Positive Press

From my new book…

So what caused my CKD? Was it hereditary? Did my lifestyle bring it about? Was it sin? Maybe just something God is using to shape my life?¹⁰

Was I wrong to think I did something to deserve CKD or to assume God allowed it to bring me favor through adversity? That is perhaps the subject of a different story, but while God is good, there are consequences to our actions. King David was a man after God’s own heart, and yet some of David’s children were very messed up, and it was a result of David’s sin.¹¹

In 2nd Samuel 13-24¹², the Bible illustrates this. I am not a Mormon, but the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints has a very effective if brief treatise on this subject.¹³

For whatever reason, early on in my psychiatric treatment, I was prescribed the drug lithium¹⁴. After a couple of years on this drug, my only apparent problem was that I became a very heavy drinker; but my liquids of choice were non-alcoholic. The worst impact I knew of was that I carried, and still generally hold onto today, around twenty pounds of water weight.

On being diagnosed with CKD,  I asked what caused my kidneys to become scarred. It was found that the lithium was to blame. 

In retrospect, I am very grateful to a young psych nurse by the name of Joan. She seemed to think the lithium was not best, for what reason I don’t know, and put me on several large pink pills. 

I took five of them daily for years. The medication is commonly known as  Depakote, and as far as I know, after twenty-five or so years on that drug, it has never harmed me a bit. It can cause liver damage, but Kaiser has monitored it very carefully, and I was taken off of it a couple of years ago as my bipolar symptoms eased, and as I needed to lose a few pounds as well.

Today, I only take one psych med, and my psychiatrist says it is really only to allow my brain to slow down at night and allow sleep. She indicates that psych meds are otherwise medically unnecessary for me today; this is a great encouragement to me, following thirty years of pharmacological dependence on psych pills.I can honestly say that my mental illness has had several long-term ramifications, and the CKD is way up there on the list. Being deemed fit to not take psych meds other than to sleep was a big win to me.

¹⁰ For we know that God works all things together for the good, for those that love Him, for those that are called according to His purpose -Romans 8:28

¹¹ From Britannica.com

¹² From Bible Gateway

¹³ From The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

¹⁴ Certain lithium compounds, also known as lithium salts, are used as psychiatric medications, primarily for bipolar disorder and for major depressive disorder. Serum levels of lithium above 2.0 mEq/L can cause severe toxicity and additional symptoms, including kidney disease