Still on the fence about dialysis...

[Cape_Cod_Sharon]

I got my most recent lab report.

Urea nitrogen 82 High

Creatinine 1.99 High

eGFR is 27 Low

Potassium 5.4 High

Phosphate [phosphorous] 4.7 High

Protein/Creatinine ratio 167 High

Non-fasting glucose 129 [good for me]

And this is new, I have had a deteriorating thyroid for at least 10 years. My parathyroid hormone [intact] is 136 High. Indicating Hyperparathyroidism.

My fibromyalgia is in a major flare due to all the mental stress.

My back pain is off the charts from end stage decompensated cirrhosis of the liver and stage 4 renal disease.

I'm a hot mess, but I am happy to have found this group where people understand my problems.

Thank you all for being here.

Peace ✌& Love ❤💕,

Sharon

[KidneyCoach NKF Ambassador]

Hi Sharon, your labs look pretty good for Stage IV. I was noticing your creatinine is still only 1.99 yet your eGFR is 27? Those 2 numbers don't match up from what I understand. A creatinine of 2.0 would generally indicate 50% function or eGFR of around 50. Did they do a 24 hr urine to get an eGFR? Phosphorus range for every lab I've used has been 3.5 to 5.5 as normal so 4.7 per my labs is still WNR. Your PTH levels are also per Medicare guidelines are okay. For those in stage V CKD or ESRD anything below 500 is considered acceptable although most nephrologists prefer the pth levels to be below 300. Your levels would seem to be acceptable by most standards for CKD stage IV.

Congrats on your numbers and hope things stabilize for you. Do the things which bring you joy. Blessings

[Jayhawker in reply to KidneyCoach]

My creatinine was stable at 2.0 for about 3 years. That gave me an eGFR of approximately 29. So I’m not sure where you’re getting your information about 1.99 creatinine correlating with eGFR of about 50??!

Jayhawker

[KidneyCoach NKF Ambassador in reply to Jayhawker]

I'm so very sorry to have upset you so much. More than 20 years ago (and I admit so very much has changed since then so I could be way off my rocker) in discussion with several different nephrologists I was told a creatinine of 2.0 was 50% renal function. Thereafter the numerical decline was exponential and highly dependent upon 24 hr. urine collection testing. I may have misunderstood or simply didn't get it right but this is what I was told and researched at the time. I didn't feel it necessary to question at the time as everything I'd researched/read correlated with what I was being told.

I'm not meaning to give false information and I realize technology improvements may have changed meanings and lab values changed/improved in detection etc. This was my experience based on my discussions with 3 separate nephrologists.

Many Blessings

[Jayhawker in reply to KidneyCoach]

KidneyCoach,

I think you misunderstood. I’m not upset. I just don’t understand how you derived the eGFR of 50 with creatinine of 2.0. I assumed you may have made a typo error with your post.

Jayhawker

[3Kidneys]

All in all, it’s not totally off the charts....but most importantly is what does your doctor say??

[Cape_Cod_Sharon in reply to 3Kidneys]

eating salad each day is great but add some protein [I prefer grilled chicken] and I seem to be doing everything 'right' so keep up the good work, there isn't anything they can do for back pain [other than suggest PT...been there, done that.] I do my stretching exercises but my back pain is debilitating at this point, "see you in November!!"