Hello everyone

[Mich1949]

I thought I would come and join this community; after having staved off dialysis for some ten years through diet and careful living, It looks like I shan't be able to put it off any longer - last egfr is 9%. Due to have a blood test in a couple of days ready for renal consultation next week. Not too proud to admit that I am somewhat frightened by the whole thing.

[alport45]

I put dialysis off too, til my GFR reached 7 and I just felt fatigued all the time. I've now been on PD for 2 months and am doing okay. I was frightened by the responsibility I was taking on. I'm a little paranoid about the avoidance of contamination/infection. Maybe some fear is a good thing if it makes us extra careful. I have found that reading over the posts here helped to allay some concerns. People on this forum are ready to help . Mention a specific concern and you're sure to get helpful answers. Take care.

[Live_Positive in reply to alport45]

Hi -Alport - stating to feel little fatigue occasionally or severe fatigue like all the time . Could you walk ? My gfr was 11.9 last time .. .. last two days I feel little bit tired occasionally .. is it the end or there is a journey of further progression before dialysis starts?

[Gotthecall_123 in reply to Live_Positive]

Most people will start at 10% or ever 8% depending on your doctor and how you feel the longer you wait the worse off you will be🙏

[Mich1949 in reply to alport45]

Hi alport! You mention PD; I,when asked what form of dialysis I was going to opt for, chose Hemodialysis ( mostly for fear, as you had of being able to manage contamination/ infection...which brings me to back to the choice; how do people here chose? Is there a "better", safer way?

[Gotthecall_123 in reply to Mich1949]

I would answer this by saying the safest way is a fistula however it ruins your veins so a chest catheter is the next best bit you still need to be careful of infection and placement 💚it worked great for me for 4 years and took me to transplant🙏

[Skeptix]

Well done for 10 years and solidarity on the fear. I'm at eGFR 30 having taken a post Covid drop from mid 40's. That got my attention and looking down the tunnel awoke fear in me.

Question for you. Have you been on a plant only, very low protein (0.4 g/kg body weight) + keto acid analogue diet? I don't want to sound impertinent or presumptive ( I don't know the extent of your story) but it seems that this latest approach is relatively unknown, even amongst kidney docs. It's 2020 guideline stuff and the docs are still working to 2000 guidelines in the main, it seems.

If you have not been on such a diet, there may be some value in considering it as a further step to stave off dialysis?

[Mich1949 in reply to Skeptix]

Hi Skeptix, thanks for your reply. I haven't been on any such diet (never heard of it), bit will look into it - as you say anything to stave off the ugly moment.

[Skeptix in reply to Mich1949]

Read around this forum for Lee Hull / Stopping Kidney Disease (his book) / very low protein diet will bring up some stuff.

You could get a sense of where he's coming from by reading the Look Inside of the above book on Amazon.com. The book is too long and needs a good sub editor to trim 100 pages off it. But the basic jist is pretty well put together.

I've been 3 months on plant only and 2 months on very low protein + keto acid and the results are impressive (although I've not got full bloods back yet)

urea (a toxin waste product requiring filtering by your kidneys which comes from metabolising your protein intake) has gone from 13.5 or thereabouts to 6.5. The healthy range is 2.5 to 7.8. Diet has brought this important factor into spec

Makes sense: eat less protein and you produce less urea

cholesterol was 6.6 and is now 5.4. Nephrologist was planning to put me on a statin. No need now. Result!

Makes sense: eat less saturated fat and your cholesterol will go down

Read a post of mine just put up regarding my (new) renal dieticians view of things. But mostly, look up the science on it - you can Google and find the same papers that Lee Hull found. You only have to read the Abstracts/Conclusions to know which way the wind is blowing!

[KidneyCoach NKF Ambassador in reply to Mich1949]

Check out kidneyschool.org Help, I Need Dialysis! Available on Amazon.

Blessings

CKD 40+ years

Dialysis nearly 20 years

[Gotthecall_123]

Hi ive been through dialyses PD and hemo of course it is scary as you get used to doing it it becomes a part of your daily routine 4 years on PD i was feeling pretty good I had my freedom as I did it while I slept my day were left open to do with what ever I liked of course you have appointments after 4 years i became careless and contracted an infection in my PD catheter that’s when I started in clinic hemo with chest catheter it took me a while to reconvert from the infection as I became better I started to do what was required to make the transplant list it took 4 more years but i made it 💚I received my kidney transplant on 05/24/2018 when I look back now it was all worth it🙏💚

[Mich1949 in reply to Gotthecall_123]

Hi Gotthecall, sorry to hear you had to go through all that, but delighted to hear everything turned out well. I hope you continue to feel good....

[Gotthecall_123 in reply to Mich1949]

Yes thank you all is going well💚just past the 3 year point in May so thankful f💚💚💚