Just received blood test results - Kidney Disease

Kidney Disease

11,040 members4,776 posts

Just received blood test results

Tony04 profile image
31 Replies

I have just received results of my blood test my kidney function is now 40% I’m so very worried is there anything I can do ?

Written by
Tony04 profile image
Tony04
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Read more about...
31 Replies
Eric-1996 profile image
Eric-1996

Hi just had a blood test and my eGFR creat came out 84MLuntil yesterday I didn't know the meaning of it.

I'm in pain.

Hope your situation is better than mine.

orangecity41 profile image
orangecity41NKF Ambassador

You have reached a good forum for information and support for Chronic Kidney Disease. Davita does offer a class which is helpful . Has your diagnosing Doctor prescribed a CKD diet. Here is a link to information on eGFR from national Kidney Foundation. kidney.org/atoz/content/gfr

RoxanneKidney profile image
RoxanneKidney

Are you eating a plant based diet already? Restrict salt. Not drinking, smoking. Making sure to exercise daily? I have gotten to the point that I focus on how I feel, and not the numbers.

Tony04 profile image
Tony04 in reply to RoxanneKidney

I really lost at the moment have no idea what to eat or not I don’t smoke or drink but I do like diet soft drink but no more and no more pizza oh my god what is left grass 😭

nfld profile image
nfld in reply to Tony04

Grass is not such a bad idea,,,, I have had CKD now for about three years...just got back my biopsy , and I am in stage 4, Will talk about my options s of dialysis, which will ne the next step with my dr. at the next visit.

I find a puff of weed once in a while does help...

Try and stay away from salt, and if you really love soft drinks, at least stay away from the colas (dark colored ones).

A positive attitude goes a long way in life...try to keep one..it helps a lot.

Take care

Tony04 profile image
Tony04 in reply to nfld

Hi thank you for ur message I’m so very sorry about ur stage 4 can I ask how you feel and how long did it take to get to stage 4 ? I will keep u in my thoughts and prays fingers crossed everything goes great for you ? Oh do you know what caused your kidney disease I have no idea because mine.

nfld profile image
nfld in reply to Tony04

You are very welcome. I am feeling tired a lot right now. I was told about two years ago that my kidneys were starting to loose protein ...it was about stage two then. I have been a diabetic for over 35 years now and have been on needles for about 9 years. I also have other health problems, which most of us do at this age. The bio just showed i am now in stage 4.

but you know I have a different way of looking at life.

i have a belief in something bigger than myself . I smile every day and am thankful for today. Will deal with tomorrow when it arrives. Take care

KidneyCoach profile image
KidneyCoachNKF Ambassador in reply to Tony04

Check out kidneyschool.org NKF.org

AAKP.com

AKF.org

Fresenius Kidney Care

DaVita.com

Take a deep breath. This is not the end of your journey. Take comfort.

Blessings

RoxanneKidney profile image
RoxanneKidney

haha. I have a protein problem, so I eat rice noodles. I can't have salt either, so there goes most ...almost all dressings and sauces. I used to love soup, but I have yet to try to make some without salt. We just have to get creative and eat a lot of onions and garlic for favor on that grass.

Tony04 profile image
Tony04 in reply to RoxanneKidney

It’s very hard I’m single not great at cooking have a lovely new kitchen but I never use it I mostly buy ready made meals or Urber Eats this damn disease I usually have pizza on Friday nights. Here in Australia it’s winter great to stay home and watch tv and eat but eat what it’s so restrictive 😬

ntsgls11 profile image
ntsgls11 in reply to RoxanneKidney

I love soup too. Look for combination seasonings like McCormick's Italian Herb Seasoning and Chinese Five Spice. They don't contain salt. Also chilies and garlic.. Low sodium vegetable broth and water make a great base. I use lots of herbs and a bit of olive oil on my veggies. Very flavorful. I'm at 34% and my nephrologist told me to relax on the numbers, walk regularly, eat as fresh as I can and don't panic if i "accidentally" eat a no-no. The kidneys function on the entire day - not just those 2 tortilla chips! Best wishes.

RoxanneKidney profile image
RoxanneKidney in reply to ntsgls11

Good advice for sure. I need to start savng those veggie scraps for soup base. I picked up some Mrs. Dash. Thankfully, I never used much salt anyway, but now that I am not supposed to, I want to. lol.

You have to change your mindset to be able to slow the progression of CKD. You are not looking at a diet plan. You are looking at a kidney-friendly meal plan that is part of your new lifestyle changes.Added salt is only a part of where you get sodium. It can be found in food as well. You can't eliminate it so you just have to minimize the amount you consume based on the advice from your nephrologist. The nephrologist will make that decision based on your heart's status, blood pressure, and other factors.

