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Just diagnosed Stage 3 CKD: Should I be referred to a nephrologist?
Kidney & Bladder | Last Active: Apr 2 2:08pm | Replies (97)Comment receiving replies
@csage1010 Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect! We are an online forum of fellow patients or family members or caregivers, who share our own experiences with others.
As you found out, so many have been in the same situation. Kidney disease is often a quiet disease, sneaking up on you quietly until you need to really take action. That said, watching the trend of your lab reports is important, no matter what disorder you may be going through. Several people here, including me, will tell you their dr did not feel it is important to address declining kidney function.
I beg to differ with them! Now is the time to look into renal friendly foods, not stress so much, get good healthy exercise, get and keep your blood pressure to a healthy level. Ask your primary dr for a referral to a nephrologist for care of your kidney disease. By the way, do you know the cause of your declining function? It might be due to a hereditary factor like polycystic kidneys, or lifestyle [long term side effects of certain medications or drugs], or diabetes or high blood pressure. Knowing the root cause of your kidney disease, will help you make choices now and in to the future.
@kamama94 has a food guide for kidney patients: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/confused-about-stage-3-ckd-diet/?pg=1#chv4-comment-stream-header Go to Aug 2020 for her posts and links
Also, at the American Kidney Fund website, there is a great section for recipes and foods: https://kitchen.kidneyfund.org/?gclid=CjwKCAjwp_GJBhBmEiwALWBQkywGG04cnvYu_lZEzmW-vgZ15nyvNUFAxzwygy6Uqdg72YOpJAS3tBoCo7MQAvD_BwE
Good for you for looking in to this, and I welcome question! I myself am stage 4, and campaigning to stay off dialysis.
Ginger
Replies to "@csage1010 Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect! We are an online forum of fellow patients or family..."
@gingerw Keep campaigning to stay off dialysis! Me, too. Good days and days I don't feel up to par but ok iin general here. Thanks for mentioning my work, especially since that presents me with the opportunity to shout TAKE VALUES IN MY RECIPES WITH A VEY SMALL AMOUNT OF SALT. Ingredients and amounts and nutritional values of products, even fresh and whole foods, often change. READ LABELS! EVERY TIME!.
If you are a homebound, online grocery shopper dependent on home delivery like me, go to the trouble of contacting the provider or store by phone or email and ask that a current nutrition label for the item you're considering purchasing be read or sent to you since you can't physically hold an online icon to read the nutrition info.
I have to hand it to my own local grocer for putting up with my incessant requests for ingredients and nutritional values of item after item. On the other hand, pun intended, they can be glad I spend most of my grocery allowance there. So no matter if store personnel tire of my asking what's in something and how much is in something, it's still a win-win for both of us.
Or else I'd pick up my toys -er, money - and go home -er, to a different store - LOL.
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I think it was HTN, although I am medicated, and pre-diabetes. I have trouble exercising due to bad knees and hips. Also, lots of NSAIDS in the past (no more) for fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis. My blood pressure meds are being manipulated to get the right dose.