Cellulitis, CKD, and Diabetes

My uncle-in-law had it. My children’s father had it. My husband had it. Now the question is what is cellulitis? 

WebMd at https://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/guide/cellulitis#1 answers: 

“Cellulitis is a common infection of the skin and the soft tissues underneath. It happens when bacteria enter a break in the skin and spread. The result is infection, which may cause swelling, redness, pain, or warmth.” 

Alright, but what does that have to do with Chronic Kidney Disease. By the way, only one of the men mentioned in the first paragraph has CKD.  

According to the NHS (National Health Service) in the United Kingdom at https://bit.ly/2IJJrbT: 

“You’re more at risk of cellulitis if you: 

• have poor circulation in your arms, legs, hands or feet – for example, because you’re overweight 
• find it difficult to move around 
• have a weakened immune system because of chemotherapy treatment or diabetes [Gail here: I bolded that.] 
• have bedsores (pressure ulcers) 
• have lymphoedema, which causes fluid build-up under the skin 
• inject drugs 
• have a wound from surgery 
• have had cellulitis before” 

Two of the men above were overweight, but one of these did not have CKD. The overweight man who had CKD also had diabetes. One had a wound from surgery which was the cause of his cellulitis. Another had had cellulitis before. (Does this sound like one of those crazy math word questions?) 

CKD is not a cause? Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! Wait just a minute here. Let’s remember that CKD gives you the lovely present of a compromised immune system. A compromised immune system means it doesn’t do such a great job of preventing illnesses and infections. 

Also remember that diabetes is the leading cause of CKD and diabetes can also weaken your immune system. I needed more information about diabetes doing that and I got it from The University of Michigan’s Michigan Medicine at https://www.uofmhealth.org/health-library/uq1148abc:    

“High blood sugar from diabetes can affect the body’s immune system, impairing the ability of white blood cells to come to the site of an infection, stay in the infected area, and kill microorganisms. Because of the buildup of plaque in blood vessels associated with diabetes, areas of infection may receive a poor blood supply, further lowering the body’s ability to fight infections and heal wounds.” 

Remember that cellulitis is an infection. Reading the above, I became aware that I didn’t know anything about plague in the blood vessels and diabetes, so I went right to what I consider the source for vascular information, Vascular.org. This time at https://bit.ly/31dZ0yI:  

“Peripheral artery (or arterial) disease, also known as PAD, occurs when plaque builds up in the arteries and reduces blood flow to the feet and legs. Fairly common among elderly Americans, PAD is even more likely among those with diabetes, which increases plaque buildup.” 

All three of these men were elderly, if you consider in your 70s elderly. Of course, I don’t since I’m in my 70s, but we are talking science here. 

Hmmm, we don’t know yet how cellulitis is treated, do we? Let’s find out. I turned to my old buddy, The MayoClinic at https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cellulitis/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20370766:  

“Cellulitis treatment usually includes a prescription oral antibiotic. Within three days of starting an antibiotic, let your doctor know whether the infection is responding to treatment. You’ll need to take the antibiotic for as long as your doctor directs, usually five to 10 days but possibly as long as 14 days. 

In most cases, signs and symptoms of cellulitis disappear after a few days. You may need to be hospitalized and receive antibiotics through your veins (intravenously) if: 

Signs and symptoms don’t respond to oral antibiotics 

Signs and symptoms are extensive 

You have a high fever 

Usually, doctors prescribe a drug that’s effective against both streptococci and staphylococci. It’s important that you take the medication as directed and finish the entire course of medication, even after you feel better. 

Your doctor also might recommend elevating the affected area, which may speed recovery…. 

Try these steps to help ease any pain and swelling: 

Place a cool, damp cloth on the affected area as often as needed for your comfort. 

Ask your doctor to suggest an over-the-counter pain medication to treat pain. [Gail again: no NSAIDS, you have CKD.] 

Elevate the affected part of your body.” 

Now the obvious question is how, as CKD patients and possibly diabetics, do we avoid that infection in the first place? 

“Cellulitis cannot always be prevented, but the risk of developing cellulitis can be minimised by avoiding injury to the skin, maintain [sic] good hygiene and by managing skin conditions like tinea and eczema. 

A common cause of infection to the skin is via the fingernails. Handwashing is very important as well as keeping good care of your nails by trimming and cleaning them. Generally maintaining good hygiene such as daily showering and wearing clean clothes may help reduce the skin’s contact with bacteria. 

If you have broken skin, keep the wound clean by washing daily with soap and water or antiseptic. Cover the wound with a gauze dressing or bandaid every day and watch for signs of infection. 

People who are susceptible to cellulitis, for example people with diabetes or with poor circulation, should take care to protect themselves with appropriate footwear, gloves and long pants when gardening or bushwalking, when it’s easy to get scratched or bitten. Look after your skin by regularly checking your feet for signs of injury, moisturising the skin and trimming fingernails and toenails regularly.” 

Thank you to Australia’s HealthDirect at https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/cellulitis-prevention for these common sense reminders. Actually, we need to keep washing our hands while Covid-19 is at our door anyway, so we’ve already got that part of the prevention covered. I suspect that many of us don’t bother to deal with small wounds, but it looks like we’d better start. 

What if you do develop cellulitis? How will you be treated? My old buddy, The Mayo Clinic at https://mayocl.in/2FDxUtf tells us: 

“Cellulitis treatment usually includes a prescription oral antibiotic. Within three days of starting an antibiotic, let your doctor know whether the infection is responding to treatment. You’ll need to take the antibiotic for as long as your doctor directs, usually five to 10 days but possibly as long as 14 days. 

In most cases, signs and symptoms of cellulitis disappear after a few days. You may need to be hospitalized and receive antibiotics through your veins (intravenously) if: 

Signs and symptoms don’t respond to oral antibiotics 

Signs and symptoms are extensive 

You have a high fever 

Usually, doctors prescribe a drug that’s effective against both streptococci and staphylococci. It’s important that you take the medication as directed and finish the entire course of medication, even after you feel better. 

Your doctor also might recommend elevating the affected area, which may speed recovery.” 

Until next week, 

Keep living your life! (Safely, please) 

 

“klot” + “id”

No, that’s not the result of misplacing my fingers on the keyboard. According to https://youglish.com/pronounce/clotted/english, this is the correct two syllable pronunciation of the word clotted. My all-time favorite dictionary, the Merriam-Webster, at https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/clotted defines the adjective (word describing a noun) clotted as:

“1: a portion of a substance adhering together in a thick nondescript mass (as of clay or gum)

2 a: a roundish viscous lump formed by coagulation of a portion of liquid or by melting

b: a coagulated mass produced by clotting of blood”

You’re right – it’s the second definition we’ll be dealing with today. Why? A long-time reader was telling me about his blood clot when I suddenly realized I had no idea if there were any connection at all between Chronic Kidney Disease and blood clots.

As it turns out, there is.  The following is from the National Kidney Foundation at https://www.kidney.org/sites/default/files/Blood_Clots_And_CKD_2018.pdf:

“CKD may put you at higher risk for VTE. The reasons for this are not well understood. The connection may depend on what caused your CKD and how much kidney damage you have. No matter the reason, CKD may make it easier for your body to form blood clots. The risk for VTE is seen more often in people with nephrotic syndrome (a kidney problem that causes swelling, usually of the ankles, a high level of protein in the urine, and a low level of a protein called albumin in the blood).”

I have a question already. What is VTE? I found World Thrombosis Day’s explanation at www.worldthrombosisday.org › issue › vte the most helpful.

“Venous thromboembolism (VTE) is a condition in which a blood clot forms most often in the deep veins of the leg, groin or arm (known as deep vein thrombosis, DVT) and travels in the circulation, lodging in the lungs (known as pulmonary embolism, PE).”

How could I have CKD for over a dozen years and not know this? Many thanks to my reader and online friend for bringing it up. 

Well, it’s back to the beginning for us. How is VTE diagnosed? The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at www.cdc.gov › ncbddd › dvt › diagnosis-treatment was helpful here.

“Duplex ultrasonography is an imaging test that uses sound waves to look at the flow of blood in the veins. It can detect blockages or blood clots in the deep veins. It is the standard imaging test to diagnose DVT. A D-dimer blood test measures a substance in the blood that is released when a clot breaks up.”

Let’s take a closer look at the D-dimer blood test. That’s another new one for me. My old standby, MedlinePlus (This time at https://medlineplus.gov/lab-tests/d-dimer-test/.) offered the following which more than satisfactorily answered my question.

“A D-dimer test looks for D-dimer in blood. D-dimer is a protein fragment (small piece) that’s made when a blood clot dissolves in your body.

Blood clotting is an important process that prevents you from losing too much blood when you are injured. Normally, your body will dissolve the clot once your injury has healed. With a blood clotting disorder, clots can form when you don’t have an obvious injury or don’t dissolve when they should. These conditions can be very serious and even life-threatening. A D-dimer test can show if you have one of these conditions.”

By the way, MedlinePlus is part of the U.S. National Library of Medicine which, in turn, is part of the National Institutes of Health.

This brings me to another question. How would you or your doctor even know you may need this test?

“According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), about half of people with DVT don’t have symptoms. Any symptoms that do occur will be in the affected leg or the area where the clot is found. Symptoms can include:

pain

redness of the skin

warmth of the skin

swelling of the area

If the clot moves into the lungs and you develop PE, you may have symptoms such as:

chest pain, which may get worse when you breathe deeply or cough

coughing

coughing up blood

dizziness or even fainting

rapid shallow breathing, or tachypnea

rapid heartbeat

irregular heartbeat

shortness of breath”

Thank you to Healthline at https://www.healthline.com/health/dvt-vs-pulmonary-embolism for the above information.

Now we know what VTE is, what symptoms you may experience, and the test to take to confirm that you do, indeed, have VTE. You know what comes next. How do we treat VTE once it’s confirmed?

These are some, but not all, of the treatments that may be recommended. I discovered them on WebMD’s site at https://www.webmd.com/dvt/what-is-venous-thromboembolism.

“Blood thinners. These drugs don’t break up the clot, but they can stop it from getting bigger so your body has time to break it down on its own. They include heparin, low-molecular-weight heparin, apixaban (Eliquis), edoxaban (Savaysa), rivaroxaban (Xarelto), and warfarin (Coumadin).

Clot-busting drugs. These medicines are injections that can break up your clot. They include drugs like tPA (tissue plasminogen activator).

Surgery. In some cases, your doctor may need to put a special filter into a vein, which can stop any future clots from getting to your lungs. Sometimes, people need surgery to remove a clot.

Even after you recover from a VTE and you’re out of the hospital, you’ll probably still need treatment with blood thinners for at least 3 months. That’s because your chances of having another VTE will be higher for a while.”

I’m still wondering how to avoid VTE. This is what The National Blood Clot Alliance at https://www.stoptheclot.org/learn_more/prevention_of_thrombosis/ suggested:

“Ask your doctor about need for ‘blood thinners’ or compression stockings to prevent clots, whenever you go to the hospital

Lose weight, if you are overweight

Stay active

Exercise regularly; walking is fine

Avoid long periods of staying still

Get up and move around at least every hour whenever you travel on a plane, train, or bus, particularly if the trip is longer than 4 hours

Do heel toe exercises or circle your feet if you cannot move around

Stop at least every two hours when you drive, and get out and move around

Drink a lot of water and wear loose fitted clothing when you travel

Talk to your doctor about your risk of clotting whenever you take hormones, whether for birth control or replacement therapy, or during and right after any pregnancy

Follow any self-care measures to keep heart failure, diabetes, or any other health issues as stable as possible”

And we have yet another reason to be extra cautious if you have CKD.

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

 

The Dye is Cast

Bet you think I made a spelling error in the title. If you’re thinking of the original phrase, you’re right. In that one, it’s spelled ‘die’. Here’s where it came from according to Wikipedia at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alea_iacta_est:

“Alea iacta est (‘The die has been cast’) is a variation of a Latin phrase (iacta alea est [ˈjakta ˈaːlɛ.a ˈɛst]) attributed by Suetonius to Julius Caesar on January 10, 49 BCE, as he led his army across the Rubicon river in Northern Italy…. The phrase, either in the original Latin or in translation, is used in many languages to indicate that events have passed a point of no return. It is now most commonly cited with the word order changed (‘Alea iacta est’) rather than in the original phrasing….”

Uh-oh, there is in existence a phrase just like the title of today’s blog. It means the tint has been applied and can’t be changed or something like that.That this phrase with this spelling exists was a bit surprising. What I meant in the title is the dye used in contrast CTs.

Let’s back up just a bit so we can explain what a CT is. The Mayo Clinic at https://mayocl.in/3jujqdk tells us:

A computerized tomography (CT) scan combines a series of X-ray images taken from different angles around your body and uses computer processing to create cross-sectional images (slices) of the bones, blood vessels and soft tissues inside your body. CT scan images provide more-detailed information than plain X-rays do.”

I’ll be having one with contrast this afternoon. You know we, as CKD patients, have been warned not to allow that contrast into our bodies. Let’s find out why and then I’ll tell you why I am allowing it. The contrast is the dye in the title of today’s blog.

“In a CT scan, dense substances like bones are easy to see. But soft tissues don’t show up as well. They may look faint in the image. To help them appear clearly, you may need a special dye called a contrast material. They block the X-rays and appear white on the scan, highlighting blood vessels, organs, or other structures.Contrast materials are usually made of iodine or barium sulfate. You might receive these drugs in one or more of three ways:

• Injection: The drugs are injected directly into a vein. This is done to help your blood vessels, urinary tract, liver, or gallbladder stand out in the image.
• Orally: Drinking a liquid with the contrast material can enhance scans of your digestive tract, the pathway of food through your body.
• Enema: If your intestines are being scanned, the contrast material can be inserted in your rectum.

After the CT scan, you’ll need to drink plenty of fluids to help your kidneys remove the contrast material from your body.”Thank you, WebMD at https://www.webmd.com/cancer/what-is-a-ct-scan#2 for the above information.

Of course, now we need to know why we shouldn’t be having this contrast material. Radiology Affiliates Imagining at https://4rai.com/blog/can-contrast-hurt-my-kidneys, a new site for me but one that seems very thorough, explains that we just don’t know for sure:

“…. Unhealthy kidneys, though, may be slower and less efficient when it comes to clearing the contrast from the blood. While the medical community has not yet determined exactly how contrast dye causes kidney problems, they think it has to do with this slow clearance of the dyes from the body.”

Well, what problems can contrast dye cause for our kidneys? I went right to the National Kidney Foundation at https://bit.ly/2YL7RXv  for an answer to this question

“What is Contrast Induced Nephropathy (CIN)?

CIN is a rare disorder and occurs when kidney problems are caused by the use of certain contrast dyes. In most cases contrast dyes used in tests, such as CT (computerized tomography) and angiograms, have no reported problems. About 2 percent of people receiving dyes can develop CIN. However, the risk for CIN can increase for people with diabetes, a history of heart and blood diseases, and chronic kidney disease (CKD)….The risk of CIN in people with both CKD and diabetes is 20 to 50 percent.

CIN is associated with a sharp decrease in kidney function over a period of 48-72 hours. The symptoms can be similar to those of kidney disease, which include feeling more tired, poor appetite, swelling in the feet and ankles, puffiness around the eyes, or dry and itchy skin. In many cases, CIN is reversible and people can recover. However, in some cases, CIN can lead to more serious kidney problems and possible heart and blood vessel problems

What is Nephrogenic Systemic Fibrosis (NSF)?

NSF is a rare but serious disease affecting skin and other organs that has been found in some patients with advanced CKD after exposure to gadolinium-containing contrast dyes that are used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). NSF appears to affect about 4 percent of patients with advanced CKD. People with acute kidney injury (AKI) are also at higher risk. NSF has not been reported in people with mild kidney damage or normal kidney function.

NSF can be painful, debilitating, or even fatal. Symptoms and signs of NSF can include burning and itching of the skin, red or dark patches on the skin, joint stiffness, or muscle weakness. The disease can develop within 24 hours up to around 3 months….  delay in excretion [of this drug] is thought to be one the main reasons why NSF may happen.”

Notice that both possible effects of using contrast dye with kidney disease are rare.

So why am I having the contrast dye when I’ve been advised not to? My oncology team needs to see if the cancer has returned and, if it has, how badly. I told them at the beginning of my treatment to spare my kidneys as much as possible. But, in this case, I don’t want them to spare my kidneys so much that I end up dead of cancer.

There are two kinds of dye used, one less harmful to the kidneys than the other. I believe that’s the one that is used on me. It is also reduced in order to save me from any possible further kidney damage. Most importantly, my creatinine level is measured before administering the contrast dye. After a year and a half of this, my kidneys are doing just as well as they were doing before I started allowing contrast dye.

This is my story; remember, everyone is different and talk this over with your nephrologist before you agree to contrast dye. My nephrologist and I agreed that I needed to be alive more than I needed to save my kidneys.

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

I’ve Been Compromised

It’s true, and it’s not only me. It’s you, too, if you have Chronic Kidney Disease. ‘What do I mean?’ you ask. It’s your immune system that’s been compromised by your CKD. ‘HOW?’ you demand. That’s what today’s blog is going to explain.

Let’s start the usual way: at the beginning. So, what’s this immune system I mentioned? I turned to Medline Plus, a part of the U.S. National Library of Medicine which, in turn, is a division of the National Institutes of Health at https://medlineplus.gov/immunesystemanddisorders.html

“Your immune system is a complex network of cells, tissues, and organs that work together to defend against germs. It helps your body to recognize these ‘foreign’ invaders. Then its job is to keep them out, or if it can’t, to find and destroy them.”

According to the National Kidney Foundation at https://www.kidney.org/atoz/chronic-kidney-disease-and-pneumococcal-disease-do-you-know-facts,

“…Having kidney disease and kidney failure can weaken your immune system, making it easier for infections to take hold.  In fact, doctors and researchers have found that most infections, …, are worse in people with kidney disease.  People with a kidney transplant also have weakened immune systems.  This is because antirejection medicines (‘immunosuppressants’), which protect the body from rejecting the transplanted kidney, suppress the immune system.”

That makes sense. But exactly how does CKD compromise this system?