Use herbs and spices to flavor foods.

If you crave pizza, use a pita for your crust, roast some red peppers, remove the stem and seeds, then puree them and use the finished product instead of tomato sauce. Top with a cheese-like brie and you have a pizza you can enjoy.

Once you come to embrace the lifestyle changes you'll be able to eat well by eating healthier.

Tony04 profile image
Tony04 in reply to

Thanks for the advise I admit I have so much to learn every thing I look at states it has sodium I have to learn how much is ok for me at the moment I’m so confused but I do take this disease seriously be crazy not to.

RoxanneKidney profile image
RoxanneKidney in reply to

That sounds good in a toaster oven.

itzmich profile image
itzmich

Once you start to understand kidney disease and what you can eat you get used to it. Do some reading and research. Definitely give up diet soft drinks.....pizza every now and then is ok. If you can look at your other numbers sodium, potassium etc if they are all in range that's great. Generally I skip the salt, drink my 8 glasses of water, no red meat, eat 3 oz chicken and fish about once a day (I have a protein issue) take it easy on dairy. Exercize daily. Get BP under control .Limit your sugar and refined carbs. Limit processed foods and do not take otc pain relievers. All of these things will help your kidneys not work so hard. Hope you have a nephrologist if you don't get one. It's alot to take in. I was scared as well but when you start taking control of your diet you are doing something to help.

Tony04 profile image
Tony04 in reply to itzmich

Thank you so very very much for taking the time yes I’m very confused at the moment today I have eaten very little as I’m afraid it maybe bad for me I’m going to a kidney dietitian next week so I will learn more then.

itzmich profile image
itzmich in reply to Tony04

That's great. They will give you a better idea what you can eat and you will feel better knowing. Good luck.

Tony04 profile image
Tony04 in reply to itzmich

A friend offered me a casserole tonight very nice of her I had some but I only had a very small portion am I right in thinking I can have food this if I eat only a small portion every day remembering I’m stage 3 .

itzmich profile image
itzmich in reply to Tony04

Not sure what's in the casserole but for now it's probably OK. Think of food this way 80% vegetable 10% protein 10% good carbs, whole grains. Does that help?

KidneyCoach profile image
KidneyCoachNKF Ambassador in reply to Tony04

Stage 3? You could live out the rest of your natural life without ever seeing dialysis, using caution and lifestyle changes. Blessings

suzell56 profile image
suzell56

Tony04, I too was running scared until I went to DaVita.com and took their kidney classes (well worth the time) and looked at all their recipes. I would recommend that you get yourself to nephrologist and quite possibly they can refer you to a nutritionalist. You don't have to give up pizza, just cut back on it. As for the other restaurant foods you do need to use lots of caution. Do cut out diet soft drinks asap and replace with water .... I flavor my water with lemons, berries, etc. Look for canned foods that are low in sodium, which I found a website that specializes in low/no salt foods. Keep us posted on your journey with CKD, it is NOT a death sentence, it's a lifestyle change.

Tony04 profile image
Tony04 in reply to suzell56

Thank you they were great suggestions I went onto the web site and signed up for a class and canned fruit yes why didn’t I think of that wish I had some right now thank for all your so helpful suggestions.

KidneyCoach profile image
KidneyCoachNKF Ambassador in reply to suzell56

As for salt substitutes be cautious. Some substitute potassium chloride which can be dangerous for some.

ILMA54 profile image
ILMA54

In addition to the wonderful suggestions others have shared, understand that this is a marathon, not a sprint. I first started having kidney issues (I was born with one kidney) in 1997, and just last month, I received a kidney transplant.

The time between when I had a GFR of ~ 40 and where I ended up( GFR ~11-15) was 20 years. By maintaining a healthy weight, exercising, and following my doctor's orders, I was able to avoid dialysis for the 45 months I was on the transplant list. This entire time, I still felt good (no nausea or fatigue) and was swimming 45 minutes 3-4X per week.

Each of us is a unique case. Some of us had more rapid deterioration, and for some of us, the disease progressed more slowly. The bottom line is that you have a significant role in how the story ends bases on the choices you make each day.

In the interim, you will find a great deal of support in this community.

Tony04 profile image
Tony04 in reply to ILMA54

Wow what a great message thank you and your had a transplant congratulations how are things going ? I bet you feel better as for me I’m settling down it was a shock at first I also have or had as I like to say prostate cancer so finding out about my kidneys was overwhelming but it’s been 2 days now and thanks to this wonderful site I understand it’s not all gloom . Thank you for being so nice.

