So ... I could dwell on the bad news ... or focus on what's positive.
What's bad? My creatinine number is up. I've gone from 2.2 to 2.6 ... and, if you plug the numbers into a GFR calculator, that means I've gone from 24% to 20% ... in about three months. That's not good news. Nor is it good news that my parathyroid numbers are out of whack ... along with my Vitamin D numbers. I'm already taking a prescription for a once-a-month mega dose of Vitamin D ... and the doctor's suggestion was to keep taking it and "get a little sun" ...
Okay so ... good news? I've lost five pounds. Which isn't much ... but it's something. I'm still not anemic ... that's very good news. My blood pressure was still high ... but not stupid high like it was earlier this year. So ...
Tomorrow I start taking a different dose of my blood pressure medication ... plus I start on a water pill. At 20%, I'm too far along for hydrochlorothiazide to help. At this point it has to be something in the Lasix family. The good thing about Lasix is it pulls the water and salt from you ... the problem with Lasix is that it also pulls potassium. I'm already having foot and leg cramps? So I have to go to the lab in a week so they can check those numbers.
The problem with PKD ... with anything like this, I suppose ... is that our bodies are like dominos. The PKD throws off the parathyroid ... which throws off Vitamin D ... which throws off calcium ... which causes osteoporosis. PKD causes high blood pressure ... which causes heart disease ... which causes kidney failure. It's just a maddening loop ... one thing leading to another.
But ... I'm listening to my doctors. I pulled out one of my kidney diet cookbooks and made some cherry bread pudding from it last weekend. I bought some bananas and oranges ... which I'm supposed to start eating every day. Once I start the Lasix I have to start drinking more fluid ... so tomorrow I'm taking the water bottle Stoney gave me to work and make myself drink water throughout the day.
In one month we're going to test my numbers again. She's hoping the new meds bring my function numbers up. The unspoken part of that plan ... is that if my GFR keeps going down, then she needs to know that as soon as possible too.
I haven't told Mom yet ... I'm not ready for that discussion. But I told Stoney. I still have hope ... and next month I go in for my second sleep study ... this time using a CPAP. The doctor is super excited about that ... because apnea causes high blood pressure and using a CPAP might help all my issues as well.
Step by step ... tomorrow I eat a banana for breakfast and take my first Lasix ...
Is to get it better than today
Step by step, one by one
Higher and higher
Step by step, rung by rung
Climbing Jacob's Ladder
Huey Lewis & the News -
Jacob's Ladder
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