According to a British Society for Immunology study published in PubMed [“PubMed Central (PMC) is a free archive of biomedical and life sciences journal literature at the U.S. National Institutes of Health’s National Library of Medicine (NIH/NLM),” as stated on their website. NCBI is The National Center for Biotechnology Information.] at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5904695/:

“The immune system and the kidneys are closely linked. In health the kidneys contribute to immune homeostasis, while components of the immune system mediate many acute forms of renal disease and play a central role in progression of chronic kidney disease. A dysregulated immune system can have either direct or indirect renal effects. Direct immune‐mediated kidney diseases are usually a consequence of autoantibodies directed against a constituent renal antigen, …. Indirect immune‐mediated renal disease often follows systemic autoimmunity with immune complex formation, but can also be due to uncontrolled activation of the complement pathways. Although the range of mechanisms of immune dysregulation leading to renal disease is broad, the pathways leading to injury are similar. Loss of immune homeostasis in renal disease results in perpetual immune cell recruitment and worsening damage to the kidney. Uncoordinated attempts at tissue repair, after immune‐mediated disease or non‐immune mediated injury, result in fibrosis of structures important for renal function, leading eventually to kidney failure.”

Hmmm, it seems my linking function is not working for this URL. No loss, just copy and paste the URL if you’d like to read more about the immune system and the kidneys.

There are a few medical terms in the above paragraph that you may need defined. Thank you, my all-time favorite dictionary, the Merriam-Webster, for helping us out here.

Antibody: any of a large number of proteins of high molecular weight that are produced normally by specialized B cells after stimulation by an antigen and act specifically against the antigen in an immune response, that are produced abnormally by some cancer cells, and that typically consist of four subunits including two heavy chains and two light chains

(https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antibody)

Antigen: any substance (such as an immunogen or a hapten [Gail here: Bing defines this as “a small molecule which, when combined with a larger carrier such as a protein, can elicit the production of antibodies which bind specifically to it (in the free or combined state.]) foreign to the body that evokes an immune response either alone or after forming a complex with a larger molecule (such as a protein) and that is capable of binding with a product (such as an antibody or T cell) of the immune response

(https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/antigen)

Autoantibodies: an antibody active against a tissue constituent of the individual producing it

(https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/autoantibodies)

Fibrosis: a condition marked by increase of interstitial fibrous tissue [Gail here: That’s not much help. In a word, fibrosis means scarring.]

(https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fibrosis)

Renal: of, relating to, involving, or located in the region of the kidneys

(https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/renal)

Oh, boy. Now what? Can we build up our immune system? WebMD’s slide show  at https://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-strengthen-immunity offers some ways we can. To summarize this slide show:

1. Avoid stress.
2. Have sex more often (I love this one.)
3. Get a pet.
4. Be optimistic.
5. Build your social network
6. Laugh more.
7. Eat colorful fruits and vegetables. (Within your kidney diet, of course.)
8. Consider herbs and supplements. (Check with your nephrologist first.)
9. Exercise.
10. Sleep an adequate number of hours.
11. Cut back on alcohol consumption.
12. Stop smoking.
13. Keep washing those hands.

Some doctors, such as  Dr. Suzanne Cassel, an immunologist at Cedars-Sinai, think we need to balance our immune systems rather than strengthen them. ” ‘You actually don’t want your immune system to be stronger, you want it to be balanced,’ Dr. Cassel says. ‘Too much of an immune response is just as bad as too little response.’

Dr. Cassel says most of the things people take to boost their immune system, such as vitamins or supplements, don’t have any effect on your immune response.”

Obviously, all doctors don’t agree. Whether you want to balance your immune system or strengthen it, the suggestions above will be helpful. Notice whether or not we’re in the middle of a pandemic, washing your hands frequently can help your immune system. Most of the suggestions from WebMD may be surprising to you since they are lifestyle changes and/or are the same ones suggested in general for CKD patients. There’s got to be something to them if they can both help with your CKD and your immune system. Why not try the suggestions you’re not already adhering to?

By the way, to the reader who asked why chocolate is not good for CKD patients, it’s loaded with potassium. In addition, many CKD patients also have diabetes. The sugar content in chocolate is not going to do them any good.

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

Getting Ready

As I mentioned last week, I am lucky enough to be cancer free now and have returned to my other specialists. But we are experiencing the Covid-19 pandemic which means most of my doctors are conducting telemedicine appointments.

What are those? Let’s go to my favorite dictionary, The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, and see what we can see. I found this at https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/telemedicine:

“the practice of medicine when the doctor and patient are widely separated using two-way voice and visual communication (as by satellite or computer)”

Surprisingly, I also discovered this has been in use since 1968. Maybe that’s why the phone and/or iPad type devices weren’t mentioned in the definition.

Of course, if you need to be examined physically, you’ll have to go to the doctor’s office. For example, poor Bear needed several mole biopsies last week. Obviously, he had to present himself at his dermatologist’s office to have these procedures carried out.

But I’ve been fortunate to be able to stick with telemedicine. Yet, you’ve got to be prepared for such doctor appointments. Do you have a thermometer? You’ll be asked for your temperature. We use both the DTT (digital temple thermometer) and Target’s talking thermometer (for those days when neither of us can find our glasses… really.) It seems the DTT we use is no longer manufactured, but the updated one is only about $15.00. The talking ear digital thermometer is more expensive. That one runs about double the price of the DTT. I did discover that digital mouth thermometers can be as low as $8.00. Non-digital oral thermometers start at about $6.00 You can compare prices online for the best deal. However, we are apparently old fashioned. The newest form of temperature assessment is the no contact digital scan thermometer. This one starts at about $50.

So, you have your temperature reading ready. What else will you need? I’ve always been asked for my blood pressure and pulse. I use an arm, rather than a wrist, device since my family doctor explained to me that the wrist device takes a reading through two bones. Those are the radius and ulna. The arm device takes your reading through only one bone, the humerus. She feels a reading through only one bone is more accurate. What device do I use? No matter which ones I’ve experimented with, I always return to Omron. It’s easy to use and accurate. These run from about $33 to over $100, depending upon how fancy you want to go. This description is from Amazon’s mid-price Omron:

“Platinum (new version)

• Trusted brand – Omron is the #1 recommended home blood pressure monitor brand by doctors and pharmacists for clinically-accurate home monitoring, and the #1 selling manufacturer of home blood pressure monitors for over 40 years.
• Unlimited memory and users with the free app – The Omron gold wrist monitor stores 200 total blood pressure readings for 2 users (100 per user, most of any Omron wrist blood pressure monitor). Memory and users are unlimited with the Omron connect free app which works with amazon alexa-enabled devices (on select IOS & android devices).
• High morning average indicator – Among Omron Amazon-exclusive blood pressure monitors, this feature is unique to the Gold and Platinum monitors. The indicator alerts the user if systolic or diastolic measurements are out of normal range in the morning, when there is a higher risk for heart attack or stroke.
• Dual display with backlight – The Omron Platinum monitor features a backlit dual-display LCD monitor with easy navigation that allows the user to immediately compare the current reading to the previous reading. The backlight feature is only available with the Platinum Monitor.
• AC adapter included – The Omron Ac Adapter eliminates the worry of changing batteries in your Omron Blood Pressure Monitor. The convenient AC adapter helps make sure your monitor is ready whenever you are.”

What else now? Let me think for a minute. Of course, if you are prediabetic or diabetic, you’ll be asked for your latest blood sugar readings. Believe it or not, I prefer WalMart’s no nonsense, no frills ReliOn Prime blood glucose monitor. In case you didn’t know, WalMart also operates as Sam’s Club. For my non-U.S.A. readers, according to https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walmart, Walmart International operates in these countries:

• “Argentina
• Central America
• Chile
• Mexico
• Canada
• United Kingdom
• Africa
• China
• Japan
• India”

Let’s keep in mind that anyone can edit in Wikipedia, so be certain to check before you bank upon going.

My family doctor did prescribe another brand which is a bit fancier in that it has a nicer looking case, lancet ejector, and meter. It was also more expensive and a prescription was needed.

If this is all new to you, you need to know you not only need this kit (which contains the monitor, a lancing device for your lancets, and spaces to store both your test strips and needles), but also the afore mentioned test strips and lancing device. You can buy 100 ultra-thin lancets for under $3.00. I suggest ultra-thin because I’ve found the thinner the lancet, the less the poke to get that one drop of blood needed for testing hurts.

The test strips are another story. These are expensive. They usually cost a little less than $18.00 for 100. And the lancing device? That’s about $6.00. The monitor itself is $9.00. The case comes with your starter kit. I haven’t found one sold separately by Walmart, although Amazon has a few for other brands. The number of times you need to test your blood glucose daily determines the weekly cost of your supplies.

You’ll also be asked for your height and weight. I have to admit I’m partial to digital devices and so have a digital scale from Amazon. Their scales run from $18.00 to $35.00. Of course, non-digital will be less expensive.

As for the height, I guess I cheated. I looked up the most recent height recorded on my last doctor’s appointment and used that.

Conclusion: You’ll need your temperature, blood pressure, height, weight, – if you’re prediabetic or diabetic – your blood glucose, and a phone, iPad sort of device, or computer for your telemedicine appointment.  Now you’re ready.

May you only have good results.

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

It’s Time

Time for what, you ask. Time to talk about Covid-19 and your kidneys. I don’t really want to, and maybe you don’t, either. But this is a pandemic, so we must. Better to know than play ostrich.

By the way, my favorite dictionary, the Merriam Webster at https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pandemic defines pandemic this way:

“pandemic  adjective… (Entry 1 of 2)

: occurring over a wide geographic area and affecting an exceptionally high proportion of the population 

…..

pandemic noun… (Entry 2 of 2)

: an outbreak of a disease that occurs over a wide geographic area and affects an exceptionally high proportion of the population: a pandemic outbreak of a disease”

So much is unknown about the current pandemic, but it does look like Covid-19 lends itself to AKI (Acute Kidney Injury).

Let’s go back to this 1918 flu and see if we can find any kidney involvement there. I did, sort of. This study was published by Craig Garthwaite of the Department of Economics at the University of Maryland: The Effect of In-Utero Conditions on Long Term Health: Evidence from the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic. It deals with children of mothers who were pregnant during the 1918 Pandemic. You can find it at https://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/faculty/garthwaite/htm/fetal_stress_garthwaite_053008.pdf.

“Depending on the period of fetal development during which exposure occurred, individuals have a higher probability of developing coronary heart disease, diabetes, kidney disorders, or being in poor health…. When flu exposure is defined using particular quarters of birth, however, there is an approximately 23 percent increase in the probability of developing diabetes for individuals exposed to the flu during the first months of pregnancy.”

Diabetes is the number one cause of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD). CKD is a kidney disorder.

Did you know that there were three other pandemics between the one in 1918 and today’s? I didn’t. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/basics/past-pandemics.html, they are

1957-1958 Pandemic (H2N2 virus) “The estimated number of deaths was 1.1 million worldwide and 116,000 in the United States.”

1968 Pandemic (H3N2 virus) “The estimated number of deaths was 1 million worldwide and about 100,000 in the United States.”

2009 H1N1 Pandemic (H1N1pdm09 virus) “… 12,469 deaths … in the United States…. Additionally, CDC estimated that 151,700-575,400 people worldwide died … during the first year the virus circulated.”

While these may seem like scary numbers, as of this past Saturday (and we know these numbers change daily), the World Health Organization (WHO) posted the following numbers:

“Total (new cases in last 24 hours)

Globally 12 322 395 cases (219 983) 556 335 deaths (5 286)”

You can check more data from WHO at https://www.who.int/docs/default-source/coronaviruse/situation-reports/20200711-covid-19-sitrep-173.pdf?sfvrsn=949920b4_2.

The United States statistics?

“Coronavirus Cases:

3,355,646

Deaths:

137,403”

This is according to Worldometers at https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/.

It’s clear the pandemic is not done with us yet. People speak of the second wave coming. I live in Arizona and believe we are still in the first wave. I have no scientific proof for my belief, but our numbers keep going up without ever having gone down.

The National Kidney Foundation at https://www.kidney.org/coronavirus/covid-19-information#can-covid-19-cause-kidney-failure-otherwise-healthy-adults gives us the insight we need into Covid-19 and our kidneys:

“Initial reports from Wuhan found approximately 3% to 9% of hospitalized patients with confirmed COVID-19 developed an AKI. Incidence rates have now increased to 15% of hospitalized patients and 20% and higher in ICU patients with many requiring dialysis treatments. AKI appears to be a marker of COVID-19 infection severity and the mortality rate is higher for these patients.

Various COVID-19-related effects that are thought to contribute to AKI include kidney tubular injury (acute tubular necrosis) with septic shock, microinflammation, increased blood clotting, and probable direct infection of the kidney. Most patients with COVID-19-related AKI who recover continue to have low kidney function after discharge from the hospital.”

As usual, we need to back up a little here. AKI in not CKD (Here we are back in alphabet city.), although it may lead to CKD. While it may raise the death rate of Covid-19 patients, not all Intensive Care Unit (ICU) patients and those with Covid-19 but not in the ICU develop AKI.

Acute tubular necrosis may be a new term for you. Healthline at https://www.healthline.com/health/acute-tubular-necrosis explains it for lay folks like you and me:

“Inside your kidneys are small tube-shaped structures that remove salt, excess fluids, and waste products from your blood. When these tubules are damaged or destroyed, you develop acute tubular necrosis (ATN), a type of acute kidney injury. The damage may result in acute kidney failure.”

This past weekend I received this invitation from the American Association of Kidney Patients (AAKP) and George Washington University which you may find useful for yourself:

“Over the course of the past three months, you’ve joined AAKP and some of our allied experts in one of our nine COVID-19 webinars. (Gail here: Go to their webinars. They’re a good way to read more about Covid-19 and your kidneys.) We’re now pleased to invite you to pre-register to join our 2nd Annual Global Summit entitled, Global Kidney Innovations – Expanding Patient Choices & Outcomes, hosted in partnership with the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. This year’s summit focuses on the impact of COVID-19 on kidneys and kidney patients (Gail again: I purposely italicized that part of this sentence.) as well as key innovations in kidney care. All registration fees have been dropped to allow the broadest possible audience of frontline medical professionals, researchers, and kidney patients. Join us for immediate access to key insights related to COVID-19 and risks to kidney patients! Beyond COVID-19, the agenda focuses on emerging innovation and research to care for kidney diseases, including diversity in clinical trials; precision medicine; genetic conditions such as APOL1; emerging research in the areas of early disease diagnosis and artificial intelligence; novel therapies in transplantation including wearable and artificial implantable devices; and advancements in home dialysis care. Virtual Summit Event Dates: July 16-17, 2020 If you’re interested in this timely, free summit to learn more about your kidneys and Covid-19 – and/or for any of the other topics – you can register at https://aakp.org/programs-and-events/2nd-annual-global-summit-global-kidney-innovations-expanding-patient-choices-outcomes/. Until next week, Keep living your life!

How Sweet It Isn’t

Hello again. Last week when I was writing about Bipolar Disorder and Chronic Kidney Disease, I mentioned nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. During the week I realized how little I know about that.

Let’s start by going back and reviewing what I wrote last week:

“What is nephrogenic diabetes insipidus?
The most common problem from taking lithium is a form of diabetes due to kidney damage called nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. This type of diabetes is different than diabetes mellitus caused by high blood sugar. In nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, the kidneys cannot respond to anti-diuretic hormone (ADH), a chemical messenger that controls fluid balance. This results in greater than normal urine out-put and excessive thirst. It can be hard to treat nephrogenic diabetes insipidus.”

Frankly, that’s not enough information for me, although it’s pretty clear. Former English teacher here. Let’s take a look at the words themselves. Keep in mind, this is what I learned along the years.

Nephro = kidneys

Genic = Beginning in

So we know this disease begins in the kidneys. And diabetes? According to Michigan State University at https://www.canr.msu.edu/news/how_diabetes_got_its_name,

“The ancient Greek word for diabetes means, ‘passing though; a large discharge of urine.’ The meaning is associated with frequent urination, which is a symptom of diabetes.”

And finally insipidus. I found myself turning to Wikipedia at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diabetes_insipidus#:~:text=”Insipidus”%20comes%20from%20Latin%20language,or%20zest%3B%20not%20tasty for help with this.

” ‘Insipidus’ comes from Latin language insipidus (tasteless), from Latin: in- ‘not’ + sapidus ‘tasty’ from sapere ‘have a taste’ — the full meaning is ‘lacking flavor or zest; not tasty’.”

This one I didn’t quite get. Back to the above link to figure out what tasteless has to do with this disease.

“Application of this name to DI arose from the fact that diabetes insipidus does not cause glycosuria (excretion of glucose into the urine).”

Ah, so the urine is not sweet. Reminder: Diabetes can be diagnosed by the doctor tasting the urine. While this was more common in the 1600s, I have read about doctors tasting urine for diabetes more recently and even currently. If the urine is sweet, diabetes is present.

This is interesting. I’d never considered a form of diabetes that didn’t deal with blood glucose, which may also be called blood sugar, so sweet. Of course, I then began to wonder if taking lithium was the only way to develop this disease. The Mayo Clinic at https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/diabetes-insipidus/symptoms-causes/syc-20351269#:~:text=Nephrogenic%20diabetes%20insipidus%20occurs%20when,or%20a%20chronic%20kidney%20disorder was quite a bit of help here:

“Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus occurs when there’s a defect in the kidney tubules — the structures in your kidneys that cause water to be excreted or reabsorbed. This defect makes your kidneys unable to properly respond to ADH.

The defect may be due to an inherited (genetic) disorder or a chronic kidney disorder. Certain drugs, such as lithium or antiviral medications such as foscarnet (Foscavir), also can cause nephrogenic diabetes insipidus.”

This is a lot of new information to understand unless we get more help. Let’s take a look at kidney tubules now. I turned to my old favorite Healthline at https://www.healthline.com/health/human-body-maps/kidney#nephrons and found the following:

“Each tubule has several parts:

• Proximal convoluted tubule. This section absorbs water, sodium, and glucose back into the blood.
• Loop of Henle. This section further absorbs potassium, chloride, and sodium into the blood.
• Distal convoluted tubule. This section absorbs more sodium into the blood and takes in potassium and acid.

By the time fluid reaches the end of the tubule, it’s diluted and filled with urea. Urea is byproduct of protein metabolism that’s released in urine.”

That makes sense, but what about this ADH? What is that?  My Health Alberta Ca at https://myhealth.alberta.ca/Health/pages/conditions.aspx?hwid=hw211268 tells us:

“Antidiuretic hormone (ADH) is a chemical produced in the brain that causes the kidneys to release less water, decreasing the amount of urine produced. A high ADH level causes the body to produce less urine. A low level results in greater urine production.

