Stage 3a kidney disease: looking for info

@colleenyoung, participants in this thread might find a link to my free pdf recipe collection for renal and diabetic patients useful as long as they realize that some values and amounts have changed over time.

Here are the PDF files that @kamama94 is referring to. she put a lot of effort into creating these for people to be able to use in their meal planning.

https://cdn.prod-carehubs.net/n1/748e8fe697af5de8/uploads/2021/05/DIABETIC-AND-RENAL-FRIENDLY-VEGAN-AND-NATIVE-AMERICAN-RECIPES-2.pdf
https://cdn.prod-carehubs.net/n1/748e8fe697af5de8/uploads/2021/05/DIABETIC-AND-RENAL-FRIENDLY-VEGETARIAN-1.pdf
Ginger

Hi, i donated my kidney 2 years ago to my father, who is doing excellent. I was being checked every 6 months for 2 years through the Organ Transplant Institute in Miami. Upon graduating from the donor program, I am now being told that I have Chronic Kidney Disease Stage 3A. I am shock, because i am 48 yearsold, who takes excellent care of herself by eating healthy, exercising 6x a week and keeping a healthy weight. although, the organ
Institute changed my creatine basesline to 1.3, i’ve been steady for the past years. No one from that institute has EVER told me that I have CKD stage 3, which i think it was their responsibility to tell me. The only thing they did tell me was to check my blood pressure regularly. I then went and got a second opinion from a nephrologist in my my county and they confirmed again that I have CKD stage three. He told me to adjust my diet by eating less protein. I mentioned to him that I had Covid last year and he said there may be some connection with it damaging my kidney . I then went to another nephrologist for a third opinion and of course she confirmed the same thing , but said I can do whatever I want not having to adjust anything. I am left confused and devastated. Of course I’ve made every adjustment as possible and have been reading all books about renal diet. I am now going to speak with a renal dietitian today. I don’t have the heart to tell my parents what is going on because my dad is doing extremely well with my kidney and do not want to hurt them. i will probably never tell them. Does anyone out there have some advice for what I should or has been through the same situation?

@nichama74, I can imagine you're in shock to hear you now have CKD after donating your kidney to your dad.

You can live well with stage 3 kidney disease, but it is an adjustment as members like @collegeprof @gingerw @johnmacc @marye2 @sammyloue @nscappa @randyr.
I like that you're already being proactive about it and speaking with a renal dietitian today.

Telling your parents about your new diagnosis is a personal choice. It sounds like it is too fresh right now to even make a decision about if or when or how to tell them.

First things first, drink more water 🙂 And let's keep talking.

Hello,
I'm nscappa (Nancy) and I read Colleen's reply to your post so I thought I would read your post. I am very sorry that you now have CKD3 after sharing your other kidney with your father, whom you obviously love very dearly. You did a very selfless thing and then to hear that you have CKD3 must have been devastating to you. I can only tell you a bit about my situation and maybe it will be of some help to you. I had CKD3 and I didn't know I had it. MY G.P. (whom I loved) neglected to mention it to me and I happened to see it on my paperwork some time later. I was shocked, what the heck is kidney disease stage 3??? I started looking up all that I could about it and, like you, I purchased books, cook books (that was a joke since I don't cook very much), etc. I did find this site which I just love, and DaVita (another great site with a lot of great information to help guide you. My last GFR was 49 which had gone up about 5 points. I am awaiting my next doctor's appt. on September 21 so I can finally get to see how I am doing. I have cut way back on salt, I'm eating so many veggies but I have to cook them. Bummer! I have been steaming broccoli (the tops) and they are yummy. I have been making zucchini, onions, and eggs for a great omelet. I have even sauteed eggplant by itself with a bit of salt. I roast red peppers (I love them), some cottage cheese but it does have quite a bit of salt. I eat fish (flounder, haddock, salmon), hamburg patties (maybe 2 times a week), bananas (minimum of 4 a week). I take potassium supplements so I don't have to worry too much about this. I do have toast every morning (my favorite) and I use Smart Balance instead of butter. For sweetener I use Stevia in the Raw which is one of the safest sweeteners out there. Sometimes I have some Ritz with coffee (I limit the amount of them). I have found an amazing frozen treat instead of ice cream (which I have no control over at all). It is called "Out Shine" which are bars like fudgsicles but they are very low in salt and sugar but they are very creamy and delicious. Do I sound like Martha Stewart??? I hope not. I am just wanting to share what I am doing to help stop the progress of my CKD3. Funny, my cousin Carolyn also has CKD3 and she has gone to a Nephrologist (I have not as yet). He told her to keep eating like she is, cut back on salt and drink water. Really??? Here I am watching protein, magnesium, phosphorous, etc., etc. I was shocked so now I'm not sure if I'm depriving myself or doing the right thing. I will admit that eating this way gets boring after a while and I do feel deprived. I would kill for Pizza or Chinese Food. I probably could have them occasionally but I am somewhat leery to. I do have to drink more water but sometimes I don't drink enough even though I love water. Go figure! I also need to start exercising much more than I have been. The weather here in Beverly, MA has been in the nineties with nice humidity : ( so I will start as soon as it gets cooler (I hope). Well, I am all talked out but I hope I have helped you in some way. You are getting mixed messages which really isn't fair. Your dietician should be a big help to you and if you get any exciting info from her please do share, I would really appreciate that. So, for now goodbye and keep in touch when you can. My best to you.
Nancy S. (nscappa)

Thank you and I will keep you posted😉

Hi @nichama74 I saw your post earlier, but I had to do a long drive and couldn't respond. Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect.

Finding out you are Stage 3 CKD seems to be something many members experience. We all know we need to be proactive in our health, so now is the time to watch your sodium, calcium, phosphorous, and potassium intake. Drink water! Get good moderate exercise. Practice self-care, however you define it, to keep stress levels low. Even though many doctors will tell us we don't need to watch things, we indeed do! Like @nscappa had in their response, it takes energy to change things around, and can get boring, but it's for our own good. Do I cheat a bit once in a while? You bet, but it is a little bit, not a binge.

My doctors always told me "you don't need to follow a renal diet" but I chose to anyway, and it really helped me save my kidney function for a long time.

You know your parents better than any of us. How do you think your dad would react? Would he feel guilty to hear of your situation? That would be detrimental to his mental and emotional health. And, I know you don't want to hear this, but in situations where a person has donated a kidney, if they need a kidney n the future, they are placed on the top of the list for transplant.

How are you doing today? What questions can I answer for you?
Ginger

@gingerw, do you think posting a link to my recipe collections here would be helpful?

Here are the recipes that @kamama94 is referencing:
https://cdn.prod-carehubs.net/n1/748e8fe697af5de8/uploads/2021/05/DIABETIC-AND-RENAL-FRIENDLY-VEGETARIAN-1.pdf
https://cdn.prod-carehubs.net/n1/748e8fe697af5de8/uploads/2021/05/DIABETIC-AND-RENAL-FRIENDLY-VEGAN-AND-NATIVE-AMERICAN-RECIPES-2.pdf

Also, a new document from kamama94!

@gingerw, thank you. :=)