A really rough week!
That's putting it mildly.
Last Wednesday I began to have some discomfort breathing, and trouble sleeping because of the discomfort. I would awaken suddenly, gasping for air. This carried over to Friday night when I couldn't sleep at all because of DiB (Difficulty in Breathing). I decided to go to the hospital at 230a on Saturday. What was happening definitely wasn't normal for me, so it is always better to see a doctor than to wait it out.
So, I had my wife and daughter drive me to the ER. Because of the DiB, I was seen immediately. Blood was drawn, pulmonary xrays were taken, I was put on O2 (NC only at about 2L/min.
The doctor determined that I was in Respiratory distress due to fluid in my lungs. Since I have no kidneys, the only treatment (Tx) is dialysis--which I was scheduled to do in a few hours. So, I went to my regular Tx as scheduled, took off four Kg's (about a gallon), and went home and slept all day.
Unfortunately, that wasn't the end of it. On Sunday evening I began feeling the same way again. It was tolerable, and I slept a bit, but the symptoms increased Sunday night and into Monday. In the afternoon, the DiB was so bad I couldn't take a deep breath. Then, I began to have nausea on top of that. Between the two, I decided to do dialysis early; so, I called my Dialysis center, got permission, and went in for Tx. I found out that I had inexplicably gained 4.3 Kg in just two days!
I had O2 during the treatment (this helps vacate water from the lungs), again a NC at just 2L/min. Plus, I was given a full shot of Zofran for my nausea. I slept through most of the Tx, but began feeling better within just a few minutes. By the time it was done, I could breath deeply again, and felt better in general.
As of this morning, I have slept about twelve hours, my lungs feel clear, and I am feeling even better. I am hoping that I won't have DiB again before Thursdays' dialysis; but if I do, I know that it will be alright. The Tx will take care of it.
I also learned something on my Saturday dialysis. One of the nurses suggested I have my fluid reduction done at a rate of 1L/hour (one liter per hour), rather than a liter every forty five minutes. This might help reduce any cramping that would otherwise develop from a faster fluid draw. And...he was right! I had no cramping on Saturday, and, using the same formula yesterday, I have had no cramping once again after a 4+ liter draw.
I'll definitely continue utilizing this formula!
So, you can easily understand why I've had a bad week. No fun whatsoever.
Dialysis Weights:
13 Feb 14
Starting Weight: 106.5 Kg
Ending Weight: 103.4 Kg
Water Removed: 3.10 Kg
15 Feb 14
Starting Weight: 106.5 Kg
Ending Weight: 102.6 Kg
Water Removed: 3.90 Kg
17 Feb 14
Starting Weight: 106.9 Kg
Ending Weight: 102.5 Kg
Water Removed: 4.40 Kg
That's really all I have for now. Though not sleepy, I'm still tired from all of this. So, only a truncated entry today. Hopefully, I'll stay feeling better and give more of a complete entry next time.
Good Health to All!
ScottW
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Davita Dialysis Newsletter: Your Questions Answered
I received the following exerpt from Davita Dialysis yesterday and knew it was great info for anyone who is caring for or enduring Advanced kidney disease:
Kidney Disease and Dialysis Digest
Chronic Kidney Disease and Your Heart
If you have chronic kidney disease (CKD), you’re probably concerned about the health and function of your kidneys. But your kidneys aren’t the only things at risk. Your heart and blood vessels can become damaged due to CKD or the underlying conditions that caused your renal disease. Show your heart some love and learn more about your cardiovascular health.
 |
 | |||
Your Questions Answered
What causes back pain, primarily where the kidneys are located?
Typically three things that can cause back pain related to the kidneys:
Kidney stones are a formation of hardened minerals in the kidneys or urinary system. There are times when a kidney stone causes great pain and cannot pass through the urinary tract without medical help. If you have any of these symptoms, please call your doctor. Taking care of kidney stones early can prevent serious complications, such as chronic kidney disease (CKD)or, in extreme cases, renal failure. Polycystic kidney disease is hereditary. It causes cysts to form in the kidneys. These cysts are filled with fluid and, depending on their size and how many there are, will change the size of the kidneys. In addition, the cysts can interfere with healthy kidney function and eventually lead to kidney failure. This article is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for medical advice or diagnosis from a physician. Please check with a physician if you need a diagnosis and/or treatments as well as information regarding your specific condition. If you are experiencing urgent medical conditions, please call 9-1-1 |
12 February 2014
A bit longer [since my last post] than I would like; but, let's get to it...
Dialysis weights:
01 Feb 14
Starting Weight: 106.6 Kg
Ending Weight: 102.9 Kg
Water Removed: 3.70 Kg
04 Feb 14
Starting Weight: 107.1 Kg
Ending Weight: 103.4 Kg
Water Removed: 3.70 Kg
06 Feb 14
Starting Weight: 106.6 Kg
Ending Weight: 103.5 Kg
Water Removed: 3.10 Kg
08 Feb 14
Starting Weight: 106.6 Kg
Ending Weight: 102.7 Kg
Water Removed: 3.90 Kg
11 Feb 14
Starting Weight: 107.5 Kg
Ending Weight: 103.5 Kg
Water Removed: 4.00 Kg
I've obviously been struggling with my weight a bit. I'll explain later.