Normally, the amount of ADH in the body is higher during the night. This helps prevent urination while you are sleeping. But if the levels of ADH remain low during the night, the body will produce large amounts of urine, so urination during the night is more likely.”

We know how you can develop nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, but how do you treat it once you’ve been diagnosed? WebMD at https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/guide/nephrogenic-diabetes-insipidus-symptoms-causes-and-treatments offers us the following:

“If a drug like lithium is responsible, switching medicines might improve nephrogenic diabetes insipidus.

Most adults with nephrogenic diabetes insipidus are able to keep up with fluid losses by drinking water. For some people, though, the symptoms of near-constant thirst and urination can become intolerable. Some treatments can reduce the symptoms of nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, at least somewhat:

• Diet. A low-salt, low-protein diet reduces urine output.
• Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen (Motrin), indomethacin (Indocin), and naproxen (Naprosyn) also can reduce urination. [Gail here: but as CKD patients, we can’t take NSAIDS.]
• Diuretics. It might seem paradoxical, but “water pills” like hydrochlorothiazide and amiloride can ease excessive urination from nephrogenic diabetes insipidus.

All adults and children with nephrogenic diabetes insipidus should take frequent bathroom breaks. This helps to avoid over-distending the bladder, which can cause long-term problems, though rarely.

The most important treatment for nephrogenic diabetes insipidus is to ensure constant access to lots of water. Not keeping up with fluid losses can lead to dehydration or electrolyte imbalances, which can sometimes be severe. Seek medical help if symptoms don’t improve after rehydrating, eating fresh fruit, and taking a multivitamin.”

Now, the biggie…. Is this rare disease curable? Unfortunately it isn’t, although,

“For individuals with acquired NDI treating the underlying cause (e.g., correcting metabolic imbalances or discontinuing drug use) can reverse the kidneys resistance to vasopressin. [Gail here again: Vasopressin is another name for ADH as far as I can tell.] However, this reversal may take weeks. In some cases caused by the use of drugs such as lithium, it may take years for the kidneys to respond to vasopressin again or it can become irreversible.”

Thank you to National Organization for Rare Diseases (NORD) at https://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/nephrogenic-diabetes-insipidus/ for the above information.

I feel like I’ve been down the rabbit hole with Alice with all this new information about a rare disease that your already existing kidney disease may cause. Hopefully, you won’t be one of its victims.

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

Bipolar Disorder and Chronic Kidney Disease

It turns out I know more people with bipolar disorder than I’d thought. Of course, that led me to wonder again what, if anything, this might have to do with CKD. That’s just the way my mind works. Everything – and I do mean everything – leads back to CKD for me. So, as usual, I started asking them questions and poking around on the internet.

It seems that most of them are taking lithium to help control the bipolar disorder. Okay, I’ll bite: what is lithium? Drugs.com at https://www.drugs.com/lithium.html has quite a lot to say about this drug, but I’ll start with the basic definition:

“Lithium affects the flow of sodium through nerve and muscle cells in the body. Sodium affects excitation or mania.

Lithium a mood stabilizer that is a used to treat or control the manic episodes of bipolar disorder (manic depression). Manic symptoms include hyperactivity, rushed speech, poor judgment, reduced need for sleep, aggression, and anger.

Lithium also helps to prevent or lessen the intensity of manic episodes.”

Notice sodium is mentioned. Keep that in mind while we backtrack for a definition of bipolar disorder. It seems I jumped right in without giving you some of the necessary background information. I’ll rectify that right now.

The National Institute of Mental Health at https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/bipolar-disorder/index.shtml tells us:

“Bipolar disorder (formerly called manic-depressive illness or manic depression) is a mental disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, concentration, and the ability to carry out day-to-day tasks.

There are three types of bipolar disorder. All three types involve clear changes in mood, energy, and activity levels. These moods range from periods of extremely ‘up,’ elated, irritable, or energized behavior (known as manic episodes) to very ‘down,’ sad, indifferent, or hopeless periods (known as depressive episodes). Less severe manic periods are known as hypomanic episodes.

• Bipolar I Disorder— defined by manic episodes that last at least 7 days, or by manic symptoms that are so severe that the person needs immediate hospital care. Usually, depressive episodes occur as well, typically lasting at least 2 weeks. Episodes of depression with mixed features (having depressive symptoms and manic symptoms at the same time) are also possible.
• Bipolar II Disorder— defined by a pattern of depressive episodes and hypomanic episodes, but not the full-blown manic episodes that are typical of Bipolar I Disorder.
• Cyclothymic Disorder (also called Cyclothymia)— defined by periods of hypomanic symptoms as well as periods of depressive symptoms lasting for at least 2 years (1 year in children and adolescents). However, the symptoms do not meet the diagnostic requirements for a hypomanic episode and a depressive episode.

Sometimes a person might experience symptoms of bipolar disorder that do not match the three categories listed above, which is referred to as ‘other specified and unspecified bipolar and related disorders’ .”

In the July 3^rd, 2017, blog, I wrote about those who already have CKD and then develop bipolar disorder.

“Kidney.org at https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/lithium has me downright frightened for my friend…

“How does lithium cause kidney damage?
Lithium may cause problems with kidney health. Kidney damage due to lithium may include acute (sudden) or chronic (long-term) kidney disease and kidney cysts. The amount of kidney damage depends on how long you have been taking lithium. It is possible to reverse kidney damage caused by lithium early in treatment, but the damage may become permanent over time.

What is nephrogenic diabetes insipidus?
The most common problem from taking lithium is a form of diabetes due to kidney damage called nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. This type of diabetes is different than diabetes mellitus caused by high blood sugar. In nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, the kidneys cannot respond to anti-diuretic hormone (ADH), a chemical messenger that controls fluid balance. This results in greater than normal urine out-put and excessive thirst. It can be hard to treat nephrogenic diabetes insipidus.”

As we can see, this is not the first time I’ve written about a dual diagnose of these two diseases – one mental, one physical – and how they affect each other. One of the interesting facts I found is that you need to tell your doctor if you have kidney disease when he prescribes lithium. None of my friends has CKD yet, although one is under surveillance (if that’s the proper word) since she’s having some decline in her eGFR.

Remember I asked you to keep that sodium reference in mind? One problem with lithium is that it requires you to include sodium in your diet. As a CKD patient, you’re asked to limit your sodium intake. You can’t do both at once. This is from WebMD at https://www.webmd.com/bipolar-disorder/guide/bipolar-disorder-lithium#2:

“Tell your doctor about history of cancer, heart disease, kidney disease, epilepsy, and allergies. Make sure your doctor knows about all other drugs you are taking. Avoid products that are low in sodium (salt) since a low sodium diet can lead to excessively high lithium levels.

So what can you do to protect your kidneys if you must take lithium for your mental health? This is what Psychiatric Times at https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/6-ways-protect-kidneys-while-prescribing-lithium has to say about the subject:

“Tip 1. Avoid toxicity

The link between lithium and renal dysfunction may be explained by exposure to toxic lithium levels. Toxic levels kill renal cells, and that damage builds up every time the level rises above the toxic line….

Tip 2. Keep the level low

Keeping the lithium level as low as possible can prevent renal impairment. The ideal level needs to be personalized and tends to fall with age….

Tip 3. Dose lithium once a day

Dosing lithium once in the evening reduces the risk of renal problems….

If high serum levels are needed to treat active mania, dosing twice a day may be necessary to avoid toxic peaks. The line of toxicity is different for each patient because it’s defined by symptoms.…

Tip 4. Drinking and urinating too much

Polyuria and polydipsia are common adverse effects of lithium (30% to 80%), and they are not always benign. When severe, they may indicate nephrogenic diabetes insipidus (NDI), which means that changes in the renal tubules are impeding the kidneys ability to concentrate the urine. Those changes raise the risk of future renal impairments.

Besides stopping lithium, the main treatment for NDI is amiloride, a potassium sparing diuretic (5 mg po qd). Amiloride may prevent further renal problems by reducing fibrotic changes in the kidneys…. This medication is best managed through consultation with the medical team because it carries a risk of hyperkalemia, particularly in patients with renal insufficiency or diabetes.

Tip 5. Consider N-Acetylcysteine

N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) is an antioxidant that can protect and even reverse renal toxicity, including toxicity from lithium…. NAC is part of a healthy diet, and the capsule form is safe, well-tolerated (the main risk is constipation), and inexpensive. Sounds like a winner, but there is one catch. The renal studies…were all done in animals.

However, there is another reason to use NAC in bipolar disorder. This supplement is effective for bipolar depression in some, but not all, studies… and those benefits are more pronounced in the medically ill….

The dose in bipolar disorder (2000 mg/day) is about twice the amount that was used for renal protection (10 mg/kg)….

Tip 6. Measure

Renal function should be monitored every 3 to 6 months on lithium. Older patients benefit from more frequent monitoring, as do those with a history of toxicity, high serum levels, or drug interactions. Creatinine is usually sufficient, but a more accurate measure of renal function is the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR)….

Laboratory changes that should prompt a nephrology consult include:

• eGFR < 30 ml/min/1.73m²
• Creatinine ≥ 1.5 mg/dL
• A decline of eGFR by more than 4 ml/min/1.73m… per year….”

There’s more, much more, on this site if you’re interested.

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

 

Echo… Echo… Echo…

Remember that golden time I’ve mentioned before? The time when I problem solve and write in my head just as I’m waking up? Well, today the word was echo at that time. Echo? As in echo chamber? Echo Canyon? No, doesn’t feel right. Got it! Echocardiogram.

The English teacher in me is already delighted. Why? I know what most of the word means through my college study of Greek and Latin roots. Card means heart, io is simply a connective, and gram means write. What about echo you ask? I think we all know what that means in common usage, but in conjunction with cardiogram? Yep, time for some help.

The Merriam-Webster Dictionary, still my favorite, at https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ echocardiography tells us an echocardiogram is,

“the use of ultrasound to examine the structure and functioning of the heart for abnormalities and disease”

Let’s put in a little reminder of what an ultrasound is here. This is from MedicineNet at https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=5897:

“A test in which high-frequency sound waves (ultrasound) are bounced off tissues and the echoes are converted into a picture (sonogram).”

Oh, like the picture of my grandson growing in his mom’s womb. Great, now what does this have to do with Chronic Kidney Disease? I just had an echocardiogram because my oncologist was concerned about the great distance between my diastolic (lower) and systolic (upper) numbers on my blood pressure readings. It was fine, but it did get me to thinking about what CKD and the heart have in common.

Here’s a reminder from Healthline at https://www.healthline.com/health/diastole-vs-systole#:~:text=Your%20systolic%20blood%20pressure%20is,bottom%20number%20on%20your%20reading of what the two numbers mean:

“Your systolic blood pressure is the top number on your reading. It measures the force of blood against your artery walls while your ventricles — the lower two chambers of your heart — squeeze, pushing blood out to the rest of your body.

Your diastolic blood pressure is the bottom number on your reading. It measures the force of blood against your artery walls as your heart relaxes and the ventricles are allowed to refill with blood. Diastole — this period of time when your heart relaxes between beats — is also the time that your coronary artery is able to supply blood to your heart.”

Got it. This next quote is a little medicalese, but basically it’s saying there are specific difficulties if you have both CKD and high blood pressure. It’s from Kidney International at https://www.kidney-international.org/article/S0085-2538(19)30276-5/fulltext :

“In CKD and ESKD, risk factors for HF include long-standing hypertension with often worsened blood pressure (BP) control as CKD worsens, salt and water retention causing excessive preload, and cardiomyopathic factors including left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy and fibrosis. In addition, there are CKD- and ESKD-specific factors that affect afterload (increased arterial stiffness and high output shunting through arteriovenous fistulae or grafts) as well as load-independent factors (neurohormonal activation, impaired iron utilization, anemia, demand ischemia, profibrotic factors [e.g., fibroblast growth factor 23 {FGF-23}], inflammation, etc.)…. Arteriovenous fistulae or grafts have been reported to worsen right ventricular hypertrophy, increase pulmonary pressures, associate with significant right ventricular dilatation, and reduce right ventricular function, which are closely linked to survival….”

An echocardiogram can show in real time if all the ventricles of your heart are working correctly as far as pumping blood and and/or leaking when your heart should be at rest.

Well, why get an echocardiogram if you already know you have CKD and high blood pressure? Here’s WebMD at https://www.webmd.com/heart-disease/guide/diagnosing-echocardiogram#4’s response.  You can find much more information there, too, as is true of all the sites mentioned.

“An echocardiogram can help your doctor diagnose several kinds of heart problems, including:

• An enlarged heart or thick ventricles (the lower chambers)
• Weakened heart muscles
• Problems with your heart valves
• Heart defects that you’ve had since birth
• Blood clots or tumors”

Mayo Clinic at https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/echocardiogram/about/pac-20393856 offers an easily understandable explanation of the actual process. There are many types of echocardiograms, but this is the most usual.

“Transthoracic echocardiogram

In this standard type of echocardiogram:

• A technician (sonographer) spreads gel on a device (transducer).
• The sonographer presses the transducer firmly against your skin, aiming an ultrasound beam through your chest to your heart.
• The transducer records the sound wave echoes from your heart.
• A computer converts the echoes into moving images on a monitor.”

This is yet another reminder of why we need to have both the heart and kidneys functioning well. This one is from Heart.org at https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/high-blood-pressure/health-threats-from-high-blood-pressure/how-high-blood-pressure-can-lead-to-kidney-damage-or-failure#:~:text=The%20:

• “Damaged kidney arteries do not filter blood well. Kidneys have small, finger-like nephrons that filter your blood. Each nephron receives its blood supply through tiny hair-like capillaries, the smallest of all blood vessels. When the arteries become damaged, the nephrons do not receive the essential oxygen and nutrients — and the kidneys lose their ability to filter blood and regulate the fluid, hormones, acids and salts in the body.
• Damaged kidneys fail to regulate blood pressure. Healthy kidneys produce a hormone called aldosterone to help the body regulate blood pressure. Kidney damage and uncontrolled high blood pressure each contribute to a negative spiral. As more arteries become blocked and stop functioning, the kidneys eventually fail.”

The American Journal of Kidney Disease at https://www.ajkd.org/article/S0272-6386(18)30598-5/fulltext gives us these final words on why an echocardiogram could be necessary for certain CKD patients:

“Abnormal cardiac structure and function are common in chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and linked with mortality and heart failure.”

Topic change: We tried Flavis’s high protein spaghetti and found it just as light and delightful as their penne. This, I can endorse.

Oh, before I forget. I like to read… a lot. One of the books I read recently was Ray Flynt’s Transplanted Death. I don’t want to tell you too much about it, except that it is a well-written murder mystery with a good story that revolves around transplant recipients, two of them kidney recipients. I am recommending this book.

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

It’s Not Your Hands and Feet; It’s Your Brain.

Here I sit feeling so incredibly pleased that I don’t have pancreatic cancer anymore. Yet, at the same time, I’m so very displeased with the neuropathy that has me using a cane and causing my fingers to hit between the keys on the keyboard instead of on them. I’ve already mentioned in a previous blog that this is a brain connection problem. Today, I’d like to explore that more.

Let’s start with something simple before we wade into what I suspect is going to be complex. Lexico’s English Dictionary at https://www.lexico.com/en/definition/neuropathy tells us neuropathy is,

“Disease or dysfunction of one or more peripheral nerves, typically causing numbness or weakness.”

I get the numbness or weakness, but what are peripheral nerves? I went to WebMD at https://www.webmd.com/brain/understanding-peripheral-neuropathy-basics#1 for help.

“The name of the condition tells you a bit about what it is:

Peripheral: Beyond (in this case, beyond the brain and the spinal cord.)
Neuro-: Related to the nerves
-pathy: Disease

Peripheral neuropathy refers to the conditions that result when nerves that carry messages to and from the brain and spinal cord from and to the rest of the body are damaged or diseased.

The peripheral nerves make up an intricate network that connects the brain and spinal cord to the muscles, skin, and internal organs. Peripheral nerves come out of the spinal cord and are arranged along lines in the body called dermatomes. Typically, damage to a nerve will affect one or more dermatomes, which can be tracked to specific areas of the body. Damage to these nerves interrupts communication between the brain and other parts of the body and can impair muscle movement, prevent normal sensation in the arms and legs, and cause pain.”

Let’s see if we can find out what these nerves are. The Cleveland Clinic at https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/14737-neuropathy has an easily understood answer for us,

“The peripheral nervous system is made up of three types of nerves, each with an important role in keeping your body healthy and functioning properly.

• Sensory nerves carry messages from your five senses (sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch) through your spinal cord to your brain. For example, a sensory nerve would communicate to your brain information about objects you hold in your hand, like pain, temperature, and texture.
• Motor nerves travel in the opposite direction of sensory nerves. They carry messages from your brain to your muscles. They tell your muscles how and when to contract to produce movement. For example, to move your hand away from something hot.
• Autonomic nerves are responsible for body functions that occur outside of your direct control, such as breathing, digestion, heart rate, blood pressure, sweating, bladder control and sexual arousal. The autonomic nerves are constantly monitoring and responding to external stresses and bodily needs. For instance, when you exercise, your body temperatures increases. The autonomic nervous system triggers sweating to prevent your body’s temperature from rising too high.

The type of symptoms you feel depend on the type of nerve that is damaged.”

Now the biggie: What causes neuropathy? MedicineNet at https://www.medicinenet.com/peripheral_neuropathy/article.htm was right there with an answer.

1. “Diabetes mellitus
2. Shingles (post herpetic neuralgia)
3. Vitamin deficiency, particularly B12 and folate
4. Alcohol
5. Autoimmune diseases, including lupus, rheumatoid arthritis or Guillain-Barre syndrome
6. AIDS, whether from the disease or its treatment, syphilis, and kidney failure
7. Inherited disorders, such as amyloid polyneuropathy or Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease
8. Exposure to toxins, such as heavy metals, gold compounds, lead, arsenic, mercury, and organophosphate pesticides
9. Cancer therapy drugs such as vincristine (Oncovin and Vincasar) and other medications, such as antibiotics including metronidazole (Flagyl) and isoniazid
10. Rarely, diseases such as neurofibromatosis can lead to peripheral neuropathy. Other rare congenital neuropathies include Fabry disease, Tangier disease, hereditary sensory autonomic neuropathy, and hereditary amyloidosis.
11. Statin medications have been linked to peripheral neuropathy, although neuropathy caused by statins only rarely causes symptoms.

