CKD Stage and dialysis

@ldrlaw Kidney education is so important, in my opinion. Having the opportunity to do an in-person event like you did, lets you ask questions as they come to you, clear up confusion, and lets the presenter tailor the information to you. I remember doing just that many years ago, before dialysis was even on my radar! I agree you were sure lucky to have that chance, although there are some great online resources, too.

Here are some links from respected websites, including DaVita and Fresenius, the two major kidney care organizations dealing with dialysis, plus from American Kidney Fund, about stages of kidney disease. As far as peritoneal dialysis, your husband will be evaluated to see if he can do peritoneal, based on if he has had abdominal surgeries in the past, or hernias, etc. I can speak from my experience, as a peritoneal dialysis patient, that it is the best choice for me. I am part of the Fresenius Kidney Care group They did what I call a "boot camp", an intense week-long one-on-one in-person training at my local clinic, with a registered PD nurse, who is my nurse now. There was also e-learning via iPad issued to me, that I can reference at any time.

Please feel free to reach out to me at any time you have questions! As you have found out, starting dialysis is a choice to be made, not based just on numbers, but how the patient feels. I chose to start at about eGFR 14%, for my case, because of several factors. Chief among them is the fact I am also on chemotherapy for a blood cancer, and the combination of that plus CKD was just dragging me down too much. Since starting PD, my energy is coming back - yeah!

https://www.kidneyfund.org/all-about-kidneys/stages-kidney-disease
https://www.freseniuskidneycare.com/kidney-disease/stages
https://www.davita.com/education/kidney-disease/stages#:~:text=Doctors%20determine%20the%20stage%20of,key%20indicator%20of%20kidney%20function.
Ginger

Thank you so much Ginger. Energy? Seems to me like you’re doing a lot. Must be a force to be reckoned with when well.

@ldrlaw Oh, yes, no doubt! I am thrilled to be feeling better. And I do attribute a lot of it to going on dialysis, where it has helped my kidney function and more toxins are removed each day. Once you go on dialysis, there is little attention paid to your eGFR, but it is checked each month as part of my oncology bloodwork. Beyond that, I get the creatinine checked, too. Keeping close track of eating good protein is critical for dialysis of any kind. Funny that we have to watch protein intake before, then get told "eat up!" after!! When I slip on getting the protein level that works for me, my energy goes down. Protein shakes made with Greek yoghurt, berries, almond milk and pea protein powder helps.

Will I get back to the same energy levels as 3.5 years ago? At that time it was moving over s ton of rock by hand and working on our property cleaning it up. Plus walking a lot around town. Perhaps not, but I will try to get back any part of that.
Ginger

Hi, I'm new and reading this was somewhat encouraging. Thanks for sharing. My Creatin is 2.5 and GFR fluctuate at 29-30 they have me at stage 3b. I'm starting to feel dizzy and lightheaded, but it is hard getting in touch with nephrologist, somewhat frustrating.

@dad0229 Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect! Managing our chronic kidney disease can be a challenge, and if you have additional health concerns, it is a real balancing act! If you know the underlying reason for your kidney disease, that is a good place to start. Diabetes and uncontrolled high blood pressure are the two main causes, along with medication interaction, genetic conditions [like polycystic kidney disease], lifestyle, or trauma to the kidneys. Getting a handle on the cause will help you going forward.

A good healthy diet, with an emphasis on restricting potassium, sodium, calcium, phosphorous, and processed foods. Moderate exercise. Restful sleep. Reducing stress. All of these work hand-in-hand to help you get the best quality of life possible. Is it doable? Yes! Can it be tough to accomplish? Yes! But is should be a challenge you take on to keep yourself as healthy as you can.

Will your primary doctor refer you to a nephrologist? At this stage you want to have an expert working with you, who will assist you. While many in the medical community seem to think that Stage 3b is not a concern, many of your fellow members here [me, included!] will argue that the sooner we get a handle on dealing with our condition, the better. Many of us have successfully campaigned and gone to renal diets, slowing the progression of the disease. As you look through the threads within this support group of Kidney and Bladder, you will see several that speak about diet, and managing your situation at any stage. Please take a look at those, and let me know what questions I can answer for you.
Ginger