal. I immediately self-referred to a nephrologist who informed me that I was already at stage 3b. I feel that so much precious time was unnecessarily lost. Needless to say, I never went back to that pcp again! We have to do our own research and advocate for ourselves.

@carolstrannahan Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect! It seems you will find with many of us dealing with Chronic Kidney Disease [CKD], that our primary doctors simply do not have the knowledge necessary to help us manage it. Even my new primary told me, matter-of-factly, she doesn't know much about Kidney disease, and might be asking me for input!

It's disappointing, isn't it? But, good for you for advocating for yourself, and taking things into you own hands. As you read through the discussions here, you will find there are many bits of great information.
Ginger