What helps you with these problems? How do you concentrate enough to shop, cook, clean, etc? Just asking how you deal with CKD symptoms.

[KGsrKGsr]

Dealing with insomnia, fatigue, trouble concentrating, . Not able to enjoy food or drink.

[Calebzztop]

Hey hun, I have personal care attendant help...but on the days they're not here it can be really difficult..I was reading your other posts ..have you had your thyroid checked? Make sure they run a full panel if you haven't...check your t3 and t4 as well as your tsh.......every body is different as far as exactly how they feel at certain stages of kidney disease. I have had 2 transplants,over 8 years of dialysis and I now need a third transplant. Im waiting for a match for myself and my donor through the paired exchange program. I feel lethargic,thats the biggest thing for me, not much appetite, my neuropathy pain is worse ,especially in the mornings...my hair is also falling out with split ends..but some of my transplant medications can contribute to this happening...I used to have insomnia terribly but not for a while now ....talk to your Dr and ask if there's pca help available for you and definitely ask for a full thyroid screen..I hope you feel better soon..I know its hard but try not to stress too much as it will only make things physically worse...try taking a little walk when you have some energy or maybe some yoga. Good luck with everything! Take care!

[KidneyCoach NKF Ambassador]

Get to your doctor. Consult with them regarding your symptoms. We don't diagnose. Blessings

[Prayforall]

My husbands diagnosis was on 10/11/21 in ER. He is but a shadow of his old self. Heartbreaking.. He seems like in a brain fog on dialysis days, weak, fatigued & dangerous to take him anywhere requiring walking, straight home we go.

[Michael__S]

I can relate to all of that. The good news is that everything that works for a normal person will work for you. Things like nutrition, exercise, relaxation, cooking skills and planning. I was in shock for the first 3 months to a full year when I learned that I had CKD. It's a disease that comes with a lot of negatives. What pissed me off the most was that just about everyone was telling me that you can live fine with one kidney. The solution was to educate myself, not self-isolation. It is true when you donate a kidney but not when you have CKD. I have been given 10 years before dialysis. And looking at the story of others member of this community I am very fortunate and so are you, perhaps a bit more. You can do so much more, sadly most people learn that they have CKD much later than sooner.

Yes words are cheap and it's easier said than done and you need to get started; you likely are to some extent and need to keep going. Everything is harder when you don't feel well but that doesn't prevent you from improving your quality of life. Harder not impossible.

The single biggest thing to do is to take control of your life. Use the search engine to look at previous posts and see it for yourself. You'll find a few goldmines. They managed and kept track of health issues/bloodwork, built a health team that worked for them (i.e. GP, Nephrologist, Renal Dietician and more) and kept good communication with all of them.

They are so many causes for the symptoms that you are experiencing that it's best for you to speak with your specialists. If anything not feeling well is a reason to expand your medical team. It's also important that you rule out possible causes because if they are left uncontrolled you are at risk of a rapid decline of kidney function. Things like diabetes, high blood pressure or unknown diseases. Better get rid of that stress out of the way sooner than later.

I am sorry if you have mentioned that in a previous post (I have not been very active on this forum lately) but ask for a nephrologist if you have not done so. And a renal dietician or if you can't, for a registered dietician. It's best for you to have that discussion with them, with a GFR of 89 a registered dietician is well tooled to set you for success. If you want to know ask them directly, they studied science. It's possible that some of your symptoms can be addressed via nutrition.

For the planning/organization skills I am in a stage where I know that I need to build a routine for when I don't feel so great. Two book that comes to mind are amazon.com/Compound-Effect-... (it was suggested on a fitness related forum and I like how it push the idea that the difference between success and failure is determined by small decision not big one) and this one amazon.com/Organize-Tomorro... (I first read his book titled "10 minute toughness" which goes in details on how to use visualization and changed my mindset to be solution-focused - it changed my life in many positive way). I am at a stage when I need and want to implement the second book because the shoe fit. Have a look at the preview and see if it fits your personality. Perhaps you can relate better to one of the suggested book below, I think it's more important than the content itself. Like I said what works for a normal person will still work for you.

For cooking skills I had subscribed to the great course series on amazon prime and the course titled "rediscover the lost art of cooking" which can also be found here thegreatcourses.com/courses... . One of the first episode about flavor is worth the cost of this course by its own. It blew my mind. Yes you'll see a lot of salt being used, adjust for your need and all the techniques taught will be still valid. And nothing prevent you from using the proper amount of salt when you have guests or contribute to a putlock. That makes the whole process more satisfying IMO. Or perhaps you'd prefer to subscribe to the masterclass (next on my list after I watch the whole series a second time). There is also lots of free content online. Again what works for a normal person will works for you. Adapting a recipe to your restriction is still cooking and you'd be surprised how much can be done.

You also need to learn how to manage your stress. We are all different and you need to experiment. Sauna and warm bath help me relax. I prefer the meditation drill found on headspace than doing yoga but there is nothing wrong with it. It's popular for a reason. Going for a walk before going to bed might work for a lot a people but not for me as it gets my mind racing. Experiment and find what works for you and make it part of your routine.

Exercise is also instrumental in managing my stress and preventing complications. It help me prevent insulin resistance, regulate potassium (I don't have potassium issues but it is believed to help regulate it regardless which I see as a prevention for later) and with blood circulation which also help me prevent gout. Exercise will trigger adaptation in the circulatory system and within the mitochondria itself. In other words your body gets better at getting oxygen delivered and your cells get better at using it. Keep in mind that you are more likely to die from a cardiovascular disease than CKD itself. Do what you can, everything matter and will make a difference in the long term.