My husband GFR IS 11 we start Dyalisis classes Friday. And will select which type but I have one quest for anyone who will reply.
There is a diet that has proven to raise your GFR but it’s whole Food fruit and vegetables no salt, sugar etc... My husband I know 💯 will never stick to this way of eating. I know he will do a renal diet. What would you do? Thank you for your thoughts.
A kidney-friendly meal plan is not a diet. It's a lifestyle change. Even at that there are no guarantees. Your dialysis center should have a renal dietitian. Ask them to develop a meal plan that is designed for him specifically, and follow it. This is something that has to be done. Best of luck.
Thank you for your reply and yes I agree it’s a life style change. But do you believe if he ate only fruits and vegetables like the people on the forum I speak to that it will work in place of Dyalisis. I posted in the forum about my husbands situation and the response was what are you waiting for if he starts the way we eat his GFR wil come up and you won’t need Dyalisis.
I'm neither a vegetarian nor a vegan and most importantly, not a doctor or a renal dietitian. All I can speak to is what my personal choices are and what my research shows. If the person with CKD is so inclined to go the vegetarian/vegan route and the Care Team agrees, then do it. It' s just not my choice.
Thank you I appreciate your feed back.
Hi jmcool,
As Mr. Kidney said, it is a lifestyle choice. So is death. I know that sounds harsh but especially when he goes on dialysis, he must follow what the renal dietician dictates. I did not understand what you wrote. You said "he won't do whole fruits and vegetables but he WILL eat a renal diet." If you mean by a renal diet what he needs to eat for dialysis, then it is imperative that he follows that, and it will include fruits and vegetables, but extremely regulated.
But just to tell you: My husband would not eat salad twelve years ago or drink water. He was a meat and potato kind of guy. Now, he is stage 3 with other complications and has to eat better. I told him the same thing: "choose life with healthy eating or a slow painful death sooner than later." He is eating salad regularly with me and other vegetables he would not and drinking water. He brought his GFR up.
You misunderstood that people were saying the fruits and vegetables will replace dialysis. No, wish it was true. What people are doing is slowing the progression of CKD with better eating. It is proven that plant based diets can help improve CKD but it does not cure it. There is no cure.
Thank you for your reply when I said he will not follow whole food fruit and vegetables only I meant there is a FB forum called Natural Kidney Journey. They are strictly only vegetables and fruit nothing else and they have people who have had results that have been taken off of dyalisis from eating only these food. My husband is more than willing to go on a Renal new way of life eating it contains a lot more than the diet on that forum.
I am only wondering if anyone has heard or it and if they believe in it. We will do as our doctor tells us to do death is not an option my husband is 52 and he wants to live.
I just kind of felt under attack by that group because they said why are you not doing this plant based diet and helping him not go on
Dyalisis?
It really upset me I’m not god nor will I go against our nephrologist. But they are all about this way of eating and it cures you and raises your GFR.
It’s just all so frustrating
There is no cure for CKD, especially when you get to late Stage 4 and are at ESRD. Follow the meal plan and also once he settles into dialysis and makes progress the meal plan can change and allow more choices for the meal plan. This is monitored by the dialysis center, you if he does home PD or HHD. Don't expect it to happen overnight but it can happen with consistent results and lab work.
Hang in there and if I can offer a bit of advice regarding social media. This community is great because everyone is different and some advocate for one thing and others for another. The FB group you suggest seems to be "our way or no way" and that is counter-productive to good mental and kidney health. If there was a cure, this site would be gone and the National Kidney Foundation would have to select a different organ to support, and nephrologists would have to get another specialty. The best you can do is slow the progression, follow the doctors suggestions or seek other information and make the final decision.
Thank you and your right it is there way or no way not any options. I know my husband could not follow it but the renal diet does tend to give me more options on food and we are doing home PD. I think I may opt out of that page on FB. I’m glad to have this one to talk to someone.
Sorry JMCool if you felt under attack.
As for the website you mentioned, It may work for some. They do not allow salt, sugar oils and animal protein, dairy and I can't remember what else. I have been following it and a lot of the members are stage 2 and 3, not 4 or 5. Makes a big difference. The diet she recommends is extreme and I think many people, including me, could not live with it either. Maybe for a short term, but not for life. I also think it is a rare situation when someone comes off dialysis. Not saying it doesn't happen.
I think something I saw posted on the site that sums it up exactly. One of the members posted that she had created something and she was sharing it. It did not follow the restrictions of what could be included in her recipe according to the administrator of the site. It had pasta and creme, some greens and mushrooms. I loved the poster's response. She said "it was the first meal she had made that didn't taste like butt!" Yup... I can see that.
