Welcome @jeanice. Diets and lab values and numbers can all be confusing. And diets can be different for different kidney patients, depending on the stage they're in. Let me know when you're ready and I'll send you some of my kidney recipes. Meanwhile, there's good information in this thrad and on certain websites. Here's one: https://www.kidneyfund.org/kidney-disease/chronic-kidney-disease-ckd/kidney-friendly-diet-for-ckd.html. Another one which i used not to care for but has been udated anad upgraded is: https://www.davita.com/diet-nutrition/articles/advice/top-15-healthy-foods-for-people-with-kidney-disease. And here's another one:https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/chronic-kidney-disease-ckd/eating-nutrition.

By all means see another doctor and seek a second or even a third or fourth opinion. You don't say how old you are but it's normal for eGFR to drop as we age and below 60 is early stage of kidney impairment but people live comfortably with much lower values and even can postpone dialysis by following a renal diet.

I'm not a doctor but I will share what my docs and I did to slow down my renal disease progression. They monitor my blood values and I have a thorough checkup about every three months. We've made a plan for if and when I might need dialysis. I see a nephrologist as well as highly-informed primary physician. My neph suggested I consider a vegetarian diet and avoid meat to take the strain of my partial remaining kidney (the other one has shriveled) and I have found that a vegetarian diabetic diet can be tasty, filling, and fairly easy to follow. Kidney patients need to limit sodium (salt,) phosphorus, and potassium as our kidneys become less efficient at filtering them out.

A renal diet for someone with an eGFR in the 40s is less strict than a diet for someone in, say, Stage Four.

Also lab values can vary from time to time so a drop from 56 to 47 may worry you but may not require immediate action unless further lab results show a pattern and it stays in the 40s or drops further.

You sound like you're being proactive and that's a plus. Take advantage of several oopinions, ask for a referral to a renal dietitian who specializes in kidney diets and if there isn't one in your area there are professionals who can help you online.

Hang in there. We're a grooup of caring people at various stages of kidney impairment and we support each other with encouragement and information. I'm so glad you found us!