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Low kidney function: What does it mean? Should I be worried?
Kidney & Bladder | Last Active: Jul 8, 2021 | Replies (57)Comment receiving replies
Hello All,
I've just retired from the Military and am 43. My entire career's been marked with good health and have never been told i'm high on anything during blood work. I've been out about three months and went for my introductory exam at the local VA Clinic. After some blood work the nurse called me and told me I had low kidney function with the Creatinine range being .7-1.3 for the test, mine was 1.4. With a number so close to the range I asked via the messaging system if this was something to worry about and if I have kidney Disease. The nurse told me yes I have Kidney Disease but that the doctor wasn't too worried about it and it would be reviewed at my next annual blood draw. I have GERD as well and have had to take a proton pump inhibitor for the last couple years.
Glad the doctor's not worried, because i'm terrified. Was terrified literally all weekend due to how I was told on the phone my numbers were not within norms and to "have a nice day" by the nurse. After talking with my uncle i've discovered that my grandmother died from heart attack while on a Kidney Dialysis machine at age 53. This didn't improve my mental health any.
My wife, who's also a nurse looked at my bloodwork numbers and said she's surprised they even talked to me about it they were so close outside of ranges.
What did I come here for? I don't know. Did an internet search to educate myself a little bit about this disease and didn't seem to find many rays of sunshine. Guess I just wanted to put my thoughts to the internet, even for just expression.
Replies to "Hello All, I've just retired from the Military and am 43. My entire career's been marked..."
TheCorporateSpy (intriguing username), welcome. Not long ago @macarl and @vivianwaters each wrote a message very similar to yours. For that reason, I moved your message to this existing discussion called "Low kidney function: What does it mean? Should I be worried?"
I recommend that you read through the past posts to see the exchanges, information shared and support offered by @bwardccrn @jolinda @veteran1950 @predictable @rosemarya @gingerw and others. You've come to the right place to get support, info and perspective.
What did you doctor say the next steps are?
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@thecorporatespy Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect, first of all! You have come to the right place to talk about kidney issues, whether they be severe or mild. With your blood work did you get your eGFR level? That shows you kidney function level. Remember that anytime you have blood work done, you may have varying numbers due to hydration levels and even the machines that are used. So the next time your numbers may be a little bit different thing, and that's not necessarily bad. It's good to come here and vent. I myself am in stage 4 kidney disease and at 22% function.
Sorry if there are any typos here. I saw your post and am answering from my cell phone because I can sense your sense of panic right now. You say your wife is a nurse and she says there is nothing to worry about. Then believe her! Please come back and let us know if there are any questions you might have. Will you do that for me?
Ginger