Told I had kidney disease at stage 3

@gingerw Thanks always for your wise advice, your patience and your compassion. You are always in my prayers.

I agree so much with what you said “we do have control what goes into our bodies for food”. Thankfully, you did a renal diet on your own and it worked!

Also, when you say your doctor “casually mentioned” your kidney function was sliding down. To me, that appears to be something I have seen personally and hear of so often, too often. The “casual mention” of kidney function sliding down, and many times followed by some bad medical advice.

As I understand it, about 37 million U.S. adults have CKD, and only 10% know they have it. Even in severe cases of CKD, only 40% of patients know they have it. These numbers are actually shocking.

@ddon Hi, I am at Stage 3a.

I have controlled high blood pressure. Thankfully, so far that is it. I am 62 years old, male.

I do have only one fully working kidney, For unknown reasons, sometime in the last 10 years, my left kidney severely atrophied and I was told to “assume I am a solitary kidney patient”. My right “good” kidney always has some stones in it.

I DO have the CKD cookbook from Lee Hull. I like it very much. Its details are super helpful.

My eGFR fluctuates. I have bloodwork next week and I pray my eGFR goes up. I am living healthy day by day. Like you, I am researching and learning. Prayers.

Just one. My hydrochlorothiazide pill was cut in half…. Half dosage. I still take the half dose though my kidneys have improved.

@faithfully123 Hi, prayers to you for a higher gfr# Did you find you had one functioning kidney through an ultrasound? I'll have an ultrasound at my appt in 2 weeks. I'm hoping and praying they can tell me the root cause and how to stop it. I am hoping no meds and only through diet, we shall see. They say we can live with one kidney. I'm looking for ward to reading/studying Lee Hull book, neat that you it too. I've been visiting my family and eating with them is so hard
I went off my diet to make it easier and accommodate but I had to stop at the Costco chicken pot pie, ugh! Fresh foods please. This is truly a journey just so glad we are here for each other, not alone. All the best in your labs!

@ddon Thank you very much for your prayers. I found out about my right kidney being “ severely atrophied “ in 2024, after I passed a huge stone 8 mm, zero pain. Should be impossible. Weird. I still have the stone as a macabre “ souvenir”.

I went to a Urologist after passing the stone. They did a CAT scan on site. The Physician’s Assistant called me the next day and told me the scan was “fine”, and said “we didn’t find anything that will kill you”, then told me there were 3 more stones in my right kidney and that my left kidney was severely atrophied (about 1/2 of normal size) and that the Urologist said to “assume you are a solitary kidney person”. I asked “how did this happen?” He said they didn’t know. They don’t know. Obviously, the Physician’s Assistant and I have a much different definition of the scan being “fine”.

I had a CAT scan 10 years prior, when I had another stone pass. The kidneys were both normal size then. So, I have narrowed it down to the past 10 years before 2024. I haven’t had NSAIDS in over 10 years, no alcohol in over 10 years, (was never much of a drinker), never smoked or used tobacco, no recreational drugs ever, except weed when I was in my 20’s. I don’t know what happened, but obviously I am concerned that it will happen to the other kidney. I am also concerned that I may get an obstructing stone in my right “good” kidney causing an Acute Kidney Injury. I pray that doesn’t happen; if it does I will face it.

Yes, we are not alone. Thankfully, we are here for each other. I am so very grateful for everyone here. Prayers.

@faithfully123 you have been through a lot, with reason to be concerned, yet you have a great attitude, you will face it, and not alone. In my short time reading posts and researching it seems there are a multitude of ways our kidneys become damaged, older age compounds it. Since diet and hydration are major keys to healthy kidneys which is in our control. We do the very best we can and feel good about that. I read 1 in 10 people get CKD 90 percent don't know they have it. Those are big numbers and Drs don't have all the answers, sorry I'm rambling. We are going to be okay. Control what we can, let go of the rest, we need peace in our minds and hearts today.

@ddon Thank you very much for your kindness. Like you said, my research has showed me about 37 million U.S. adults have CKD, and only 10% know they have it.

Even in severe cases of CKD, only 40% of patients know they have it. These numbers are actually shocking, as well as heartbreaking. These numbers show a huge disconnect in medicine.

CKD is a “silent killer”. Medical professionals call it that. They know it.

If lifestyle changes are one of the few things that WE, as patients can do, why the heck do our medical professionals not tell us earlier, or not tell us at all ??

“Do no harm”…right? It is universally known that you can do harm by not doing anything . . .

@faithfully123 I have to say I totally agree with you, why is it in stage 3 we are told this news. I hate to say it but once a person needs dialysis...it is a costly procedure isnt it? Someone's making $$ it's a business at the end of the day. Sadly. I want to share what I found and some of you may already know if it. A book by "Yaw A. Boateng, MD. PhD. Reverse Chronic Kidney disease" he writes of certain vitamins teas like green tea, black coffee with scientific backing to support recommendations. He says and I quote, from this book "can CKD be improved or reversed? According to available scientific and medical literature the answer is yes. Most people aren't aware of this good news is partly why I have written this book. In conventional med, many practitioners believe and teach that it is irreversible and progressive. This is how we are taught. But more physicians and researchers are recognizing there is a possibility and a probability it can be reversed. But won't come easily with current conventional treatments. Some are looking at unconventional, complementary methods" this is a book I will need to order. I am thinking of acupuncture as a compliment. I think this information is a step beyond what we have available, and it seems their are major issues. Donna

@endelfam what is norm for eGFR?

@queenbeesl. Answer please.