While diabetes and postherpetic neuralgia are the most common causes of peripheral neuropathy, oftentimes no cause is found. In these situations, it is referred to as idiopathic peripheral neuropathy.”

Uh-oh, diabetes, Vitamin B12 deficiency, cancer therapy drugs, antibiotics, and statins. Any of these could have caused my neuropathy. Since many Chronic Kidney Disease patients develop diabetes (which is also the foremost cause of CKD), you need to keep your eyes open for the symptoms.

Of course, knowing the symptoms would be helpful. The Mayo Clinic at https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/peripheral-neuropathy/symptoms-causes/syc-20352061 explains:

“Signs and symptoms of peripheral neuropathy might include:

• Gradual onset of numbness, prickling or tingling in your feet or hands, which can spread upward into your legs and arms
• Sharp, jabbing, throbbing or burning pain
• Extreme sensitivity to touch
• Pain during activities that shouldn’t cause pain, such as pain in your feet when putting weight on them or when they’re under a blanket
• Lack of coordination and falling
• Muscle weakness
• Feeling as if you’re wearing gloves or socks when you’re not
• Paralysis if motor nerves are affected

If autonomic nerves are affected, signs and symptoms might include:

• Heat intolerance
• Excessive sweating or not being able to sweat
• Bowel, bladder or digestive problems
• Changes in blood pressure, causing dizziness or lightheadedness”

Treatment may be any number of things. Medical News Today at https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/147963#treatment elucidates for us:

“Treatment either targets the underlying cause, or it aims to provide symptomatic pain relief and prevent further damage.

In the case of diabetic neuropathy, addressing high blood sugars can prevent further nerve damage.

For toxic causes, removing the exposure to a suspected toxin, or stopping a drug, can halt further nerve damage.

Medications can relieve pain and reduce burning, numbness, and tingling.

Drug treatment for neuropathic pain

Medications that may help include:

• drugs normally used for epilepsy, such as carbamazepine
• antidepressants, such as venlafaxine
• opioid painkillers, for example, oxycodone or tramadol

Opioid painkillers come with warnings about safety risks.

Duloxetine may help people with chemotherapy-induced neuropathy.

Doctors can also prescribe skin patches, such as Lidoderm, for temporary, localized pain relief. This contains the local anesthetic lidocaine. The patches are like bandages, and they can be cut to size.

The choice of drug should take into account medications for other conditions, to avoid unwanted interactions.”

Before I close, do you remember my writing about Flavis’s low protein products? We combined their penne with Bear’s signature ground turkey spaghetti sauce and it was exquisite. I’m not one for heavy pasta, so I really liked how light and delicate it tasted.

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

Saving Lives

Last week, I promised to write about COVID-19 and Chronic Kidney Disease for today’s blog. This topic has touched me personally since one of my daughters was sent to the hospital when it was suspected she’d contacted the virus. Without the COVID-19 test, we still don’t know if she has the virus. We do know she still has the cough. Luckily, an x-ray proved her lungs were clear, so she was sent home with a Z-pack and orders to take Tylenol. No, she doesn’t have CKD, but her treatment at the hospital left me with a lot of questions for those of us who do.

Once again, I’m rushing headlong into the topic. Let’s slow down and start at the beginning. Why is it called COVID-19 anyway? According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html,

“On February 11, 2020 the World Health Organization announced an official name for the disease that is causing the 2019 novel coronavirus outbreak, first identified in Wuhan China. The new name of this disease is coronavirus disease 2019, abbreviated as COVID-19. In COVID-19, ‘CO’ stands for ‘corona,’ ‘VI’ for ‘virus,’ and ‘D’ for disease. Formerly, this disease was referred to as ‘2019 novel coronavirus’ or ‘2019-nCoV.’”

There are many types of human coronaviruses including some that commonly cause mild upper-respiratory tract illnesses. COVID-19 is a new disease, caused be [sic] a novel (or new) coronavirus that has not previously been seen in humans. The name of this disease was selected following the World Health Organization (WHO) best practice for naming of new human infectious diseases.”

I don’t know about you, but I want to know about corona viruses. How did they get that name? So I went to Dictionary.com at https://www.dictionary.com/browse/coronavirus where I hoped to find that information. This is what was there.

“any of various RNA-containing spherical viruses of the family Coronaviridae, including several that cause acute respiratory illnesses.”

To be honest, all I understood was that it “causes acute respiratory illnesses.” Like my daughter’s coughing. But why would she be given a Z-pack for that? Healthcare-Online at www.healthcare-online.org/What-Is-A-Z-Pack.html confirmed my belief that antibiotics are for bacterial infections, not viral ones. Curiouser and curiouser.

Drugs.com at https://www.drugs.com/medical-answers/antibiotics-kill-coronavirus-3534867/ had the answer.

“The World Health Organization (WHO) is very clear that antibiotics do not work against viruses, only bacteria, and yet health care providers are using antibiotics in some patients with COVID-19. This is because:

• Patients with viral pneumonia can develop a secondary bacterial infection that may need to be treated with an antibiotic, although, this complication is reported to be uncommon early on in the course of COVID-19 pneumonia.
• Also known as Azithromycin, a Z-pack is a medication used for treating serious and severe infections caused by bacteria. It contains macrolide antibiotic, which helps in stopping all forms of growth caused bantibiotic, although, this complication is reported to be uncommon early on in the course of COVID-19 pneumonia.If treatment is required for a secondary bacterial infection then a range of antibiotics can be used such as penicillins (ampicillin plus sulbactam [Unasyn], piperacillin plus tazobactam [Zosyn]), macrolides (azithromycin), cephalosporins (ceftriaxone [Rocephin]), aminoglycosides (tobramycin) and glycopeptides (vancomycin [Vancocin HCL]) for example. Often a combination of two different antibiotics is used.
• Azithromycin is also thought to have antiviral and anti-inflammatory activity and may work synergistically with other antiviral treatments. In in vitro laboratory studies azithromycin has demonstrated antiviral activity against Zika virus and against rhinoviruses, which cause the common cold.”

Time to deal with CKD when you have COVID-19. I wanted to understand how CKD could make you more vulnerable to this disease. I turned to Prevention at https://www.prevention.com/health/a31245792/coronavirus-high-risk-groups/ for more information.

“People with underlying health conditions are at a higher-than-normal risk of developing severe forms of COVID-19…. When your body is already dealing with a separate health condition, it has less energy to put toward fighting an acute infection…. The CDC says these conditions include:

• Blood disorders, such as sickle cell disease or taking blood thinners
• Chronic kidney disease, as defined by your doctor
• Chronic liver disease, as defined by your doctor
• Compromised immune system, including undergoing cancer treatment such as chemotherapy or radiation, having received an organ or bone marrow transplant, or taking     high doses of corticosteroids or other immunosuppressant medications, and HIV or AIDS
• Current or recent pregnancy in the last two weeks
• Endocrine disorders, such as diabetes
• Metabolic disorders
• Heart disease
• Lung disease, including asthma
• Neurological and neurologic and neurodevelopment conditions”

This is definitely not a case of misery loves company. Not only do I have CKD, but I am undergoing chemotherapy. Oh, and I have diabetes. To all others in the high risk group, I’m so sorry we all belong to this particular community right now.

Hmmm, do we need to do something more than everyone else needs to do to avoid COVID-19? After spending more time than usual surfing the web, I admit I was surprised that there were no extra precautions other than those for everyone else. What are those you ask? Back to the CDC for their infograph at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/COVID19-What-You-Can-Do-High-Risk.pdf which makes it easy for us to understand. It also defines who is higher risk. Unfortunately, it could not be reproduced, so you’ll have to go to the website directly.

I always seem to feel better when I understand what might be a threat to me or anyone in one of my communities. The purpose of today’s blog was to help you understand so that you may also feel better. Make no mistake: This is serious. I only go out to Chemotherapy every other week. Even young, not high risk people from my dancing community are being safe. They are not going out either (unless they are essential workers). Do yourself a favor and save your life by staying in.

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

Lovely, Lovely Medicinal Food

A few weeks ago, I received some interesting emails from a company called Flavis. I hadn’t heard of them before, so I followed my curiosity and emailed back. It turns out they’re a company that produces low protein, potassium, phosphorous, and sodium carbohydrates. Hmmm, as Chronic Kidney Disease patients we need to keep a lid on our intake of these electrolytes. Could this company and others like them help?

They were kind enough to send samples of their wares. Some of it tasted like medicinal food, but oh those cookies. It would be dangerous for me to keep them in the house. My husband, who doesn’t have CKD, loved them, too. I enjoyed their pasta products, too. Now, lest you get the wrong idea, I am not endorsing this company because I don’t know what others like it are available. However, I wanted to know about their products… which may very well be similar to the products of other such companies and, therefore, helpful to CKD patients.

According to my thinking, logically the first thing to do was look at their website. You can find it at http://www.Flavis.com just as I did. I’m going to copy and paste the parts of their Chronic Kidney Disease material that will help us understand more about this product.

“FLAVIS kidney-friendly foods are starch-based and have reduced protein, phosphorus, sodium, and potassium content. They reduce the kidneys’ workload, and they have the same look, taste, and calorie Content as the foods they replace. These products include pasta, rice, bread, bread products (breadsticks, crostini, rolls, sliced bread, crackers), sweets, and flour. They are suitable for patients in all stages of CKD, especially in the conservative management at stage 3-4.”

I have to admit, the bread was not bad at all and, if Bear had liked the taste more, I would have been perfectly happy using only their pasta products. I liked their taste. Unfortunately, I automatically cooked the rice in the electric rice cooker, apparently a no-no, so I can’t say anything about the taste of the rice.

My goodness! I am endorsing Flavis. Why? Look what I found on the National Kidney Foundation website:

“FLAVIS and the NKF Team-Up to Promote Kidney Health Through Diet

FLAVIS, the kidney friendly food brand, and the National Kidney Foundation partner to promote medical nutrition therapy to help maintain residual kidney function among chronic kidney disease patients

New York, NY – April 8, 2019 – Dr. Schar USA’s (Lyndhurst, NJ) kidney friendly food brand, FLAVIS is teaming up with the National Kidney Foundation to promote the benefits of special dietary foods for people with chronic kidney disease (CKD). FLAVIS, offering a wide portfolio of kidney friendly breads, pasta, snacks, and baking products provides nutrition solutions for patients following a diet low in protein, phosphorus, sodium and potassium, and support to kidney healthcare professionals. The National Kidney Foundation is the largest, most comprehensive and longstanding patient-centric organization dedicated to the awareness, prevention and treatment of kidney disease.

CKD affects 15% of the U.S. adult population. This disease progresses to higher stages as kidney function declines. Some studies show that medical nutrition therapy (MNT) using a low protein diet, under the direction of a nephrologist and registered dietitian nutritionist (RDN), may slow this decline. Through this partnership, FLAVIS and the National Kidney Foundation will provide educational outreach to healthcare professionals that promotes the importance of MNT and proper nutrition for CKD patients to improve dietary adherence and quality of life.

Medical nutrition therapy for CKD, as implemented by a registered dietitian nutritionist, emphasizes an individualized diet plan based upon each patient’s clinical status, goals, and preferences.  MNT for CKD patients includes one or more of the following: decreased sodium, phosphorus, and protein intake, along with sufficient energy, high fiber, and decreased saturated fat intake.  Potassium may also be restricted if the patient has high serum potassium levels. The benefits of MNT include decreasing the risk of complications from high blood pressure and diabetes, reduced uremic toxin levels, and preserved kidney function over time. Studies of MNT in Americans with CKD have shown only about 10% of those eligible receive this nutrition counseling support. FLAVIS’ products are a good source of energy and fiber, and are low in protein, sodium, phosphorus and potassium. These products may help people with CKD preserve kidney function and improve disease outcomes. In partnering with the National Kidney Foundation, FLAVIS aims to provide education and awareness about the benefits of MNT to promote improved quality of life in the CKD population.  For more information about this partnership visit kidney.org/FLAVIS.

Kidney Disease Facts

In the United States, 30 million adults are estimated to have chronic kidney disease—and most aren’t aware of it.  1 in 3 American adults are at risk for chronic kidney disease.  Risk factors for kidney disease include diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease, obesity, and family history. People of African American, Hispanic, Native American, Asian, or Pacific Islander descent are at increased risk for developing the disease.  African Americans are 3 times more likely than Whites, and Hispanics are nearly 1.5 times more likely than non-Hispanics to develop end stage renal disease (kidney failure).”

 

I am happy to have found this. I remember – even though it was a decade ago – how hard it was to adapt my regular diet to the kidney diet and how often I had to respond, “No, thank you,” after asking the ingredients of a certain meal. Thank you Dr. Shar for helping my fellow CKD sufferers and me enjoy guilt free meals when we feel like having pasta.

By the way, I’m not ignoring COVID-19, I assure you. I’m sifting through all the information I can find before I write about it. As you know, that information changes daily. I’ve ordered my masks and searched out my gloves from the garage. I stay at home except when I have to go out for chemotherapy… and those trips concern me.

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

 

National Kidney Month is Almost Over

Welcome to the next to last day of National Kidney Month, 2020. Of course, that doesn’t mean you should stop taking care of your kidneys or spreading Chronic Kidney Disease awareness once National Kidney Month is over, but I don’t have to tell you that, do I? What I’d like to tell you about instead is the ins and outs of National Kidney Month.

In my latest book (Cancer has definitely slowed the arrival of SlowItDownCKD 2019, but soon, my friends, soon.) SlowItDownCKD 2018, I wrote:

“As usual, let’s start at the beginning. What is National Kidney Month? Personalized Cause at https://www.personalizedcause.com/health-awareness-cause-calendar/national-kidney-month has a succinct explanation for us. By the way, while I’m not endorsing them since the site is new to me, I should let you know they sell the green ribbons for National Kidney Month that you’ll probably be seeing hither and yon all month. [Added today: Come to think of it, some readers have asked me where to get CKD ribbons. This is what this site sells among other things.]

‘National Kidney Month, observed in March and sponsored by the National Kidney Foundation, is a time to increase awareness of kidney disease, promote the need for a cure, and spur advocacy on behalf of those suffeing [sic] with the emotional, financial and physical burden of kidney disease. The National Kidney Foundation is the leading organization in the U.S. dedicated to the awareness, prevention and treatment of kidney disease for hundreds of thousands of healthcare professionals, millions of patients and their families, and tens of millions of Americans at risk.’

That, of course, prompted me to go directly to the National Kidney Foundation’s information about National Kidney Month at https://www.kidney.org/news/monthly/Focus_KidneyMonth.

‘Focus on the Kidneys During National Kidney Month in March

March is National Kidney Month and the NKF is urging all Americans to give their kidneys a second thought and a well-deserved checkup. Kidneys filter 200 liters of blood a day, help regulate blood pressure and direct red blood cell production. But they are also prone to disease; 1 in 3 Americans is at risk for kidney disease due to diabetes, high blood pressure [Added today: This year’s theme for National Kidney Month is high blood pressure and your kidneys.] or a family history of kidney failure. There are more than 30 million Americans [Added today: 31 million this year] who already have kidney disease, and most don’t know it because there are often no symptoms until the disease has progressed….’

I wanted to share this quote from the American Kidney Fund with you, both as a CKD awareness advocate and a woman:

‘Kidney disease is a silent killer that disproportionately affects women who are often the primary caregivers for loved ones with the disease, are more likely to become living donors but less likely to receive a transplant, and are at higher risk for CKD,’ said LaVarne A. Burton, president and chief executive officer of AKF. ‘Because women with kidney disease may also face other health issues, including infertility, pregnancy complications, bone disease and depression, AKF is using Kidney Month to let women know we are here to support them and to provide resources that will answer their questions and concerns.’

The Renal Support Network at https://www.rsnhope.org/ is working even more emphatically to spread kidney disease awareness this month, too:

‘March is National Kidney Month. This is a special time set aside to raise awareness about kidney health and activities. RSN invites members of the kidney community, our friends and our families to join in the conversation.’

This on top of their usual. For those that are not familiar with this group, the following statement is from their website.

‘Since 1993 RSN has created and continues to produce a vast collection of information about kidney disease. Feel free to share our National Kidney Month page, a favorite story, KidneyTalk™ show or awareness image on social media using the hashtag #KidneyMonth and be sure to tag us @RSNhope.’

DaVita Kidney Care at https://www.davita.com/education/resources offers many resources (as the website’s URL assures us) to help understand both CKD and dialysis. Some of their offerings are:

• ‘Organizations and Programs
• Education
• Advice & Inspiration
• Recipes & Nutrition
• Specific Kidney Diseases
• Resources 
• Health Related Portals’

If you click through on the link offered above, each item will open on a new page.”

This year (2019), I noticed that The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases at https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/community-health-outreach/national-kidney-month offers us even more information during National Kidney Month:

“March is National Kidney Month, a time when communities across the country raise awareness about kidney disease. In partnership with the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), this year’s focus is the link between high blood pressure and kidney disease.

If you have high blood pressure, you’re at risk for chronic kidney disease, a serious condition that can lead to stroke, heart attack, kidney failure, and death.

The good news is that you can help protect your kidneys by managing high blood pressure with these 6 healthy lifestyle habits.

1. Take medications as prescribed.  Your doctor may prescribe blood pressure-lowering medications that are effective in slowing the development of kidney disease.
2. Aim for a healthy weight. If you are overweight or obese, losing even a small amount of weight can improve blood pressure readings.
3. Select healthier food and beverage options.  Focus on fruits and vegetables, lean meat, whole grains, and other heart-healthy foods.
4. Try to quit smoking. If you smoke, take steps to quit.
5. Get enough sleep. Aim for 7 to 8 hours of sleep per night.
6. Manage stress and make physical activity part of your routine. Consider healthy stress-reducing activities and get at least 30 minutes or more of physical activity each day.

Learn more about high blood pressure and kidney disease

• High Blood Pressure & Kidney Disease
• Preventing Chronic Kidney Disease
• Causes of Chronic Kidney Disease
• High Blood Pressure
• High Blood Pressure Health Education Initiative
• Take Control of Your Blood Pressure”

As for me, I’ll blog my brains out until more and more people are aware of kidney disease. Same goes for the Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn accounts. It’s all about kidney disease awareness.

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

Missing the Connection

During this second week of National Kidney Month, we have another reader directed blog. She had stumbled across The Long Awaited Sulfa Blog and had some questions about it and NAC. Hold on, I’ll get to NAC in a moment. Let’s start with sulfite, which I had always thought was not the same as sulfa. Did our reader mistype? Her verbatim question was, “Have you heard anything about NAC and CKD with sulfite sensitivity?”

