Positive Press

Excerpt from my new book on kidney disease…

Someone asked me recently how I was doing. I said what my doctor said, “I’m doing well, for someone who is not doing well”, or words to that effect. Basically he was saying that for someone with stage four kidney disease, I was tracking reasonably well, but that having that diagnosis was not classified as ‘doing well’.

Then, I gave them the lowdown: I said I didn’t have any real symptoms, but later remembered some mild pain and fatigue, but maybe nothing major. I did say that I realized when doing physical activity that I can’t be out doing that type of thing for too long, and even idling, if in the sun, I could dehydrate quickly, and my kidneys could be damaged.

The friend had thought I needed a transplant right away, and I explained that my GFR was then 23, and said I now know that for someone older than eighty-five years, 35 is normal… and I am 56… my GFR should be in the fifties.

I said I wouldn’t be able to apply for transplant most successfully until the GFR was 19, and that I wouldn’t necessarily need a dialysis until my GFR was 13, if it gets that low before I (possibly) get a kidney donor.

It comes to mind that I’ve only known about CKD in any real way for about three years, whereas before, the disease was a vague set of circumstances not on my radar.

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“Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, just as it is well with your soul.”

— 3 John 1:2