13 March 2015

I was looking at my blog today and saw that I haven't done a post in twenty days (!!). I can't believe that three weeks have flown by since that last post. So, I'd best be starting...

Dialysis Weights:

24 Feb 15
Starting Weight:  98.3 Kg
Ending Weight:  95.5 Kg
Water Removed:  2.80 Kg

26 Feb 15
Starting Weight:  97.5 Kg
Ending Weight:  95.3 Kg
Water Removed:  2.20 Kg

28 Feb 15
Starting Weight:  98.0 Kg
Ending Weight:  94.8 Kg
Water Removed:  3.20 Kg

03 Mar 15
Starting Weight:  99.6 Kg
Ending Weight:  96.0 Kg
Water Removed:  3.60 Kg

05 Mar 15
Starting Weight:  98.7 Kg
Ending Weight:  95.5 Kg
Water Removed:  3.20 Kg

07 Mar 15
Starting Weight:  97.6 Kg
Ending Weight:  95.4 Kg
Water Removed:  2.20 Kg

10 Mar 15
Starting Weight:  98.7 Kg
Ending Weight:  95.0 Kg
Water Removed:  3.70 Kg

12 Mar 15
Starting Weight:  96.9 Kg
Ending Weight:  95.0 Kg
Water Removed:  1.90 Kg

As you can see in the numbers above, my weight has been mostly consistent. I've had a few spikes that I cannot explain, but simply go about getting the weight down in a sensible manner (over two Tx's), rather than doing it all at once and causing myself massive cramping.
And on the subject of cramping, I am only just now getting from Tx to Tx without cramping in either foot, leg or hands. It has taken awhile to say that for my current dry weight (95.5 Kg), but I will finally deliberately try to get below 95.0 Kg, my new official dry weight.
By continuing to drop my dry weight, my Nephrologist is hoping I will stop having respiratory distress, and my BP will drop to normal levels.  I don't know how much further I can drop in the water weight, but I will keep trying to find that bottom level. Doing so only benefits my health and physical comfort between treatments (Tx's).

March Lab Work:

*Albumin (17 Feb): 4.30 g/dL     (+0.20 g/dL from 20 Jan)
  (A measure of Protein in the blood)     NR (Normal Range) 4.0 g/dL or Higher

*Hemoglobin (03 Mar): 9.90 G/dL    (-1.00 G/dL from 17 Feb)
  (A Measure of Anemia)

*Ca Corrected (03 Mar): 9.80 mg/dL     (+0.10 mg/dL from 03 Feb)
  (A measure of Heart and Bone health)     NR 8.40 to 10.20 mg/dL

*Phosphorous (03 Mar:  4.10 mg/dL    (+0.30 mg/dL from 03 Feb)
  (High Phosphorous affects the health of your Heart and Bones)     NR 3.0 to 5.5 mg/dL

*PTH Intact (17 Feb):  252 pg/mL     (+21 pg/mL from 20 Jan)
  (A measure of Vitamin D absorption and bone and tissue health)     NR 150 to 600 pg/mL

*K+ (10 Mar):  5.4 mEq/L    (-0.10 mEq/L from 17 Feb)
  (Proper potassium levels keep your nerves and muscles working well)     NR 3.5 to 5.5 mEq/L

*spKdt/V Dialysis (03 Mar):  1.68     (+0.05 from 03 Feb)
  (A measure of the effectiveness of dialysis and blood filtering.)     NR 1.20 or Higher  
 The Hemoglobin drop doesn't really necessitate red numbers, but I put it like that because the dialysis nurses are actually treating this drop by giving me IV Vitamin C. I can't really explain the action V-C has on the body, but I do know that it aids the absorption of Iron into the blood which helps facilitate creation of Red Blood Cells. Since the kidney's usually regulate RBC development--and I have no kidney's at all right now--this is just a wee bit important. So, I will likely continue to get Vitamin C injections for some time.

My K+ (Potassium) actually had taken a spike from the lab draw on 03 Mar to 6.0 (up from 5.5 mEq/L). The lab was redrawn this past Tuesday (10 Mar) and dropped to the level indicated above. Between the two draws, I did nothing diet-wise that I hadn't done over the past month, and the number went down anyway. Just one of those random spikes that will occur in the K+.

How I am feeling continues to be all over the map.  A good day lately constitutes minimal (or no) headache, no nausea, and some energy to get things done. A bad day usually involves an intense headache, lots of nausea, and feeling completely drained.
I'm hoping for sort of a middle of the road from day to day; a manageable headache, tolerable nausea, and a little energy.
The past few weeks I've had days that went from good to bad to middle of the road, or any combination of those three.
Assisting in these odd days is my ever-changing appetite. The fatigue continues, and it is getting tiring! I've made meals that looked and sounded good only to end up taking a few bites and then pushing my plate away. Or, I can't find anything to eat that even sounds good, so I don't eat at all.
Luckily, I have a few snacks that I can go to, so I am at least getting a little nutrition from day to day.

My sleep has also been all over the place. This past month I haven't had any consistent sleep from night to night. Even my dialysis naps are out of whack. Last night, I got over ten hours of sleep. Wednesday night, I couldn't sleep until after 1 AM, but had dialysis, so getting a lot of sleep was impossible. On average, I get about five hours per night, plus another two or three hours throughout the day in various naps. On dialysis day, my naps go anywhere from three hours to seven or eight. As a result, I am tired or exhausted most of the time, and no matter what I do, I haven't been able to get on any sort of sleep schedule. I'll just keep trying to get better, more consistent sleep.

My using a probiotic every day continues to have positive results. I haven't had any diarrhea in weeks, and when I do, it is usually corrected with a single dose of Immodium. If anything, my BM's are drier than normal, and can cause nausea when going through my GI tract. I can live with that. I've had my fill of diarrhea over the past five years. :o(

On the transplant front, there is nothing new to report. I haven't heard anything. When I get a call to be on backup, I'll know my turn is very close. Until then, I just get to keep waiting...

I must apologize for taking so long to get a new entry done. Time is just flying by, and before I know it, two or three weeks have zoomed by. I will try to be better about that.

That's all I have for today.

Good Health to All!

ScottW