According to MedicineNet at https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=27721:

“Sulfite sensitivity: Adverse reactions of an allergic nature to sulfites. Sulfites occur in fermentation and also occur naturally in a number of foods and beverages including wine. Sulfites are used for their preservative properties. Sulfite sensitivity occurs most often in asthmatic adults — predominantly women. It is uncommon in preschool children. Adverse reactions to sulfites in nonasthmatics are rare. Sulfite sensitivity reactions range from mild to severe and may include skin, respiratory, or gastrointestinal signs and symptoms. Bronchoconstriction with wheezing is the most common sensitivity response in asthmatics.”

While I do know this reader is a woman, I do not know if she is asthmatic or a wine drinker.

Let’s move along to NAC. Healthline at https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/nac-benefits#section12 (Yes, that is the same Healthline that chose SlowItDownCKD as best kidney blog two years in a row.) tells us, it is N-Acetyl Cysteine and explains what this supplement is and what it can do for you. I added asterisks next to definitions you may need.

“Cysteine is a semi-essential amino acid.

It’s considered semi-essential because your body can produce it from other amino acids, namely methionine and serine. It becomes essential only when the dietary intake of methionine and serine is low.

Cysteine is found in most high-protein foods, such as chicken, turkey, yogurt, cheese, eggs, sunflower seeds and legumes.

N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) is a supplement form of cysteine.

Consuming adequate cysteine and NAC is important for a variety of health reasons — including replenishing the most powerful antioxidant in your body, glutathione. These amino acids also help with chronic respiratory conditions, fertility and brain health.

Here are the top 9 health benefits of NAC.

1. Essential for Making the Powerful Antioxidant Glutathione

NAC is valued primarily for its role in antioxidant production.

Along with two other amino acids — glutamine and glycine — NAC is needed to make and replenish glutathione.

*Glutathione is one of the body’s most important antioxidants, which helps neutralize free radicals that can damage cells and tissues in your body.

It’s essential for immune health and fighting cellular damage. Some researchers believe it may even contribute to longevity ….

Its antioxidant properties are also important for combatting numerous other ailments caused by oxidative stress, such as heart disease, infertility and some psychiatric conditions….

2. Helps With Detoxification to Prevent or Diminish Kidney and Liver Damage

NAC plays an important role in your body’s detoxification process.

It can help prevent side effects of drugs and environmental toxins….

In fact, doctors regularly give intravenous (IV) NAC to people with an acetaminophen overdose to prevent or reduce kidney and liver damage ….

NAC also has applications for other liver diseases due to its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits ….

3. May Improve Psychiatric Disorders and Addictive Behavior

*NAC helps regulate levels of glutamate — the most important neurotransmitter in your brain….

While glutamate is required for normal brain action, excess glutamate paired with glutathione depletion can cause brain damage.

This may contribute to mental health conditions, such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and addictive behavior….

For people with bipolar disease and depression, NAC may help decrease symptoms and improve your overall ability to function. What’s more, research suggests that it may play a role in treating moderate to severe OCD ….

NAC supplements can also help decrease withdrawal symptoms and prevent relapse in cocaine addicts ….

4. Helps Relieve Symptoms of Respiratory Conditions

NAC can relieve symptoms of respiratory conditions by acting as an antioxidant and expectorant, loosening mucus in your air passageways.

As an antioxidant, NAC helps replenish glutathione levels in your lungs and reduces inflammation in your bronchial tubes and lung tissue.

People with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) experience long-term oxidative damage and inflammation of lung tissue, which causes airways to constrict — leading to shortness of breath and coughing.

NAC supplements have been used to improve COPD symptoms, exacerbations and lung decline ….

Those with chronic bronchitis can also benefit from NAC.

Bronchitis occurs when the mucous membranes in your lungs’ bronchial passageways become inflamed, swell and shut off airways to your lungs….

By thinning mucus in your bronchial tubes and boosting glutathione levels, NAC may help decrease the severity and frequency of wheezing, coughing and respiratory attacks ….

In addition to relieving COPD and bronchitis, NAC may improve other lung and respiratory tract conditions like cystic fibrosis, asthma and pulmonary fibrosis, as well as symptoms of nasal and sinus congestion due to allergies or infections ….

5. Boosts Brain Health by Regulating Glutamate and Replenishing Glutathione

NAC’s ability to replenish glutathione and regulate brain glutamate levels can boost brain health.

*The brain neurotransmitter glutamate is involved in a broad range of learning, behavior and memory actions, while the antioxidant glutathione helps reduce oxidative damage to brain cells associated with aging….

Because NAC helps regulate glutamate levels and replenish glutathione, it may benefit those with brain and memory ailments ….

NAC supplements appear to improve both dopamine function and disease symptoms such as tremors ….

6. May Improve Fertility in Both Men and Women

Approximately 15% of all couples trying to conceive are affected by infertility. In almost half of these cases, male infertility is the main contributing factor ….

Many male infertility issues increase when antioxidant levels are insufficient to combat free radical formation in your reproductive system. The oxidative stress can cause cell death and reduced fertility ….

In some cases, NAC has been shown to improve male fertility….

In addition, NAC may improve fertility in women with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) by inducing or augmenting the ovulation cycle ….

7. May Stabilize Blood Sugar By Decreasing Inflammation in Fat Cells

High blood sugar and obesity contribute to inflammation in fat tissue.

This can lead to damage or destruction of insulin receptors and put you at a higher risk of type 2 diabetes ….

8. May Reduce Heart Disease Risk by Preventing Oxidative Damage

Oxidative damage to heart tissue often leads to heart disease, causing strokes, heart attacks and other serious conditions.

NAC may reduce heart disease risk by reducing oxidative damage to tissues in your heart ….

It has also been shown to increase nitric oxide production, which helps veins dilate and improves blood flow. This expedites blood transit back to your heart and can lower your risk of heart attacks ….

9. Ability to Boost Glutathione Levels May Improve Immune Function

NAC and glutathione also boost immune health.

Research on certain diseases associated with NAC and glutathione deficiency suggests that immune function might be improved — and potentially restored — by supplementing with NAC….

High levels of NAC in your body may also suppress HIV-1 reproduction.

For your body to make the amino acid cysteine, you need adequate amounts of folate, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12. These nutrients can be found in beans, lentils, spinach, bananas, salmon and tuna.

While most protein-rich foods, such as chicken, turkey, yogurt, cheese, eggs, sunflower seeds and legumes, contain cysteine, some people choose to supplement with NAC to increase their cysteine intake.

NAC has low bioavailability as an oral supplement, meaning that it’s not well absorbed. The accepted daily supplement recommendation is 600–1,800 mg of NAC ….”

Okay, I don’t get it. Have I missed something about the connection between sulfite sensitivity and NAC? If you can find what I missed, please let us know.

Ah, if only I could have been more helpful.

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

Meatless Monday and the Rest of the Week, Too

Whoa, baby! Lots and lots of reader interaction lately. One reader even wrote me to thank me for a blog I wrote years ago about sulfa… and here I was wondering if my blogs were being helpful. Thank you all for letting me know they are.

Talking about my blogs being helpful, another reader needs help with her non-animal protein diet. As a child, my brothers and I were cooked meat meals whenever my dad could afford it. I remember Mom cooking lots of hamburgers. That was the first food I learned to cook. As I got older, I realized I didn’t like the fatty taste of meat nor how much it needed to be chewed, so I ate it less and less. Now, since my husband is a meat eater, we have it once a week. He knows I don’t like it, but he does. I eat as much of it as I can before giving the rest to him. It isn’t very much. I think I’m going to learn quite a bit for myself, as well as my reader, in writing today’s blog.

Oster, the makers of the blender I use, at https://www.oster.com/blog/archive/2014/october/5-fruits-and-veggies-that-pack-the-protein.html#?sortby=newest offers us this information:

“1. Avocado 
Like tomatoes, avocados are fruits that are commonly thought of as vegetables. But regardless of how you categorize it, an avocado carries more protein than a glass of milk, about 4 grams according to the United States Department of Agriculture. Although some avoid this fruit because it has a relatively high fat and calorie content, it’s full of a variety of nutrients such as zinc, folic acid, potassium, fiber and healthy fats….

2. Lentils 
   Legumes are the most protein-rich group of vegetables available. On average, legumes can offer closer to animal products than many other vegetables in how much protein they offer. Among legumes, lentils are one of the highest in protein with about 47 grams of protein per cup, the USDA noted.
3. Apricots 
   Either raw or dried apricots can add protein to your meals as well as sweetness, though there’s debate over whether fresh or dehydrated is better. Although a raw apricot has more protein, dried apricots have more protein per bite because they’re more compact. Either way, you can’t go wrong. It’s a tasty, sweet way to add protein to your yogurt, oatmeal or other dishes. The USDA explained that 1 cup of sliced apricots has more than 2 grams of protein.
4. Spinach 
   This tasty leafy green is well known for being nutritious, but did you know it has nearly 3 grams of protein per every 100 grams of spinach, according to the USDA? But eating 100 grams of raw spinach can be hard…. Spinach is also rich in vitamin B6, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin C, a variety of minerals, and has minimal calories and fat.
5. Soybeans 
   Soybeans pack a walloping 68 grams of protein per cup, according to the USDA. Eat them raw, steam them or roast them for a tasty, protein-filled meal that has more of the nutrient some types of meat [have]. Soybeans are legumes, and also have significant daily amounts of iron, fiber and vitamin K.”

Notice the sentence about potassium in 1. Avocado. Hmmm, do we need to limit or cut out any of these other foods according to the renal diet? I went to SFGATE at https://healthyeating.sfgate.com/lentils-harmful-kidneys-12272.html for some answers.

“Are Lentils Harmful to the Kidneys?

Written by Meg Campbell; Updated November 28, 2018

Lentils are nothing but good news for the average person. The small, disc-shaped legumes are a low-fat, cholesterol-free source of high-quality protein, complex carbohydrates and several vitamins and minerals. Lentils are considered a diabetic-friendly, heart-healthy food because their high fiber content promotes normal blood sugar and cholesterol levels. Because they’re also rich in potassium, phosphorus, purines and oxalate, however, lentils aren’t an ideal choice for people affected by chronic kidney problems….

Lentils don’t harm healthy kidneys, just as they don’t damage unhealthy kidneys. Rather, people with chronic kidney problems may need to watch their intake of lentils because their kidneys are less able to adequately process certain nutrients. If you have chronic kidney disease, ask your physician for a detailed diet plan. Eating the right foods can help slow the disease’s progression, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Likewise, if you’re prone to kidney stones, talk to your doctor about your diet. Some physicians only recommend limiting purines from animal sources. You also may be able to limit the amount of oxalate you absorb from lentils by consuming them with high-calcium foods.”

So it seems that protein heavy foods can be bothersome for their potassium and phosphorous content. But wait. We are Chronic Kidney Disease patients. We eat according to our labs. If your potassium/phosphorous blood content is in the normal range, you can eat foods containing these electrolytes, but in specified amounts. Ask your renal nutritionist which you can eat and how much of each of these permissible foods you can eat.

 This time I went to NDVTFoods at https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/healthy-diet-4-fruits-that-are-relatively-rich-in-protein-2071683. (So many new websites for me today.)

“1. Raisins: This humble dried fruit is a fixture in all the festive offerings and is also added to a whole range of desserts. The golden raisins are nothing but de-hydrated or dried grapes.  A 100 gram portion of raisins contains 3 grams of proteins, as per the data by United States Department of Agriculture.

Guava:This Vitamin C-rich fruit is savoured raw or in salads, and is even added to juices and drinks for a flavourful punch. Guava is rich in fibre as a 100 gram portion of the fruit contains 5 grams of it, according to USDA, and the same portion contains 2.6 grams of proteins.

2. Dates:This sugary sweet fruit has been consumed in Middle-eastern countries as a staple for centuries now. Pitted dates are stuffed with a variety of ingredients and are even consumed in the form of a sweetening paste for milkshakes and baked goods as well. A 100 gram portion of dates contains 2.45 grams of protein, along with 8 grams of fibre, as per data by the United States Department of Agriculture.
3. Prunes:Another dried fruit that is relatively rich in protein is the prune. These are made by de-hydrating ripened plums and it contains a wide-range of essential minerals and vitamins, along with some important macro-nutrients. This includes 2.18 grams of protein per 100 grams, along with 7 grams of dietary fibre.”

Don’t forget legumes and grains in your non-animal fat protein diet. The same caution about eating according to your labs applies to every category of food you eat. This is not a complete guide to non-animal protein foods and is getting to be a very long blog already. Let me know if you want more information about this topic.

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

Now That’s Patience.

This is decidedly the month for blogs based upon reader questions. As usual, I first must remind you that I am not a doctor and you need to speak with yours before you take any action. As you know, I had major surgery in September to remove a pancreatic cancer tumor which included removing part of the pancreas, the gall bladder, and the spleen. Since then I’ve been hospitalized twice for complications of this surgery… and this particular reader has waited all this time for answers to her questions. I’m impressed.

Let’s not make her wait one second longer. She is a woman in her 40s who has questions about Chronic Kidney Disease and the menstrual period. Hey, guys, don’t go anywhere. Read today’s blog and you just might be able to offer some insight to your female CKD patient friends who have similar questions.

It seems her period went on and on… for two weeks. Her doctor (not a nephrologist) ordered medications for her, but she wasn’t sure if they were safe for her kidneys. In her country, you cannot simply make an appointment or call your nephrologist. You need to wait, and wait, and wait until you are given an appointment. Of course, her first course of these medications is now long over, but perhaps we can help her if she’s ever in this situation again… or if you are.

The first medication prescribed was Traxan. Don’t worry if that doesn’t ring a bell; I’d never heard of any of these medications before either. According to Drugs.com at https://www.drugs.com/international/traxan.html,

“Traxan

Traxan may be available in the countries listed below.

Ingredient matches for Traxan

Tranexamic Acid

Tranexamic Acid is reported as an ingredient of Traxan in the following countries:

• Philippines”

which makes sense since this particular reader is from the Philippines. This doesn’t tell us much, so let’s try Tranexamic Acid.

WebMD at https://www.webmd.com/drugs/2/drug-32677-1331/tranexamic-acid-oral/tranexamic-acid-650-milligram-tablet-oral/details offers the following information:

“This medication is used to treat heavy bleeding during your menstrual period. Tranexamic acid works by slowing the breakdown of blood clots, which helps to prevent prolonged bleeding. It belongs to a class of drugs known as antifibrinolytics.

Tranexamic acid is not a hormone. It does not treat other menstrual or premenstrual symptoms. It does not stop your period. It is not a form of birth control and does not protect against sexually transmitted diseases.”

And now the biggie: Is this safe if you have CKD? There is not much research on this other than a study with a very small population of only four patients. They did suffer adverse reactions, but three were on dialysis and the fourth had a transplant. The take away from over an hour’s search is that the dosage may have to be modified.

Mefenamic Acid was the second drug prescribed. By the way, the brand name for this drug is Ponstel.

“Mefenamic acid is used to relieve mild to moderate pain, including menstrual pain (pain that happens before or during a menstrual period). Mefenamic acid is in a class of medications called NSAIDs. It works by stopping the body’s production of a substance that causes pain, fever, and inflammation.”

This information was offered by Medline Plus, part of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, which in turn is part of the National Institutes of Health at https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a681028.html.

Houston, we have a problem. NSAIDS are something all kidney patients should avoid. I was delighted to happen upon the Curbsiders (a board-certified internists’ group) at https://thecurbsiders.com/podcast/146-nephmadness-pain-meds-in-chronic-kidney-disease who explained the NSAID problem in terms I (and hopefully you) can understand:

“NSAIDs in CKD

Mechanism

• NSAIDs work by inhibiting cyclooxygenase (COX) and thus decreasing prostaglandin synthesis. This reduces the inflammation causing pain.
• Renal blood flow, particularly in CKD, often depends on prostaglandins and can decrease with NSAID use.
• Heart failure, cirrhosis, nephrotic syndrome have low effective renal blood flow which relies on prostaglandins. In these patients, NSAIDs may decrease the eGFR.
• When close to ESRD, you run the risk that a transient decrease in blood flow may still cause an issue…possibly knocking patients onto dialysis.
• If a patient is already on dialysis and anuric, the adverse effects of NSAIDs are less significant. For those patients still making urine, there are still renal risks.”

Well, what about Mefenamic acid and CKD? Healthline (I simply cannot stop thanking you for those two best kidney disease blog awards!) at https://www.healthline.com/health/mefenamic-acid-oral-capsule#dosage makes no bones about it:

“For people with kidney problems: If you have kidney disease, your body might not be able to clear out this drug as well as it should. This may cause increased amounts of mefenamic acid in your blood and increase your risk of side effects. Your doctor may prescribe a decreased dosage.”

Hopefully, a decreased dosage was prescribed.

And, finally, Marvelon. Forgive me, but I instantly thought of Marvel Comics. Actually, Marvelon is birth control. Oh, I wonder if my reader knew that and wanted birth control. Is it safe for CKD patients? Let’s find out together.

“Do not take this medication if you:

• have diabetes with blood vessel complications (e.g., heart disease, eye disease, kidney disease, foot infections)
• have very high cholesterol or triglyceride levels”

These are only two of the eighteen warnings I found on MedBroadcast at https://medbroadcast.com/drug/getdrug/marvelon This is a new site for me, so let me share what they have to say about themselves:

“Condition and disease information is written and/or reviewed by the MediResource Clinical Team. The contents of this site are for informational purposes only and are meant to be discussed with your physician or other qualified health care professional before being acted on. Never disregard any advice given to you by your doctor or other qualified health care professional. Always seek the advice of a physician or other licensed health care professional regarding any questions you have about your medical condition(s) and treatment(s).

This site is not a substitute for medical advice. © 1996 – 2020”

Thank you for being so patient, Philippine reader. Remember, talk to your doctor before doing anything.

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

Belly Fluid Retention While Taking a Diuretic?

Finally, we get to the question one reader has been waiting to be answered for several months while I dealt with complications from pancreatic cancer surgery. Thank you for your patience. The question has to do with reducing belly fluid retention that seems to be the result of taking the diuretic ethacrynic acid for over two years.

