New Here - Hi from Arizona

[RVerJ]

I'm a 77 year old woman who had a big surprise in March of 2023 when I learned my eGFR had dropped from 73 to 61 over a year's time. No family history. My GP referred me to a Nephrologist. The following year, eGFR dropped to 61, held steady throughout 2023, then dropped to 59 at my January 2024 test. My most recent test, November 1st, was 53. That seems like quite a dramatic drop.

Otherwise I'm pretty healthy. I eat well and am working more exercise into my lifestyle. 5'-8", 158#

I'm seeing my NEP next week, but I thought it was time I reached out to this community to see how things were going with other kidney patients.

A few years ago, my youngest son was diagnosed with brain cancer. I joined a support group then and it was such a blessing to be walking the path with others who understood the situation.

So thank you in advance. I look forward to knowing you.

[RVerJ]

Oops - I neglected to mention my BP has been going up while my eGFR has been going down. I consistently had 110/70 my whole adult lifel but now I'm about 130/75. No medication. No diabetes.

[Skip56]

Désolé pour votre fils ,la médecine a fait des progrès ,on peut guérir de nos jours du cancer du cerveau ,mais concernant votre cas que votre Dfg diminue , votre néphrologue ne vous a pas dit de suivre un régime sans sel,et votre tension est elle normale? Si vous devez voir votre néphrologue il vous prescrira aussi des médicaments .

[WildIris]

Hi, nice to hear from you. Congratulations on being in good health. You probably know that kidney function normally declines as you get older. 60 is normal anyway, and its normal for eGFR to go up and down a bit, depending on factors like how well hydrated you are, and whether you've done more exercise than usual that day, (which would tend to make it lower). Your diet affects your kidneys too, which most GPs won't tell you. Basically, protein, especially animal protein, is hard for failing kidneys to process, same with salt. Getting enough protein is important though. A lot of us on this forum are on plant based diets, and drink plenty of water.

I am 72, and have done well on a strict plant-based diet, with mostly nuts and tofu and lentils for protein- my eGFR was as low as 50, but my last blood test just said it's over 60, which the lab considers normal. Farxiga is a fairly new medicine that is uniquely beneficial for the kidneys (I haven't tried it, but its nice to know its there.).

I've usually had high bp, which can contribute to kidney disease. My GP says aim for 130/75, which is your highest bp, so far, so that doesn't seem like much of a problem, Though its good to be careful as you get older.

May your good health continue.

[RVerJ in reply to WildIris]

WildIris! What an encouraging reply. Thanks so much!! Trust all the things you're doing will be beneficial in the long term. I've only recently started more beans, less meat, though I have avoided red meat for years. Thanks again.

[orangecity41 NKF Ambassador in reply to WildIris]

My PA who is monitoring my CKD advised me to increase my red meat a little , as need it to help my low B12, so I have and feel a little better. I am 83 years of age so that might play into it.

[RVerJ in reply to orangecity41]

Great! Good luck with this and thanks so much for the info!! (83 - I want to be just like you when I grow up.)

[userotc]

Well done on your healthy diet and lifestyle. We adopt a Nutritional Therapy protocol for my mum who has had CKD stage 3 for 14y and it helped her wean off BP medication yet she's averaging only ~123/80 nowadays 🤞🤞

Meat is more of a contentious issue than many believe. We believe even (good quality) red meat has its place for nutrition/general health eg link below, although we do restrict it a little for mum, largely for related acid reasons.

sciencedirect.com/science/a...

[RVerJ in reply to userotc]

Great info - thanks. Awesome about your Mum!!

[RVerJ]

So interesting, Barbara... Yes, I'd do that. And thank you.

[Beachgirl32]

Welcome I hope for you that your function just went down to aging . I’m sure your nephrologist will answer any of your questions. It always good to ask questions when we don’t know why our labs have change. Sometimes being dehydrated can change labs and I even had labs in the same day show differnt things . Your blood pressure is still ok but keep an eye on it. I’m sorry to hear about brain cancer in your youngest son if you were or are going through stress that that could affect your body too. I hope he is doing better. Prayers lifted for you both