An excerpt from my new book on chronic kidney disease…
Or a small victory:
My former doctor called me the other day. I was slightly shocked to get a personal call from him. I suppose it was in a professional capacity, but he called to apologize for not referring me to a nephrologist31 sooner.
I told him my GFR has been holding at 23 for a long time, and that if he had warned me when it was 53, I could have possibly stayed at 53 for a good while.
It is said that Jardiance was not then known to help with CKD, but I could have laid off the salt and watched my potassium intake, and so on.
If I was still at 53, I’d be much further out from the need for dialysis or transplant, but I thank the God of mercy that the CKD has not worsened for the past two years. Whatever the case, I can see going from 53 to “15” in a week or a year, but I’ve stayed at 23 for some time now.
The fact that my doctor was willing to call me and personally apologize meant a lot. Even if he had an ulterior motive, and was worried I’d sue, the call was helpful…
… and he might have been sincere. I said he might want to warn people sooner, and not wait until they were at Stage 3B as Kaiser’s policy dictates32; he said he was going to try and do that.
I hope he does, because that is a potential life or death decision…I think he is a good guy, but I hope he’ll be a competent physician.
Whatever the case, I’m also only human…
“Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.”
–James 4:17
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“Be kind to one another… so grace and mercy at your most need help you…”
– Brendan Shea… and William Shakespeare-Hamlet Act I, Scene 5
31 A nephrologist is a doctor specializing in treating kidney disease
32 According to my Kaiser Nephrologist.
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