What is ethacrynic acid used for? I don’t know. Let’s find out together. CardioSmart of the American College of Cardiology at https://www.cardiosmart.org/Healthwise/d006/49/d00649 tells us that ethacrynic acid is,

“… a loop diuretic (water pill) that prevents your body from absorbing too much salt, allowing the salt to instead be passed in your urine.”

I get what a diuretic is, but what’s a loop diuretic? Let’s go to Wikipedia at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loop_diuretic for this one, but keep in mind that anyone – medical personnel or not – can edit an entry on this site.

“Loop diuretics are diuretics that act at the ascending limb of the loop of Henle in the kidney. They are primarily used in medicine to treat hypertension and edema often due to congestive heart failure or chronic kidney disease. While thiazide diuretics are more effective in patients with normal kidney function, loop diuretics are more effective in patients with impaired kidney function.”

I see. So, as kidney disease patients we are offered loop diuretics instead of thiazide diuretic. The loop diuretic is to prevent too much salt absorption. And we need to limit our salt absorption as CKD patients because???

Thank you to DaVita Kidney Care at https://www.davita.com/diet-nutrition/articles/basics/sodium-and-chronic-kidney-disease for the following:

“… too much sodium can be harmful for people with kidney disease because your kidneys cannot eliminate excess sodium and fluid from your body. As sodium and fluid buildup in your tissues and bloodstream, your blood pressure increases and you feel uncomfortable.

High blood pressure can cause more damage to unhealthy kidneys. This damage further reduces kidney function, resulting in even more fluid and waste build up in the body.

Other sodium-related complications are:

• Edema: swelling in your legs, hands and face
• Heart failure: excess fluid in the bloodstream can overwork your heart making it enlarged and weak
• Shortness of breath: fluid can build up in the lungs, making it difficult to breathe”

Now it makes sense that you don’t want to absorb too much salt if you’re a Chronic Kidney Disease patient.

Wait a minute. If a diuretic is a water pill, why is this reader retaining most of her fluid in her belly. Shouldn’t it be passing out of her body in her urine? I found this explanation on Livestrong at https://www.livestrong.com/article/498477-retaining-fluid-while-taking-diuretics/ :

“In some cases, fluid retention will not respond well to diuretic therapy. Diuretics are not an effective treatment for a type of fluid retention known as idiopathic cyclic edema. In fact, taking diuretics for this condition can make the retention worse. It is not known what causes this condition, but it is associated with hypothyroidism, obesity and diabetes mellitus. This condition often occurs before menstruation and is more common in young women.”

I did see a picture of this reader and didn’t see any signs of obesity, but do not know if she is dealing with diabetes mellitus or hypothyroidism. I’m so sorry, dear reader, but it looks like I’ve hit the same dead end you have in asking your doctors for help.

Change of subject. It’s a new year and the kidney world is reacting to that. For instance, KidneyX, stage 2 is now in effect.

Redesign Dialysis Phase II

Building off the success of KidneyX’s inaugural prize competition, Redesign Dialysis Phase I, Phase II challenges participants to build and test prototype solutions, or components of solutions, that can replicate normal kidney functions or improve dialysis access. Up to 3 winners will each be awarded $500,000.

Submissions are due by 5:00 ET on January 31, 2020.

Who Can Participate?

You can submit a solution even if you did not submit anything in Phase I. Full eligibility rules can be found on page 6 of the prize announcement.

What is KidneyX Looking for in Redesign Dialysis, Phase II?

We are seeking prototype solutions that address any of these categories:

• Blood Filtration (filtering blood to remove waste and excess fluid)
• Electrolyte Homeostasis (maintaining appropriate levels of key minerals in the blood)
• Volume Regulation (regulating the amount of and/or removing excess fluid).
• Toxin Removal and Secretion (removing, limiting or preventing toxins in the bloodstream).
• Filtrate Drainage and Connectivity (removing excess filtrate after processing; connectivity issues for filtration, processing, and exterior drainage)
• Dialysis Access (vascular, peritoneal, blood circuit, or alternative (e.g., GI tract) access)

Specific technical design targets for each category can be found on page 4 of the prize announcement. These design targets, as well as the categories themselves, were developed based on the Kidney Health Initiative’s Technology Roadmap for Innovative Approaches to Renal Replacement Therapy, which is an excellent resource to learn more about technical and scientific needs in this space.

Tests of the prototype’s function or performance should demonstrate rigor, reproducibility, and statistical analysis.

For specific judging criteria, please review the prize announcement.

You can learn more at https://www.kidneyx.org/prizecompetitions/RedesignDialysisPhaseII.

The American Association of Kidney Patients is also looking for participants.

AAKP is pleased to announce an opportunity for individuals with chronic kidney disease, and their caregivers, to participate in a research survey that will help us better understand the impact chronic kidney disease has had on their lives.

To find out whether you qualify, please click on the box below that corresponds with the survey that is most appropriate for you, and complete the brief screening questionnaire. If eligible, you will be directed to the full survey which is expected to take about 15-to-20 minutes to complete. Kindly note, the survey must be completed in one sitting so it is important to start the survey at a time when you feel confident you can allocate enough time to complete the survey in its entirety.

As a show of appreciation for your time and input, participants who complete

the full survey will receive a check for $35!

You can read more about this at https://survey-d.dynata.com/survey/selfserve/53b/1912660?CT=1#?

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

Auld Lang Syne Already?

It’s the last few days of 2019 and this year has whizzed by. My dance with pancreatic cancer has been a trip I could have done without, but the birth of my grandson more than made up for it. Now I get to see him all the time and I only have one more regiment of chemotherapy to go.

Oh, there I go again assuming everyone knows what Auld Lange Syne is. According to Classic FM at https://www.classicfm.com/discover-music/auld-lang-syne-lyrics-and-origins/:

“What does ‘Auld Lang Syne’ mean?

The most accurate plain English interpretation of the Auld Lang Syne’s famous title is ‘Old long since’, or ‘For the sake of old times’.

The song itself is reflective in nature, and is basically about two friends catching up over a drink or two, their friendship having been long and occasionally distant.

The words were written by Scottish poet Robert Burns in 1788, but Burns himself revealed at the time of composing it that he had collected the words after listening to the verse of an old man on his travels, claiming that his version of ‘Auld Lang Syne’ marked the first time it had been formally written down.

However, an earlier ballad by James Watson, named ‘Old Long Syne’, dates as far back as 1711, and use of the title phrase can be found in poems from as early as the 17th century, specifically works by Robert Ayton and Allan Ramsay.”

The song is usually sung at the stroke of midnight on New Year’s Eve and is closely associated with the ending of one year and the beginning of the next. That’s tomorrow night.

Before we leave 2019, let’s take a look at what’s been happening in the kidney world this year.

The ball got rolling, so to speak, with this announcement:

“The Advancing American Kidney Health initiative, announced on July 10, 2019 by the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), places the kidney community in the national spotlight for the first time in decades and outlines a national strategy for kidney diseases for the first time …. In order to achieve the Advancing American Kidney Health initiative’s lofty goals and make good on the KHI’s commitment to people with kidney diseases, drug and device innovation needs to accelerate.”

You can read the entire announcement from the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology at https://cjasn.asnjournals.org/content/early/2019/12/05/CJN.11060919.

The American Kidney Fund at https://www.kidneyfund.org/advocacy-blog/future-of-dialysis-innovation.html announced prizes for innovations in dialysis. We are now in phase two.

“HHS and ASN collaborated with patients, nephrologists, researchers and others in planning the competition. Several agencies, including the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, are involved in this effort. AKF has provided comments to the KidneyX project, urging a focus on unmet needs and improving patient quality of life.

The KidneyX: Redesign Dialysis competition will have two phases. During phase one (late-October 2018-February 2019), innovators will be asked to come up with ideas to ‘replicate normal kidney functions and improve patient quality of life.’ During phase two (April 2019-January 2020), innovators will be asked to develop prototypes to test their ideas.

The HHS press release detailing the competition can be found here.”

You can also read my blog about KidneyX by using the topic dropdown on the right side of the blog.

S.1676/H.R 3912 was passed this year, too. According to Renal Support Network at https://www.rsnhope.org/kidney-disease-advocacy/the-chronic-kidney-disease-improvement-in-research-and-treatment-act-of-2019-s-1676/, this is what the act provides:

“Specifically, the legislation does the following:

• Medigap available to all ESRD Medicare beneficiaries, regardless of age.
• Improve care coordination for people on dialysis by requiring hospitals to provide an individual’s health and treatment information to their renal dialysis facility upon their discharge. The individual or dialysis facility may initiate the request.
• Increase awareness, expand preventative services, and improve coordination of the Medicare Kidney Disease Education program by allowing dialysis facilities to provide kidney disease education service. And it will allow physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and clinical nurse specialists, in addition to physicians, to refer patients to the program. And additionally, provide access to these services to Medicare beneficiaries with Stage 5 (CKD) not yet on dialysis.
• Incentivize innovation for cutting-edge new drugs, biologicals, devices, and other technologies by maintaining an economically stable dialysis infrastructure. The Secretary would be required to establish a process for identifying and determining appropriate payment amounts for incorporating new devices and technologies into the bundle.
• Improve the accuracy and transparency of ESRD Quality Programs so patients can make better decisions about their care providers.
• Improve patient understanding of palliative care usage as well as access to palliative care services in underserved areas.
• Allow individuals with kidney failure to retain access to private insurance plans as their primary payor for 42 months, allowing people to keep their private plans longer.”

I scooted over to EurekAlert! at https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-04/uoo-bkd041219.php when I realized they were announcing a drug I’d blogged about:

“’A drug like canagliflozin that improves both cardiovascular and renal outcomes has been eagerly sought by both patients with Type 2 diabetes and clinicians caring for them,’ added Kenneth Mahaffey, MD, professor of medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine and co-principal investigator of the trial. ‘Now, patients with diabetes have a promising option to guard against one of the most severe risks of their condition.’

The researchers found the drug canagliflozin, a sodium glucose transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitor, was less effective at lowering blood sugar in people with reduced kidney function but still led to less kidney failure, heart failure and cardiovascular events such as heart attacks, strokes and death from cardiovascular disease.

Professor Perkovic said the results were impressive. ‘The substantial benefit on kidney failure despite limited effects on blood glucose suggest that these drugs work in a number of different ways beyond their effects on blood sugar. This is an area of intense ongoing research.’”

These are just a few of the innovations in kidney disease in 2019. I hope to see many more for us – like the FDA approval of the artificial kidney – in 2020.

Until next year,

Keep living your life!

Is it Blood Sugar or the Pancreas?

We all know diabetes raises your risk of developing Chronic Kidney Disease. But why? What’s the mechanism behind the fact? As far as I’m concerned, it’s time to find out.

Let’s start with diabetes. The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which in turn is part of The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services at https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/what-is-diabetes offers this explanation.

“Diabetes is a disease that occurs when your blood glucose, also called blood sugar, is too high. Blood glucose is your main source of energy and comes from the food you eat. Insulin, a hormone made by the pancreas, helps glucose from food get into your cells to be used for energy. Sometimes your body doesn’t make enough—or any—insulin or doesn’t use insulin well. Glucose then stays in your blood and doesn’t reach your cells.

Over time, having too much glucose in your blood can cause health problems. Although diabetes has no cure, you can take steps to manage your diabetes and stay healthy.

Sometimes people call diabetes ‘a touch of sugar’ or ‘borderline diabetes.’”

Having just had a tumor removed from my pancreas, I’m well aware that it produces insulin as well as digestive enzymes. Without a pancreas to produce insulin, you would need insulin injections several times a day.

I got what diabetes is, but how it causes CKD was still not clear.

Well, not until I read the following from The American Diabetes Association at https://www.diabetes.org/diabetes/complications/kidney-disease-nephropathy.

“When our bodies digest the protein we eat, the process creates waste products. In the kidneys, millions of tiny blood vessels (capillaries) with even tinier holes in them act as filters. As blood flows through the blood vessels, small molecules such as waste products squeeze through the holes. These waste products become part of the urine. Useful substances, such as protein and red blood cells, are too big to pass through the holes in the filter and stay in the blood.

Diabetes can damage this system. High levels of blood sugar make the kidneys filter too much blood. All this extra work is hard on the filters. After many years, they start to leak and useful protein is lost in the urine. Having small amounts of protein in the urine is called microalbuminuria.

When kidney disease is diagnosed early, during microalbuminuria, several treatments may keep kidney disease from getting worse. Having larger amounts of protein in the urine is called macroalbuminuria. When kidney disease is caught later during macroalbuminuria, end-stage renal disease, or ESRD, usually follows.

In time, the stress of overwork causes the kidneys to lose their filtering ability. Waste products then start to build up in the blood. Finally, the kidneys fail. This failure, ESRD, is very serious. A person with ESRD needs to have a kidney transplant or to have the blood filtered by machine (dialysis).”

Hmmm, now that we know what diabetes is and how it can cause CKD, maybe we need to look at ways to attempt to avoid diabetes.

• “Losing weight and keeping it off. Weight control is an important part of diabetes prevention. You may be able to prevent or delay diabetes by losing 5 to 10 percent of your current weight. For example, if you weigh 200 pounds, your goal would be to lose between 10 to 20 pounds. And once you lose the weight, it is important that you don’t gain it back.
• Following a healthy eating plan. It is important to reduce the amount of calories you eat and drink each day, so you can lose weight and keep it off. To do that, your diet should include smaller portions and less fat and sugar. You should also eat a variety of foods from each food group, including plenty of whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. It’s also a good idea to limit red meat, and avoid processed meats.
• Get regular exercise. Exercise has many health benefits, including helping you to lose weight and lower your blood sugar levels. These both lower your risk of type 2 diabetes. Try to get at least 30 minutes of physical activity 5 days a week. If you have not been active, talk with your health care professional to figure out which types of exercise are best for you. You can start slowly and work up to your goal.
• Don’t smoke. Smoking can contribute to insulin resistance, which can lead to type 2 diabetes. If you already smoke, try to quit.
• Talk to your health care provider to see whether there is anything else you can do to delay or to prevent type 2 diabetes. If you are at high risk, your provider may suggest that you take one of a few types of diabetes medicines.”

This is a list from NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases posted on MedLinePlus at https://medlineplus.gov/howtopreventdiabetes.html. Notice it’s mentioned that this is for type 2 diabetes.

There are 11 different kinds of diabetes. Types 1 and 2 are the most common. WebMD at https://www.webmd.com/diabetes/guide/types-of-diabetes-mellitus#1 explains what type 1 and 2 are.

“Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition. It’s caused by the body attacking its own pancreas with antibodies. In people with type 1 diabetes, the damaged pancreas doesn’t make insulin…. With Type 2 diabetes, the pancreas usually produces some insulin. But either the amount produced is not enough for the body’s needs, or the body’s cells are resistant to it. Insulin resistance, or lack of sensitivity to insulin, happens primarily in fat, liver, and muscle cells.”

This is all starting to make sense.

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

HIV and CKD

Every morning, although I don’t have enough energy yet to create original posts, I peruse the Facebook Chronic Kidney Disease pages, Twitter, Instagram, and even LinkedIn for current information about CKD. I was surprised to see a post seeming to claim that Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) can cause CKD. How had I never heard about this before?

As usual when I don’t know or understand something, I decided to investigate. My first stop was The National Institutes of Health at https://aidsinfo.nih.gov/understanding-hiv-aids/fact-sheets/26/99/hiv-and-kidney-disease.

• “The kidneys are two fist-sized organs in the body that are located near the middle of the back on either side of the spine. The main job of the kidneys is to filter harmful waste and extra water from the blood. (We know that already.)
• Injury or disease, including HIV infection, can damage the kidneys and lead to kidney disease.
• High blood pressure and diabetes are the leading causes of kidney disease. In people with HIV, poorly controlled HIV infection and coinfection with the hepatitis C virus (HCV) also increase the risk of kidney disease.
• Some HIV medicines can affect the kidneys. Health care providers carefully consider the risk of kidney damage when recommending specific HIV medicines to include in an HIV regimen.
• Kidney disease can advance to kidney failure. The treatments for kidney failure are dialysis and a kidney transplant. Both treatments are used to treat kidney failure in people with HIV.”

Well, I knew there was a possibility of Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) leading to CKD, but HIV? What’s that? Oh, sorry, of course I’ll explain what HIV is. Actually, it’s not me doing the explaining, but the Center for Disease Control (CDC) at https://www.cdc.gov/hiv/basics/whatishiv.html.

“HIV stands for human immunodeficiency virus. It is the virus that can lead to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome or AIDS if not treated. Unlike some other viruses, the human body can’t get rid of HIV completely, even with treatment. So once you get HIV, you have it for life.

HIV attacks the body’s immune system, specifically the CD4 cells (T cells), which help the immune system fight off infections. Untreated, HIV reduces the number of CD4 cells (T cells) in the body, making the person more likely to get other infections or infection-related cancers. Over time, HIV can destroy so many of these cells that the body can’t fight off infections and disease. These opportunistic infections or cancers take advantage of a very weak immune system and signal that the person has AIDS, the last stage of HIV infection.

No effective cure currently exists, but with proper medical care, HIV can be controlled. The medicine used to treat HIV is called antiretroviral therapy or ART.  If people with HIV take ART as prescribed, their viral load (amount of HIV in their blood) can become undetectable. If it stays undetectable, they can live long, healthy lives and have effectively no risk of transmitting HIV to an HIV-negative partner through sex. Before the introduction of ART in the mid-1990s, people with HIV could progress to AIDS in just a few years. Today, someone diagnosed with HIV and treated before the disease is far advanced can live nearly as long as someone who does not have HIV.”

So, it’s not only HIV itself that can cause CKD, but also the drugs used to treat HIV.

The National Kidney Foundation at https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/hiv-and-chronic-kidney-disease-what-you-need-know  offers some ideas about how to avoid CKD if you have HIV:

“Many people with HIV do not get kidney disease or kidney failure. Talk to your health care provider about your chances of getting kidney disease. If you have HIV, you can lower your chances by:

• Checking your blood pressure as often as your doctor recommends and taking steps to keep it under control
• Taking all your HIV medications as prescribed
• Asking your doctor about HIV drugs that have a lower risk of causing kidney damage
• Controlling your blood sugar if you have diabetes
• Taking medicines to control your blood glucose, cholesterol, anemia, and blood pressure if your doctor orders them for you
• Asking your doctor to test you for kidney disease at least once each year if you:
  • Have a large amount of HIV in your blood
  • Have a low level of blood cells that help fight HIV (CD4 cells)
  • Are African American, Hispanic American, Asian, Pacific Islander, or American Indian
  • Have diabetes, high blood pressure, or hepatitis C”

It seems to me that avoiding CKD if you have HIV is almost the same as taking care of your CKD if you didn’t have HIV, except for the specific HIV information.

