Welcome One and All!

I started this blog to chronicle the my life as a renal patient. I started having issues back in 1983. I had an infection that hadn't been treated as an infection; it had been treated as pulled muscle as I had been working as a nanny at the time. Life went on and then I dealt with a series of infections of infections which resulted in 4 minor surgeries from 1985 to 87. Than I had 3 kids; dealing with minor infections along the way. This culminated in discovering in 1998 that I was in what the call Chronic Renal Failure, my right kidney was imploding, the left was starting to go as well.

I finally had the right kidney removed in 1999, which resulted in complications. I almost didn't make it. When I moved back to Edmonton from BC, I started seeing a nephorogist, Dr. Caldwell, from the U of A. In 2007 I had 75% renal function, fast-forward to today I have 13% and it is getting worse.

I decided I needed a place to share what I am going through for a variety of reasons:

1) to get out of my head and work through the anxiety and fear that I am feeling.

2) that somehow my ramblings can be of help to others.

3) most of all to share my journey with others and to help me share with my own family.

Great Sites for Information

Kidney Foundation of Canada

Kidney Foundation of Canada

National Kidney Foundation (USA)

National Kidney Foundation (USA)

(I will Post more as I find out more information.)

Here are some great foums and educational sites...

Kidney School
Kidney School
Kidney Friends Forum
Kidney Friends


Also there are some groups on Facebook:
Canadian Kidney Connection
Canadian Kidney Connection

Ontario’s Renal Community
Ontario’s Renal Community

I will add more as they come in. Cora

Friday, August 6, 2010

Some insight into what happens when the kidney is failing...

Symptoms of Advanced Kidney Failure:
  • Loss of appetite
  • Nausea and/or vomiting
  • Fatigue/sleepiness
  • Skin is really itchy
  • twitching (can be like restless leg syndrome as well)
  • a metallic taste in the mouth (doesn't help the loss of appetite situation)
These are signs of far advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD). They often indicate that the person is accumulating dangerous amounts of waste products because the kidneys are not working to excrete them. Patients with these symptoms are often in need of dialysis (artificial kidney treatments).

I have absolutely no control over how tired I am or how I feel day to day.There are days where I literally can only eat saltines (the unsalted ones, I know an oxymoron if I have ever heard one...lol) because that is all my stomach can handle. Add in the IBS-D it is pure hell.

I have had people say just ask God (Higher Power) to take it all away and it will go away.  Man how I wish that could happen! The only thing I can really ask for is a way of dealing with the fear and anxiety to be lifted or lightened so i don't spiral into a deep depression. I am only 45 and have much in my life right now.

Cora
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