RoxanneKidney profile image
RoxanneKidney in reply to ILMA54

That is really inspirational. Thanks!

RonZone profile image
RonZone

Tony, my wife and I have very different health issues, mine being Kidney Disease, so we went from meal sharing to refrigerator sharing. I have my food in my area of the fridge, she has hers in the other area. So it's like living single, diet wise. I was also very surprised at how bad the food you get in ready to eat meals that you find in the frozen section of the grocery store was, and how even a salad from Wendy's was extremely unhealthy. Who knew?? So yup, I had to make some changes in what I eat. BUT the good thing is that I love fruit, so this gave me the excuse to buy lots of it, even though some of it ain't cheap. Now veggies I'm not so fond of, but I've leaned to make a few (like spaghetti squash) my new bud. Your nutritionist that you will be meeting with will give you a list (if they're worth their salt, pun intended) of what will be good for you, and what is not good for you. Limiting protein is one of the harder things to do (no more steak and potatoes or roast and potatoes unless it's a major holiday), but it can be done. And then you look forward to those special days when you can have a reasonable portion of those things that you like that aren't exactly super healthy for you. I have my cheat days occasionally and enjoy them very much and so far they've not hurt my numbers. I wish I had started doing this when I was at your stage, but I just didn't know to do that. It's great that you are willing to start this at your stage. So yeah. keep on this forum and just ask for suggestions. That's how I found to look and found a store brand ketchup with no potassium at Kroger. (tomatoes=potassium, potassium=bad). So there's stuff out there, just takes a little digging and asking lots of questions (like you're doing here) to find it. I enjoy my fresh fruit as much as I used to enjoy MacDonalds fries!

RoxanneKidney profile image
RoxanneKidney

You just have to decide what tastes better, pizza or life.

PecanSandie profile image
PecanSandie in reply to RoxanneKidney

You can also learn to make pizza (and just keep the salt out of it).

Skeptix profile image
Skeptix

It may sound like a bit of a drag but learning how to prolong kidney function can actually be interesting! One thing appears clear: compared to the alternatives, prolonging the life of your own kidneys is the best route of all. Ever lost a tooth and gone through the hassle and expense of having an insert installed or a crown or bridge- only to realise that the original is the best?

If you focus on how precious what you have is (40% function!!), dietary changes to hang onto it won't matter. I'm a few months into it (30% function) and don't miss meat and the rest (although I do have a beer). Short period of mourning and that's it. Time to crack on.

The very latest science/recommendations are pointing towards a low or very low protein diet as kidney preserving. You could well find, however, that the treatment paradigm where you are is outdated - many on here report the same thing. If your nephrologist says 'wait and see', perhaps just prescribing ACE for proteinuria, for example. Or if your dietician (assuming you get to see one) says to "trim the amount of red meat and cut down salt" then you're probably dealing with oldish school. It takes years for paradigms to change.

There are moves towards low protein, plant-based diets at earlier (e.g

stage 3) stages, which some renal dieticians are starting to promote. Whatever about that, you would do well to dive into the world of kidneys and diet and start to become knowledgeable so as to become your own advocate. Whatever about their individual view about approach, all here would say you need to be your own advocate. To not be passive in this.

My own recommendation (whatever about the degree you follow his advice), is to read Lee Hull's Stopping Kidney Disease. You can get the jist of it using the Look Inside feature.on Amazon.com. Its a proper tome, overly long and very detailed. But pretty comprehensive as a starting point. You want a one stop shop introduction on factors involved in CKD progression, then this book is it.

Your own case / numbers will determine approach, mine don't require his very restrictive diet at all points, for instance. But he does give you a good grounding, getting you 'into the saddle' so to speak.

Only 3 months in myself but have had a couple of blood numbers experience dramatic improvement. Ain't nothing like success to render the lack of pizza irrelevant!

You may also like...

Awaiting blood test result

wasn't qualified to read the test results out. So nearly 2 weeks after the blood was taken I am no...

How do you deal with nerves waiting for the results of blood test.

I have a blood test tomorrow to see how my functions are to date. I have a wellness check next...

Kidney blood test worried

Hello, I am really worried about my blood test results, creatinine is 134 umol/l and eGFR is only...

Blood Tests to Request

What blood tests should I request? I told my GP I wanted blood work every three months (I'm in the...

Understanding Test Result numbers

does that translate to the \\"percent\\" of kidney function, and should he be suggesting I look at...