Next, my latest lab results:
*Albumin (21 Jan): 4.10 g/dL (-0.10 g/dL from 30 Dec)
(A measure of Protein in the blood) NR (Normal Range) 4.0 g/dL or Higher
*Hemoglobin (04 Feb): 11.2 g/dL (+0.80 g/dL from 21 Jan)
(A Measure of Anemia)
*Ca Corrected (04 Feb): 8.90 mg/dL (-0.80 mg/dL from 07 Jan)
(A measure of Heart and Bone health) NR 8.40 to 10.20 mg/dL
*Phosphorous (08 Feb): 4.90 mg/dL (+0.90 mg/dL from 11 Jan)
(High Phosphorous affects the health of your Heart and Bones) NR 3.0 to 5.5 mg/dL
*PTH Intact (21 Jan): 219 pg/mL (+8 pg/mL from 17 Dec)
(A measure of Vitamin D absorption and bone and tissue health) NR 150 to 600 pg/mL
*K+ (21 Jan): 5.1 mEq/L (+0.10 mEq/L from 07 Jan)
(Proper potassium levels keep your nerves and muscles working well) NR 3.5 to 5.5 mEq/L
*spKdt/V Dialysis (04 Feb): 1.53 (+0.03 from 14 Jan)
(A measure of the effectiveness of dialysis and blood filtering.) NR 1.20 or Higher
Once again, terrific numbers. The only red was the calcium sneaking towards the low end of the scale. More than likely, it will rise on my next labs; so I'm not concerned at all.
My phosphorous is actually a revised number. On the 04 Feb lab draw, it spiked again to 7.90 mg/dL. The clinic nutritionist decided to order another draw two days later and it dropped three more points to 4.90 mg/dL. So, that turned out to be one of those odd spikes I was told would happen.
The past two weeks have been difficult. First, I was dealing with ongoing nausea and diarrhea. Nothing would stop either. So, my Nephrologist prescribed Prilosec 40 mg 1x/day. After just three days both symtomolgies began to ease up. Within a week both symptoms were gone. Last weekend I began to get severely nauseated, I was having DiB (Difficulty in Breathing) and my head was pounding. I spent Monday throwing up (five times in all) and my head was pounding. It wasn't my best day.
I saw the P.A. at my Tuesday dialysis. She had me stop the Prilosec as it can cause Magnesium deficiency; which causes headache, pulmonary distress, constipation, vomiting, etc. I was to [temporarily] go back to the twice per day Zantac, and 50 mg of the BP med Atenolol to help with the elevated BP's at every Tx since around Christmas.
She also ordered a Magnesium lab draw--which turned out to be normal. Plus, at dialysis I stopped using each of the two BP machines; opting instead to go with a wrist device that I have to start every thirty minutes. Since then, my BP's have dropped some thirty points. For now, we'll keep going with all of that to try and solve the elevated BP
mystery.
I am a little concerned about the breathing thing. I don't normally miss a breath at all; but this is happening with regularity whenever I lay down. It is not only disconcerting, but very dangerous, as well. I spent most of Sunday night sitting in my recliner. This helped to ease the DiB. I have since discovered that laying in bed with three pillows behind me also helps to relieve the issue. The doc is hoping that a consistently lower BP will alleviate this issue, too.
In my attempts to reduce both the nausea and the headache, I know that I drank too much water, juices, coke--a nice natural anti-emetic in the Cola nut--on Monday. Add in the volume of the five incidents of emesis, add in my starting weight on Tuesday, and it's not hard to understand why I gained 4.80 kg over my weekend. Like I stated earlier, not my best day. Ah well, do what you gotta do...right?
Lastly, I want to take a moment to Thank Everyone for continuing to follow my blog. As of yesterday, I have 6,648 page views since I began this 'adventure' nearly four and a half years ago. That breaks down to 128 views per month (at 52 months), 32 page views per week, and 4.6 per day. For not having expectations about possible readership, I'll certainly take those numbers! Thanks to each and every person for your time, your encouragements, your prayers and support!
Unless anything happens in the next few days, I'll be back in a week or so.
Until then,...
Good Health to All!
ScottW
Dialysis weights:
01 Feb 14
Starting Weight: 106.6 Kg
Ending Weight: 102.9 Kg
Water Removed: 3.70 Kg
04 Feb 14
Starting Weight: 107.1 Kg
Ending Weight: 103.4 Kg
Water Removed: 3.70 Kg
06 Feb 14
Starting Weight: 106.6 Kg
Ending Weight: 103.5 Kg
Water Removed: 3.10 Kg
08 Feb 14
Starting Weight: 106.6 Kg
Ending Weight: 102.7 Kg
Water Removed: 3.90 Kg
11 Feb 14
Starting Weight: 107.5 Kg
Ending Weight: 103.5 Kg
Water Removed: 4.00 Kg
I've obviously been struggling with my weight a bit. I'll explain later.
