Chronic kidney disease (CKD) support: Introduce yourself and connect

@bon123 Waving at you over here! Would you like to share your story, and tell me what your concerns are? Have you had a chance to look at some of the discussions here? We will have a greater audience and more kindred spirits here, than from the news feed post you originally posted on!
Ginger

My first time. I have chronic kidney disease. Stage 3-4.
I have had lung cancer about 4 years ago and colon cancer a couple of months ago. I also have RA for the past 20+ years. It has taken a toll kidneys.
It might be time to see a kidney doctor??? Thanks for any input!

I was diagnosed with with kidney failure two yrs. Ago. Currently in stage 4 & apparently no cure except if it worsens it’s Dialis. I’ve tried eating more vegetables & exercising more. Currently it’s stable. But would like to hear from others with same kidney failure problems.

Diagnosed with CKD3a recently, per my PCP. But... I wonder... I am on ADT for prostate cancer as of early this year (i.e. extremely low testosterone). My eGFR was above 60 until then, and has been below 60 since.

Is this real kidney damage, or an artifact?

Hello, I've been on Dialysis for 1 year. Was first diagnosed about 10 years ago. I mean nothing about a kidney diet for about the first 8 years. Then I found out a little by reading information on line. Mayo clinic was one place I read from. My GFR slowly lowered till last year I was taken to the ER with a pain I believe was gout. My doctors did not believe it because they don't understand gout can be in any joint. So after 2 days and no treatments except pain pills my GFR fell to 7. I had an emergency CVC placed, and my first treatment. I now have 3, 3 hour treatments every week. Also a very good dietitian helped me with a proper diet for my numbers.
Also I'm 73 years young, Mother, Grandmother....

@pswope2091 Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect! Having been through lung and colon cancers, the associated treatments, and no doubt several types of medications, it can certainly take a toll on your body. And your kidneys are usually in charge of clearing medications out of your system.

In my non-medical professional opinion, yes, please get connected with a nephrologist to see where you are at in your kidney function. You might want to ask your primary care dr to run labs and get a baseline for right now, then a referral if the numbers indicate. Would you consider doing that? How are you feeling today?
Ginger

@golfmama1 Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect! Do you know the cause of your kidney failure, and what your current eGFR [percentage of function] is? Getting to the root cause of kidney decline is crucial, to address the underlying issue. It could be a hereditary issue, medication side effect, life style, untreated or undertreated diabetes or high blood pressure.

As you go through the different conversations here, you'll probably notice a seeming common trend, stressing diet and life style:
good restful sleep;
good hydration;
minimized stress;
moderate exercise;
stop NSAID use, switching to acetominophens like Tylenol
monitor sodium, calcium, phosphorous, potassium, protein, processed foods in your daily diet

You have a challenge in front of you to be proactive and take control of your situation. Remember, we are all here for you!
Ginger

@rotate You would want to look at the eGFR numbers over a range of time. Do the value changes correlate at all with treatment times of your prostrate cancer? That might show a side effect of the medication. Have you changed your diet around, perhaps leaning more to the "eat what feels right/tastes good to me", rather than "this is the healthier option", in the face of your diagnosis? Are you hydrating enough with liquids?

As you can see, there are several factors to consider. I will be interested to hear more from you, and the thoughts of your PCP.
Ginger

@margarethill I am glad to hear you were able to connect with a renal dietician for assistance on getting a diet plan that works for you!

That must be so frustrating, to be put in that position of no renal plan for 8 years! Have they considered what the base cause of your declining kidney function was, and are they addressing that? My husband had untreated high blood pressure, and it wasn't until he had to go on dialysis that he found out there could have been more to help him if they had communicated that to him!
Ginger

@gingerw The eGFR numbers were all >60 until my testosterone was sent to the south pole (i.e. very low - Androgen Deprivation Therapy). Since then, they have all been < 60.

The only exceptions were during three times that I had SIRS/Sepsis episodes, and things are too messed up at that point to provide useful readings.

PCP hasn't said anything more - at the moment, there are some more important mysteries not related to this.

My suspicion is that this doesn't represent true kidney damage, but rather change in effectiveness due to my hormones being far from normal.