I now understand why it’s so important to take the hepatitis C vaccine. I turned to UpToDate at https://www.uptodate.com/contents/treatment-of-chronic-hepatitis-c-virus-infection-in-the-hiv-infected-patient for further information about hepatitis C and HIV.

“The consequences of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection in HIV-infected patients are significant and include accelerated liver disease progression, high rates of end-stage liver disease, and shortened lifespan after hepatic decompensation, in particular among those with more advanced immunodeficiency …. In the era of potent antiretroviral therapy, end-stage liver disease remains a major cause of death among HIV-infected patients who are coinfected with HCV ….”

Remember that drugs leave your body via either your liver or kidneys. If your kidneys are already compromised by HIV or the medications used to treat your HIV, you need a high functioning liver. If your liver is compromised by hepatitis C, you need high functioning kidneys. I was unable to determine just what high functioning meant as far as your kidneys or liver, so if you find out, let us know.

Please be as careful as possible to avoid HIV, and if you do have it, pay special attention to being treated for it. I’d like it if you were one of the people who is “diagnosed with HIV and treated before the disease is far advanced [so that you] can live nearly as long as someone who does not have HIV.”

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

Zap!

To my surprise, hair started growing back in unexpected places after I finished chemotherapy. One place was my face. My face! And quite a bit of it, more than a bearded person would have. At least, that’s how it looked to me. I was surprised no one mentioned it to me, but supposed they were just glad I was still alive. I wasn’t worried. I’d just use laser hair removal… or would I? I do have Chronic Kidney Disease.

What did that mean as far as the laser hair removal? I remembered from when I’d had it done on the mustache area about seventeen years ago that it doesn’t work on white hair. No problem with this currently. This facial hair was growing in black and thick.

My goodness, you’d think I’d just be thankful to be alive at this point, too. But as is often attributed to Mr. Shakespeare, “Vanity, thy name is woman.” (Actually, he wrote “Frailty, thy name is woman,” but no one seems to remember that.) So, time to explore what CKD limits there are with laser hair removal.

Let’s start at the beginning with what it is. WebMD at https://www.webmd.com/beauty/laser-hair-removal#1  explained it this way:

“Laser hair removal is one of the most commonly done cosmetic procedures in the U.S. It beams highly concentrated light into hair follicles. Pigment in the follicles absorb the light. That destroys the hair.”

Just in case you need reminders,

“A hair follicle is a tunnel-shaped structure in the epidermis (outer layer) of the skin. Hair starts growing at the bottom of a hair follicle. The root of the hair is made up of protein cells and is nourished by blood from nearby blood vessels.

As more cells are created, the hair grows out of the skin and reaches the surface. Sebaceous glands near the hair follicles produce oil, which nourishes the hair and skin.”

Thank you to Healthline at https://www.healthline.com/health/hair-follicle#anatomy for that information. Notice I specified hair follicles since there are other kinds of follicles.

What else might we need defined. Oh yes, pigment. I used the definition of pigmentation instead since it was less convoluted to my way of thinking. The ‘ation’ part just means the action or process of whatever we’re discussing – in this case pigment. MedicineNet at https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=9681  tells us it’s:

“The coloring of the skin, hair, mucous membranes, and retina of the eye. Pigmentation is due to the deposition of the pigment melanin, which is produced by specialized cells called melanocytes.”

Now, the limitations with CKD – if any. In the last 17 years, I’ve learned that not only wouldn’t white hair respond to laser hair removal, but gray and blonde won’t either. It will also be less effective on red hair. It all has to do with your melanin.

Whoa! This was unexpected. I not only did NOT find any research warning about CKD and laser hair removal, but found some that endorsed it. For instance, The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), which is part of the U.S. National Library of Medicine, which in turn is part of the National Institutes of Health, which is connected to PubMed at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30005102.

“Laser hair reduction is a well-established modality for a wide range of medical indications. Laser hair reduction can be beneficial for hemodialysis patients who undergo repeated adhesive tape application and removal at their hemodialysis site during hemodialysis sessions. There is a paucity of published literature on efficacious laser hair removal treatments for hemodialysis patients. Herein, we present a case of a 50-year-old male (Fitzpatrick III) with end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis, who achieved successful laser hair reduction at his hemodialysis vascular access site with five sessions of a neodymium:yttrium-aluminium-garnet (Nd:YAG) laser (1064 nm) to improve his quality of life by reducing the hair burden at the adhesive tape site application. We recommend providing this safe and effective hair reduction treatment option for hemodialysis patients given the decreased quality of life associated with end stage renal disease and hemodialysis. J Drugs Dermatol. 2018;17(7):794-795.”

Let me translate the medicalese. This abstract means that using laser hair removal around the patient’s access site for dialysis made his life easier (and less painful) since the tape wasn’t sticking to his arm hair anymore. We all know how painful taking off adhesive anything can be if body hair is involved.

I have dug around in my computer for hours and hours. That’s all I found about laser hair removal and Chronic Kidney Disease. That’s the great thing about keeping an open mind; you find some unexpected information.

Here’s hoping you had a fun Halloween and didn’t eat too much candy, especially if you’re diabetic.

Talking about food, are you aware of Mrs. Dash’s seasonings for use instead of salt? It’s come to the point where I can taste even a teeny bit of salt. After almost a decade of not using salt, I’ve lost my taste for it… but Mrs. Dash? How does lemon pepper seasoning sound to you? Or garlic and herb? There are about 28 different flavors of seasoning. Go to the website at https://www.mrsdash.com/ to see for yourself. They also make marinades which was news to me. I usually choose the less spicy seasonings, but they have some zingers that you spicy food loving CKD patients will probably enjoy more.

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

 

Sodium Bicarbonate, Anyone?

I belong to a number of social media Chronic Kidney Disease support groups. Time and time again, I’ve seen questions about sodium bicarbonate use. I never quite understood the answers to members’ questions about this. It’s been years, folks. It’s time for me to get us some answers.

My first question was, “What is it used for in conjunction with CKD?” Renal & Urology News at https://www.renalandurologynews.com/home/conference-highlights/era-edta-congress/sodium-bicarbonate-for-metabolic-acidosis-slows-ckd-progression/ had a current response to this. Actually, it’s from last June 19^th.

“Sodium bicarbonate treatment of metabolic acidosis in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) improves renal outcomes and survival, researchers reported at the 56th European Renal Association-European Dialysis and Transplant Association Congress in Budapest, Hungary.

In a prospective open-label study, patients with CKD and metabolic acidosis who took sodium bicarbonate (SB) tablets were less likely to experience a doubling of serum creatinine (the study’s primary end point), initiate renal replacement therapy (RRT), and death than those who received standard care (SC).”

It may be current but what does it mean? Let’s start with metabolic acidosis. Medline Plus, part of the U.S. National Library of Medicine which, in turn, is part of the National Institutes of Health at https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000335.htm explains it this way:

“Metabolic acidosis is a condition in which there is too much acid in the body fluids.”

But why is there “too much acid in the body fluid?”

I like the simply stated reason I found at Healthline (https://www.healthline.com/health/acidosis), the same site that deemed SlowItDownCKD among the Best Six Kidney Disease Blogs for 2016 and 2017.

“When your body fluids contain too much acid, it’s known as acidosis. Acidosis occurs when your kidneys and lungs can’t keep your body’s pH in balance. Many of the body’s processes produce acid. Your lungs and kidneys can usually compensate for slight pH imbalances, but problems with these organs can lead to excess acid accumulating in your body.”

In case you’ve forgotten, pH is the measure of how acid or alkaline your body is. So, it seems that when the kidneys (for one organ) don’t function well, you may end up with acidosis. Did you know the kidneys played a part in preventing metabolic acidosis? I didn’t.

I went to MedicalNewsToday at https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/263834.php in an attempt to find out if metabolic syndrome has any symptoms. By the way, AHA refers to the American Heart Association.

“According to the AHA, a doctor will often consider metabolic syndrome if a person has at least three of the following five symptoms:

1. Central, visceral, abdominal obesity, specifically, a waist size of more than 40 inches in men and more than 35 inches in women
2. Fasting blood glucose levels of 100 mg/dL or above
3. Blood pressure of 130/85 mm/Hg or above
4. Blood triglycerides levels of 150 mg/dL or higher
5. High-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels of 40 mg/dL or less for men and 50 mg/dL or less for women

Having three or more of these factors signifies a higher risk of cardiovascular diseases, such as heart attack or stroke, and type 2 diabetes.”

Well! Now we’re not just talking kidney (and lung) involvement, but possibly the heart and diabetes involvement. Who knew?

Of course, we want to prevent this, but how can we do that?

“You can’t always prevent metabolic acidosis, but there are things you can do to lessen the chance of it happening.

Drink plenty of water and non-alcoholic fluids. Your pee should be clear or pale yellow.

Limit alcohol. It can increase acid buildup. It can also dehydrate you.

Manage your diabetes, if you have it.

Follow directions when you take your medications.”

Thank you to WebMD at https://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/what-is-metabolic-acidosis#2  for the above information.

Let’s say – hypothetically, of course – that you were one of the unlucky CKD patients to develop metabolic acidosis. How could you treat it?

I went directly to the National Kidney Foundation at https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/metabolic-acidosis to find out. This is what they had to say:

“We all need bicarbonate (a form of carbon dioxide) in our blood. Low bicarbonate levels in the blood are a sign of metabolic acidosis.  It is a base, the opposite of acid, and can balance acid. It keeps our blood from becoming too acidic. Healthy kidneys help keep your bicarbonate levels in balance.  Low bicarbonate levels (less than 22 mmol/l) can also cause your kidney disease to get worse.   A small group of studies have shown that treatment with sodium bicarbonate or sodium citrate pills can help keep kidney disease from getting worse. However, you should not take sodium bicarbonate or sodium citrate pills unless your healthcare provider recommends it.”

I’m becoming a wee bit nervous now and I’d like to know when metabolic acidosis should start being treated if you, as a CKD (CKF) patient do develop it. Biomed at http://www.biomed.cas.cz/physiolres/pdf/prepress/1128.pdf reassured me a bit.

“Acid–base disorder is commonly observed in the course of CKF. Metabolic acidosis is noted in a majority of patients when GFR decreases to less than 20% to 25% of normal. The degree of acidosis approximately correlates with the severity of CKF and usually is more severe at a lower GFR…. Acidosis resulting from advanced renal insufficiency is called uremic acidosis. The level of GFR at which uremic acidosis develops varies depending on a multiplicity of factors. Endogenous acid production is an important factor, which in turn depends on the diet. Ingestion of vegetables and fruits results in net production of alkali, and therefore increased ingestion of these foods will tend to delay the appearance of metabolic acidosis in chronic renal failure. Diuretic therapy and hypokalemia, which tend to stimulate ammonia production, may delay the development of acidosis. The etiology of the renal disease also plays a role. In predominantly tubulointerstitial renal diseases, acidosis tends to develop earlier in the course of renal insufficiency than in predominantly glomerular diseases. In general, metabolic acidosis is rare when the GFR is greater than 25–20 ml/min (Oh et al. 2004).”

At least I understand why the sodium bicarbonate and I realize it’s not for me… yet.

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

Dapagliflozin/SGLT2 inhibitors

I’ve been reading a lot about dapagliflozin lately. That’s a word I didn’t know. And this is the perfect opportunity to learn about it. Ready? Let’s start.

The obvious first stop to my way of thinking was Medline Plus, part of the U.S. Library of Medicine, which in turn, is part of the Institutes of National Health at https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a614015.html.

“Dapagliflozin is used along with diet and exercise, and sometimes with other medications, to lower blood sugar levels in patients with type 2 diabetes (condition in which blood sugar is too high because the body does not produce or use insulin normally). Dapagliflozin is in a class of medications called sodium-glucose co-transporter 2 (SGLT2) inhibitors. It lowers blood sugar by causing the kidneys to get rid of more glucose in the urine. Dapagliflozin is not used to treat type 1 diabetes (condition in which the body does not produce insulin and, therefore, cannot control the amount of sugar in the blood) or diabetic ketoacidosis (a serious condition that may develop if high blood sugar is not treated).

Over time, people who have diabetes and high blood sugar can develop serious or life-threatening complications, including heart disease, stroke, kidney problems, nerve damage, and eye problems. Taking dapagliflozin, making lifestyle changes (e.g., diet, exercise, quitting smoking), and regularly checking your blood sugar may help to manage your diabetes and improve your health. This therapy may also decrease your chances of having a heart attack, stroke, or other diabetes-related complications such as kidney failure, nerve damage (numb, cold legs or feet; decreased sexual ability in men and women), eye problems, including changes or loss of vision, or gum disease. Your doctor and other healthcare providers will talk to you about the best way to manage your diabetes.”

SGLT2 inhibitors? Hey, that was going to be next week’s blog… or so ignorant me thought. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) at https://www.fda.gov/drugs/postmarket-drug-safety-information-patients-and-providers/sodium-glucose-cotransporter-2-sglt2-inhibitors explains what a SGLT2 inhibitor is.

“SGLT2 inhibitors are a class of prescription medicines that are FDA-approved for use with diet and exercise to lower blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. Medicines in the SGLT2 inhibitor class include canagliflozin, dapagliflozin, and empagliflozin. They are available as single-ingredient products and also in combination with other diabetes medicines such as metformin. SGLT2 inhibitors lower blood sugar by causing the kidneys to remove sugar from the body through the urine. The safety and efficacy of SGLT2 inhibitors have not been established in patients with type 1 diabetes, and FDA has not approved them for use in these patients.”

There are also quite a few warnings about amputations and urinary tract infections caused by SGLT2 inhibitors on this site, although they are dated 8/20/18.

 

So it seems that dapagliflozin is one of several medications classified as SGLT2 inhibitor. So let’s concentrate on SGLT2s inhibitors then. Hmmm, is this some medication requiring injections or do you just pop a pill? Pharmacy Times at https://www.pharmacytimes.com/publications/health-system-edition/2014/september2014/sglt2-inhibitors-a-new-treatment-option-for-type-2-diabetes more than answered my question. It’s their chart you see above this paragraph.

Wait a minute. According to their chart, dapagliflozin is not recommended if your GFR is below 60, or stage 3 CKD. Canagliflozin is not recommended if your GFR is below 45. Your kidney function is a big factor in whether or not this drug can be prescribed for you.

But why? Exactly how do the kidneys process this drug? The following diagram from The National Center for Biotechnology Information, part of the U.S. National Library, which in turn (again) is part of the National Institutes of Health at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/core/lw/2.0/html/tileshop_pmc/tileshop_pmc_inline.html?title=Click%20on%20image%20to%20zoom&p=PMC3&id=3889318_13300_2013_42_Fig1_HTML.jpg will give you the visual. Basically, the SLGT2 inhibitor prevents the glucose in your blood from re-entering your blood stream after your blood has been filtered. The glucose has nowhere to go, so it exits your body via your urine along with the other wastes.

What about the side effects, since we already know the limitations of prescribing SLTG2 inhibitors? I thought  WebMd at  https://www.medicinenet.com/sglt2_inhibitors_type_2_diabetes_drug_class/article.htm#how_do_sglt2_inhibitors_work might enlighten us and they certainly did.

”On Aug. 29, 2018, the FDA issued a warning that cases of a rare but serious infection of the genitals and area around the genitals have been reported with the class of type 2 diabetes medicines called SGLT2 inhibitors. This serious rare infection, called necrotizing fasciitis of the perineum, is also referred to as Fournier’s gangrene.

SGLT2 inhibitors are FDA-approved for use with diet and exercise to lower blood sugar in adults with type 2 diabetes. SGLT2 inhibitors lower blood sugar by causing the kidneys to remove sugar from the body through the urine. First approved in 2013, medicines in the SGLT2 inhibitor class include canagliflozin, dapagliflozin, empagliflozin, and ertugliflozin. In addition, empagliflozin is approved to lower the risk of death from heart attack and stroke in adults with type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Untreated, type 2 diabetes can lead to serious problems, including blindness, nerve and kidney damage, and heart disease.

Seek medical attention immediately if you experience any symptoms of tenderness, redness, or swelling of the genitals or the area from the genitals back to the rectum, and have a fever above 100.4 F or a general feeling of being unwell. These symptoms can worsen quickly, so it is important to seek treatment right away.

On May 15, 2015, the FDA informed the public that SGLT2 inhibitors have been associated with increased risk of ketoacidosis in people with diabetes.

Common side effects

The most common side effect of SGLT2 inhibitors include:

• Genital yeast infections in men and women
• Urinary tract infections (UTIs)
• Increased urination

• Kidney problems
• Flu like symptoms
• Constipation
• Nasal congestion
• Urinary discomfort
• Back pain

Serious side effects of SGLT2 inhibitors include:

• Kidney failure
• Hyperkalemia (high levels of potassium in the blood)
• Hypotension (low blood pressure)
• Ketoacidosis
• Increased cholesterol levels

• Serious urinary tract infections
• Increased bladder cancer risk
• Serious allergic reactions
• Low blood glucose (hypoglycemia) when combined with insulin or drugs that increase insulin production
• Dehydration”

Whoa. It looks like there will have to be some serious discussions with your nephrologist before you agree to taking a SLGT2 inhibitor should he or she suggest it. Make sure you have your list of questions ready and someone to listen carefully and take notes.

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

Needling Me

Years ago, as a young woman in my twenties (Could that really be at least 50 years ago????), I was horrified to discover I needed surgery for bleeding hemorrhoids. It was embarrassing, my younger self thought. It was private, my younger self thought. So my younger self looked for an alternative and discovered acupuncture. Not only would I be spared someone – even though that someone would be a doctor – dealing with private parts of my body, but I would also be spared the insult to the body that surgery can be… and my insurance covered it.

Hmmm, I was fully clothed and the needles didn’t hurt although I had expected the process to be painful. Best? I did get relief from the bleeding hemorrhoids and avoided the surgery.

Remembering that incidence today for some unknown reason, I wondered what – if anything – acupuncture could do for those of us with Chronic Kidney Disease. So, I went searching for information.  But wait, I’m getting ahead of myself – as usual. Let’s go back to talking about what acupuncture is.