Next, my latest lab results:
*Albumin (21 Jan): 4.10 g/dL (-0.10 g/dL from 30 Dec)
(A measure of Protein in the blood) NR (Normal Range) 4.0 g/dL or Higher
*Hemoglobin (04 Feb): 11.2 g/dL (+0.80 g/dL from 21 Jan)
(A Measure of Anemia)
*Ca Corrected (04 Feb): 8.90 mg/dL (-0.80 mg/dL from 07 Jan)
(A measure of Heart and Bone health) NR 8.40 to 10.20 mg/dL
*Phosphorous (08 Feb): 4.90 mg/dL (+0.90 mg/dL from 11 Jan)
(High Phosphorous affects the health of your Heart and Bones) NR 3.0 to 5.5 mg/dL
*PTH Intact (21 Jan): 219 pg/mL (+8 pg/mL from 17 Dec)
(A measure of Vitamin D absorption and bone and tissue health) NR 150 to 600 pg/mL
*K+ (21 Jan): 5.1 mEq/L (+0.10 mEq/L from 07 Jan)
(Proper potassium levels keep your nerves and muscles working well) NR 3.5 to 5.5 mEq/L
*spKdt/V Dialysis (04 Feb): 1.53 (+0.03 from 14 Jan)
(A measure of the effectiveness of dialysis and blood filtering.) NR 1.20 or Higher
Once again, terrific numbers. The only red was the calcium sneaking towards the low end of the scale. More than likely, it will rise on my next labs; so I'm not concerned at all.
My phosphorous is actually a revised number. On the 04 Feb lab draw, it spiked again to 7.90 mg/dL. The clinic nutritionist decided to order another draw two days later and it dropped three more points to 4.90 mg/dL. So, that turned out to be one of those odd spikes I was told would happen.
The past two weeks have been difficult. First, I was dealing with ongoing nausea and diarrhea. Nothing would stop either. So, my Nephrologist prescribed Prilosec 40 mg 1x/day. After just three days both symtomolgies began to ease up. Within a week both symptoms were gone. Last weekend I began to get severely nauseated, I was having DiB (Difficulty in Breathing) and my head was pounding. I spent Monday throwing up (five times in all) and my head was pounding. It wasn't my best day.
I saw the P.A. at my Tuesday dialysis. She had me stop the Prilosec as it can cause Magnesium deficiency; which causes headache, pulmonary distress, constipation, vomiting, etc. I was to [temporarily] go back to the twice per day Zantac, and 50 mg of the BP med Atenolol to help with the elevated BP's at every Tx since around Christmas.
She also ordered a Magnesium lab draw--which turned out to be normal. Plus, at dialysis I stopped using each of the two BP machines; opting instead to go with a wrist device that I have to start every thirty minutes. Since then, my BP's have dropped some thirty points. For now, we'll keep going with all of that to try and solve the elevated BP
mystery.
I am a little concerned about the breathing thing. I don't normally miss a breath at all; but this is happening with regularity whenever I lay down. It is not only disconcerting, but very dangerous, as well. I spent most of Sunday night sitting in my recliner. This helped to ease the DiB. I have since discovered that laying in bed with three pillows behind me also helps to relieve the issue. The doc is hoping that a consistently lower BP will alleviate this issue, too.
In my attempts to reduce both the nausea and the headache, I know that I drank too much water, juices, coke--a nice natural anti-emetic in the Cola nut--on Monday. Add in the volume of the five incidents of emesis, add in my starting weight on Tuesday, and it's not hard to understand why I gained 4.80 kg over my weekend. Like I stated earlier, not my best day. Ah well, do what you gotta do...right?
Lastly, I want to take a moment to Thank Everyone for continuing to follow my blog. As of yesterday, I have 6,648 page views since I began this 'adventure' nearly four and a half years ago. That breaks down to 128 views per month (at 52 months), 32 page views per week, and 4.6 per day. For not having expectations about possible readership, I'll certainly take those numbers! Thanks to each and every person for your time, your encouragements, your prayers and support!
Unless anything happens in the next few days, I'll be back in a week or so.
Until then,...
Good Health to All!
ScottW
Wednesday, February 5, 2014
Newsletter: Transplant Living (from UNOS)
I received the following email newsletter from UNOS (United Network of Organ Sharing), and thought I would pass it along. It contains some great links and information. Feel free to check things out!
| January 2014 | ||||
 | ||||
 | ||||
National committee formed to develop network policies for hand, face transplantation >
Eighteen people who have clinical, professional and personal experience with vascular composite allografts (VCA) have been named to a new committee of the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) to develop nationwide standards and policies for these procedures.
Questions to ask your transplant team >
Get a list of issues and concerns that you may want to discuss with your transplant team.
Recovery resources >
Learn what to expect throughout recovery, so you can take charge of your health and healing/
Recommended reading >:
Browse a sampling of the many books for children and adults dealing with the various questions and issues surrounding transplantation.
Read the Latest Edition of UNOS Update magazine >
The latest edition of the UNOS Update is now available in interactive PDF format. | ||||
 | ||||
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