Lol yep that’s the site! They almost scold you for things you say and your right it’s no way my husband could live we have to be rational for this is his life. And I know I could never eat that way for life either. I plan on eating the way my husband does it’s not only good for anyone but it helps him. And that’s my main goal! ❤️
I'd be curious exactly how many stage 5 on-dialysis people improved to stage 4/not-on-dialysis or better. It sounds like this Facebook group may have more hype than scientific evidence to back up their claims. I don't like groups (cults) that can't handle anyone who questions or challenges their dogma. Although a kidney friendly (non-acidic) diet is can help GFR, the most important thing one can due to slow the progression of CKD is to treat the disease that originally caused the kidney damage, such as diabetes or high blood pressure.
Steve, while I agree with the first part of your post I do disagree in part with the last part. Yes, you have to treat all of the underlying causes of CKD, but you must treat all of the illnesses you have to deal with. I have T2D, HBP, and both of them led to CKD. At the time I was told I had my T2D under control and no longer needed medication to help with it, I was also told I had CKD. Since my first high school physicial I've had what is now called "high normal" blood pressure. I had to get a waiver to play football and several years later another waiver to get past the medical exam. Doctors never felt the need to put me on any medication.
Now, move along 50 years and I can say that my T2D is under control, still, my A1c last week was 5.1, my average BP for the last year has averaged out to 124/72. I take medication for the BP, but not the T2D. For two years I've been on a kidney-friendly meal plan and from it's low of 32, my last GFR was 48 and that is my average over all labs for two years or since I was told I had CKD. You have to treat all of the underlying conditions of any health issue. If I had neglected one of my issues I wouldn't have plans to climb Pike's Peak next month on my summer trip.
It hasn't been easy and it never stops, but it has become what is necessary and therefore a complete lifestyle change.
Yes you have to treat the cause(s) of your CKD if there is more than one. If one only has HBP and not diabetes, then one would just need to treat the HBP on an immediate basis. One should of course be vigilant for other diseases that could potentially cause kidney damage which includes diabetes. One should also eat a kidney-friendly diet, exercise, fix sleep problems like sleep apnea, and lose weight if one is overweight, as those things will help the kidneys regardless of the original causes of CKD. Also, one should stop smoking and drinking alcohol too if that's applicable. Habits are hard to break sometimes. It's great that you've been able to slow the progression of your disease by managing your T2D and HBP.
My husband has high blood pressure most of his life when we met I had him take it at the store and it was above 200 I could’ve believe it! He is now on blood pressure meds and his # is holding good. However he had PKD his mother who passed a year ago, his grandmother Also passed had it and his aunt who was able to get a transplant is alive. We want to do the home PD. We have to go Friday to let them know the type we want and then start the process of classes so I can be his caregiver and he’s able to still work and manage a somewhat normal life. A new normal as I say to him.
Hi Jmcool,
I have also been "following" the NKJ posts. I have had great success with a "kidney-friendly meal plan", limiting the sodium, potassium, phosphorous and protein that I eat. My husband also has ckd and diabetes and is a person who says he lives to eat, not eats to live. He has stabilized with the kidney friendly meal plan that I follow. I look at the NKJ posts and know that, not only would my husband make even worse choices, on the side, but I am not sure that I could follow their plan.
Yes, they do say that they have helped people who were on dialysis get off, and perhaps, for them, that is the best way to go about things. From the numbers that they are posting, it is improvement that they have, not a cure. It also sounds all-consuming in that they are always looking for ingredients, or preparing meals. I do not want ckd to manage my life.
Each of us has to take the information and beliefs we have and do the best we can with what we have and can do. If it works for them, great!. I just do not think it would be the way to go for me and I do not want to go that route. My nephrologist does not necessarily agree with the changes I have made, but she can't argue with the results. When I told her that on Mothers' Day I had my 2nd slice of pizza in 1 1/2 years, she told me that she does not believe in totally refraining from something, but in moderation. She told me the same thing when I told her that I had not had any chocolate for over a year. However, it works for me and each of us has to find what works and that we will stick to.
Good luck in your search,
lowraind
Yes agreed my husband would never be able to stick to that way of eating it is brutal and we must be realistic in what we plan on doing for the rest of our lives! Thanks for your reply I still follow the group just am now a silent viewer.
Is seeking a transplant in the picture here?
Now that is confusing to me. I would love to comment on that response from your Nephrologist but I will leave it alone. I encourage you to research and seek a transplant option sooner than later is my thought.
Diet means what you eat...so it depends on what he wants to do with his diet. How did it get so low with him not knowing or has he known and took no proactive measures? This would speak to his desire to comply or not. It's a tough nut. You do not mention his age...if it were me I would but the decision is up to him. It's his life and I know you are trying to save him. God bless you for being his wife but in the end you need to respect his wishes.
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