“Acupuncture is a form of medical treatment that’s been used for hundreds — even thousands — of years. Acupuncture originated in Asian medical practices. That’s why many licensure and oversight boards use the term ‘Oriental Medicine’ to classify acupuncture.

Acupuncture is practiced by tens of thousands of licensed acupuncturists. Expert acupuncturists train for three to four years. The training includes both instruction in the use of needles and instruction in diagnosing conditions. Practitioners have direct supervision from another senior or expert practitioner.

In addition to this training, acupuncturists must undergo testing from a national board of examiners and continue to take instructional courses each year to maintain their license.

The American Medical Association accepts acupuncture as a medical treatment, and some insurance companies may cover the cost of treatment.”

Thank you, Healthline at https://www.healthline.com/health/dry-needling-vs-acupuncture for the above information.

The University of California, San Diego, School of Medicine, Center for Integrative Medicine in the Department of Family Medicine and Public Health at https://medschool.ucsd.edu/som/fmph/research/cim/clinicalcare/Pages/About-Acupuncture.aspx  had a succinct description of the process.

“First, your acupuncturist will ask about your health history. Then, he or she will examine your tongue’s shape, color, and coating, feel your pulse, and possibly perform some additional physical examinations depending on your individual health needs. Using these unique assessment tools, the acupuncturist will be able to recommend a proper treatment plan to address your particular condition. To begin the acupuncture treatment, you lay comfortably on a treatment table while precise acupoints are stimulated on various areas of your body. Most people feel no or minimal discomfort as the fine needles are gently placed. The needles are usually retained between five and 30 minutes. During and after treatments, people report that they feel very relaxed.”

PubMed, part of the US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28422526 concluded via a small, fairly recent study:

“Acupuncture at bilateral Hegu, Zusanli, and Taixi for 12 weeks reduced creatinine levels and increased eGFR levels. The study only provided a feasibility method for the treatment of patients with CKD. However, the results of this preliminary study warrant further investigation.”

I think we all need a little help here to understand this conclusion. The three words we are not familiar with are all acupuncture points. The Acupuncture Massage College’s site at https://www.amcollege.edu/blog/commonly-used-acupuncture-points explained in language I could understand.

“Large Intestine Channel: LI4, Hegu
This point is located on the back side of the hand between the thumb and first finger. The primary use of this point is to relieve pain and treat inflammatory and feverish diseases.

Stomach Channel: ST36, Zusanli
This point is located on the front of the leg, just below the knee. It is helpful for digestive disorders. Research shows that using this point results in positive effects in treating anemia, immune deficiency, fatigue, and numerous diseases.

Kidney Channel: KI3, Taixi
This point is located just behind the inner ankle. It is used for disorders in several areas of the body, including sore throat, toothache, deafness, tinnitus, dizziness, asthma, thirst, insomnia, lower back pain and menstrual irregularities.”

Inflammatory? CKD. Anemia? CKD. Immune deficiencies? CKD.  Kidney? CKD. Now we know why acupuncture can help us. There seems to be a split among doctors as to whether it will or not, so you’ll have to be careful to talk to your nephrologist. Some will give you an emphatic, “YES!”  Others will give you a questioning look. And still others will ask you, “Why bother?” Be prepared with your answers. You don’t want to alienate the doctor in charge of your treatment and you want to keep the lines of communication open. Well, at least I do.

 

If you’re excited about the idea of acupuncture, you may be asking yourself how to find a good, safe practitioner. Sure you can look in the phone book, but – just as with any doctor – what would you know about how this particular acupuncturist functions? Before I had CKD, when I was plagued by another medical problem but had already moved to Arizona away from my NYC acupuncturist, I asked my stepdaughter about the acupuncturist she saw. If your nephrologist is onboard, you can ask for a referral. Sometimes, your primary care physician can be a good source here, too.

If you’re not excited about acupuncture, don’t push yourself. My husband tried it once to please me and swore never to do that again because he just didn’t like it. Okay, he has other ways of dealing with his back pain. While I am in favor of acupuncture and plan to incorporate this into my medical team once I’m done with surgery and rehab, I also like peace in the house.

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

It’s Like the Sahara in There

I like my dentist, especially when he tells me something I didn’t know. When I went to see him last time, I told him my chemo experience and how dry my mouth was. I thought they might be related. He patiently gave me the same information as the Mayo Clinic at https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/dry-mouth/symptoms-causes/syc-20356048.

“Dry mouth, or xerostomia (zeer-o-STOE-me-uh), refers to a condition in which the salivary glands in your mouth don’t make enough saliva to keep your mouth wet. Dry mouth is often due to the side effect of certain medications or aging issues or as a result of radiation therapy for cancer. Less often, dry mouth may be caused by a condition that directly affects the salivary glands.

Saliva helps prevent tooth decay by neutralizing acids produced by bacteria, limiting bacterial growth and washing away food particles. Saliva also enhances your ability to taste and makes it easier to chew and swallow. In addition, enzymes in saliva aid in digestion.

Decreased saliva and dry mouth can range from being merely a nuisance to something that has a major impact on your general health and the health of your teeth and gums, as well as your appetite and enjoyment of food.

Treatment for dry mouth depends on the cause.”

The joke’s on me. I developed dry mouth before the radiation treatments began. At least my salivary glands weren’t having any issues of their own. It seems we discussed xerostomia at the right time.

Wait a minute. Something is pulling on my memory. Something about Chronic Kidney Disease and dry mouth. Of course, periodontics and CKD. The Journal Of Clinical Periodontology at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/action/doSearch?AllField=chronic+kidney+disease&SeriesKey=1600051x had just what I was trying to remember. By the way, this is a fascinating free online library by John Wiley, a publisher I remember well from when I worked as an educator.

“Periodontitis had significant direct effect, and indirect effect through diabetes, on the incidence of CKD. Awareness about systemic morbidities from periodontitis should be emphasized.”

In other words, if you have CKD or diabetes, make certain your dentist knows so he or she can monitor you for the beginning of periodontic problems. Just as with any other medical issue, the sooner you start treatment, the better. I can attest to this since I caught my pancreatic cancer early, which gave me a much better chance of eradicating it from my body.

The treatment for dry mouth seems simple enough, as explained by Healthline (Thank you again for the two awards!) at https://www.healthline.com/symptom/dry-mouth.

“Dry mouth is usually a temporary and treatable condition. In most cases, you can prevent and relieve symptoms of dry mouth by doing one or more of the following:

• sipping water often
• sucking on ice cubes
• avoiding alcohol, caffeine, and tobacco
• limiting your salt and sugar intake
• using a humidifier in your bedroom when you sleep
• taking over-the-counter saliva substitutes
• chewing sugarless gum or sucking on sugarless hard candy
• over- the-counter toothpastes, rinses, and mints

If your dry mouth is caused by an underlying health condition, you may require additional treatment. Ask your doctor for more information about your specific condition, treatment options, and long-term outlook.”

The sugarless gum works well for me and, as an added benefit, quelled the nausea from the radiation treatments, too. While I don’t drink or smoke, I will have an occasional half cup of coffee when I can tolerate it. I didn’t know this was something to be avoided. As both a CKD patient and a type 2 diabetic (Thanks, pancreatic cancer.), I was already avoiding salt and sugar. So, without realizing it, I was already helping myself deal with dry mouth. Lucky me.

That got me to thinking. What other problems could dry mouth cause? I went to NHS Inform at https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/mouth/dry-mouth to look for an answer. Indeed, this is a Scottish website, but a mouth is a mouth no matter where it’s located, right?

• “a burning sensation or soreness in your mouth
• dry lips
• bad breath (halitosis)
• a decreased or altered sense of taste
• recurrent mouth infections, such as oral thrush
• tooth decay and gum disease
• difficulty speaking, eating or swallowing”

On a personal note, I found the halitosis embarrassing and the altered sense of taste frustrating. And here, I’d been blaming the chemo for that. Maybe it was the chemo, although my age could also be the cause of my dry mouth. I do admit that 72 could be considered “aging.” My husband orders the groceries and we now have a pantry full of food I used to love but all taste, well, funny now. Poor guy, he was just trying to get me to eat when he ordered the food. He knew calorie intake is important when you’re dealing with cancer.

I wondered what the symptoms of dry mouth were… well, other than a dry mouth, that is.

“Common symptoms include:

• A sticky, dry feeling in the mouth
• Frequent thirst
• Sores in the mouth; sores or split skin at the corners of the mouth; cracked lips
• A dry feeling in the throat
• A burning or tingling sensation in the mouth and especially on the tongue
• A dry, red, raw tongue
• Problems speaking or trouble tasting, chewing, and swallowing
• Hoarseness, dry nasal passages, sore throat
• Bad breath”

Thank you to WebMD at https://www.webmd.com/oral-health/guide/dental-health-dry-mouth#1 for the above information.

Will you look at that! Just as diabetes can cause CKD and CKD can cause diabetes, bad breath (halitosis), soreness or burning sensation in the mouth can both be symptoms of dry mouth and problems caused by dry mouth.

Let’s see now. What else can I tell you about dry mouth? DentistryIQ at https://www.dentistryiq.com/clinical/oral-cancer/article/16356305/facts-about-dry-mouth is a new site for me. They describe themselves as “… a leading source of information that helps dental professionals achieve excellence in their positions, whether that position is dentist, dental practice owner, dental hygienist, dental office manager, dental assistant, or dental school student.” I went there to find out just how many people suffer from dry mouth.

“It is estimated to affect millions of people in the United States, particularly women and the elderly…. Current research indicates that approximately one in four adults suffer from dry mouth, and this figure increases to 40 percent in populations over the age of 55….”

This was back in 2006, and unfortunately are the most current figures I could find. Please let us know if you can find more current numbers.

Personal note: Tomorrow I will be having surgery to remove the pancreatic cancerous tumor I’ve been dealing with since last February. The blogs will be posted right on time, but comments, emails, etc. probably won’t be answered for a while. I’ve been told this is an arduous surgery with a long, slow recovery period. Keep well until we can communicate again.

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

How Will They Know?

Let’s start this month with a guest blog by American Medical Alert IDs. Why? Although I am not endorsing this particular brand, because I clearly remember being give Sulphur drugs in the Emergency Room when I was by myself and unable to let the medical staff there know I have Chronic Kidney Disease. Why? Because I remember that my husband fell when I was out of town. His grown children took him to the emergency room but didn’t know about his latex allergy and he was in no condition to explain.

 

Everything You Need To Know About Medical Alert IDs for Chronic Kidney Disease

Are you debating on getting a medical alert ID for chronic kidney disease? It’s time to take the confusion out of choosing and engraving a medical ID. This post will show you everything you need to know so you can enjoy the benefits of wearing one.

Why Kidney Patients Should Wear a Medical Alert ID

A medical ID serves as an effective tool to alert emergency staff of a patient’s special care needs, even when a person can’t speak for themselves. When every second counts, wearing a medical ID can help protect the kidney and safeguard its remaining function.

In emergencies, anyone diagnosed with chronic kidney disease or kidney failure may require special medical attention and monitoring. It is important that patients are able to communicate and identify their medical condition at all times. This includes individuals who are:

• Undergoing in-center hemodialysis
• Undergoing home hemodialysis
• On Continuous Ambulatory Peritoneal Dialysis (CAPD)
• On Continuous Cycling Peritoneal Dialysis (CCPD)
• Transplant recipients
• Diagnosed with diabetes

Delays in getting the proper treatment needed for chronic kidney disease may lead to the following complications:

• Fatal levels of potassium or hyperkalemia. This condition can lead to dangerous, and possibly deadly, changes in the heart rhythm.

• Increased risk of peritonitis or inflammation of the membranes of the abdominal wall and organs. Peritonitis is a life-threatening emergency that needs prompt medical treatment.
• Anemia or decreased supply in red blood cells. Anemia can make a patient tired, weak, and short of breath.
• Heart disease, heart attack, congestive heart failure, and stroke
• High blood pressure which can cause further damage to the kidneys and negatively impact blood vessels, heart, and other organs in the body.
• Fluid buildup in the body that can cause problems with the heart and lungs.

According to Medscape, the most common cause of sudden death in patients with ESRD is hyperkalemia, which often follows missed dialysis or dietary indiscretion. The most common cause of death overall in the dialysis population is cardiovascular disease; cardiovascular mortality is 10-20 times higher in dialysis patients than in the general population.

Kidney Patients Who Wear a Medical ID Have 62% Lower Risk of Renal Failure

In a study of 350 patients, primarily in CKD stages 2 through 5, those who wore a medical ID bracelet or necklace had a 62% lower risk of developing kidney failure, based on eGFR. Wearing a medical-alert bracelet or necklace was associated with a lower risk of developing kidney failure compared with usual care.

Wearing a medical ID can serve as a reminder to look after your health and make the right choices such as taking medication on time and sticking to proper diet.

6 Things to Engrave on Kidney Disease Medical ID

A custom engraved medical alert jewelry can hold precise information that is specific to the wearer’s health condition. Here are some of the most important items to put on a chronic kidney disease or kidney failure medical ID:

• Name
• Medical information – including if you have other medical conditions such as diabetes or high blood pressure
• Stage of CKD or kidney function
• Transplant information
• Current list of medicines
• Contact person

Some patients have a long list of medications that may not fit on the engraved part of an ID. An emergency wallet card is recommended to use for listing down your medicines and other information or medical history.

 

Click here to enlarge chronic kidney disease infographic

Do you wear or carry a form of medical identification with you? Please share your experience or tips with us by posting a comment.

Ready for a new topic? All right then. Ever have a problem drinking your coffee? I know I have… until I followed these tips from the Cleveland Clinic at https://health.clevelandclinic.org/coffee-giving-you-tummy-trouble-try-these-low-acid-options/:

Here’s hoping that next cup of coffee treats you well.

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

 

Stay in the Blood, PLEASE

Let’s finish out this lazy, hazy summer month of August with another reader question. This one was quite straight forward:

“Any advice to slow down protein leaking into urine. Hard to build muscle when you keep excreting protein”

The condition of leaking protein into your urine is called proteinuria. That’s almost self-explanatory. The root of the word actually says protein while the suffix (group of related letters added to the end of a word which changes its meaning) is defined as,

“-uria.

1. suffix meaning the “presence of a substance in the urine”: ammoniuria, calciuria, enzymuria.
2. combining form meaning “(condition of) possessing urine”: paruria, polyuria, pyuria.

Thank you to the Medical Dictionary at https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/-uria for the definition of uria.

Okay, so we know that protein is leaking into the urine. Not good. Why? We need it in our blood, not excreted in our urine. The following is from a previous blog on proteinuria. I used the dropdown menu in “Topics” on the right side of the blog page to find it or any other topic listed there. You can, too.

“According to WebMD at https://www.webmd.com/men/features/benefits-protein#1:

‘Protein is an important component of every cell in the body. Hair and nails are mostly made of protein. Your body uses protein to build and repair tissues. You also use protein to make enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals. Protein is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood.’”

Got it. Our reader is correct; it is hard to build muscle if you’re “excreting protein.” Now what? I usually stick to medical sites but this comment from Healthfully at https://healthfully.com/170108-how-to-reduce-excess-protein-in-the-kidney.html caught my eye.

“Continue monitoring how much protein your kidneys are spilling for several months. Since colds and infections can cause transient increases in protein, you will want at least several months of data.”

As Chronic Kidney Disease patients, we usually have quarterly urine tests… or, at least, I do. My urine protein level is included. I did not know that colds and infections are a factor here. Here’s an old urine analysis of mine. You can see Protein, Urine fourth from the bottom.

Component	Your Value	Standard Range
Color, Urine	Yellow	Colorless, Light Yellow, Yellow, Dark Yellow, Straw
Clarity, Urine	Clear	Clear
Glucose, Urine	Negative mg/dL	Negative mg/dL
Bilirubin, Urine	Negative	Negative
Ketones, Urine	Negative mg/dL	Negative mg/dL
Specific Gravity, Urine	1.013	1.007 – 1.026
Blood, Urine	Negative	Negative
pH, Urine	7.0	5.0 – 8.0
Protein, Urine	Negative mg/dL	Negative mg/dL
Urobilinogen, Urine	<2.0 mg/dL	<2.0 mg/dL
Nitrite, Urine	Negative	Negative
Leukocyte Esterase, Urine	Negative	Negative

Let’s say our reader did not have a cold or infection. What else could she do to slow down this loss of protein via her urine?

The American Kidney Fund at http://www.kidneyfund.org/kidney-disease/kidney-problems/protein-in-urine.html suggests the following:

“If you have diabetes or high blood pressure, the first and second most common causes of kidney disease, it is important to make sure these conditions are under control.

If you have diabetes, controlling it will mean checking your blood sugar often, taking medicines as your doctor tells you to, and following a healthy eating and exercise plan. If you have high blood pressure, your doctor may tell you to take a medicine to help lower your blood pressure and protect your kidneys from further damage. The types of medicine that can help with blood pressure and proteinuria are called angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE inhibitors) and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs).

If you have protein in your urine, but you do not have diabetes or high blood pressure, an ACE inhibitor or an ARB may still help to protect your kidneys from further damage. If you have protein in your urine, talk to your doctor about choosing the best treatment option for you.”

So far, we’ve discovered that frequent urine testing, determining if you have a cold or infection, keeping your diabetes and blood pressure under control, and/or ACE inhibitors may be helpful. But here’s my eternal question: What else can slow down the spilling of protein into our urine?

The Kidney & Urology Foundation of America, Inc. at http://www.kidneyurology.org/Library/Kidney_Health/Proteinuria.php has some more ideas about that:

“In addition to blood glucose and blood pressure control, restricting dietary salt and protein intake is recommended. Your doctor may refer you to a dietitian to help you develop and follow a healthy eating plan.”

As CKD patients, we know we need to cut down on salt intake. I actually eliminate added salt and have banned the salt shakers from the kitchen. No wonder no one but me likes my cooking. You do lose your taste for salt eventually. After all these years, I taste salt in restaurant food that makes that particular food unpalatable to me.

Hmmm, it seems to me that a list of high protein foods might be helpful here.

POULTRY…

• Skinless chicken breast – 4oz – 183 Calories – 30g Protein – 0 Carbs – 7g Fat
• Skinless chicken (Dark) – 4 oz – 230 Calories – 32g Protein – 0 Carbs – 5g Fat
• Skinless Turkey (White) – 4 oz – 176 Calories – 34g Protein – 0 Carbs – 3.5g Fat
• Skinless Turkey (Dark) – 4 oz – 211 Calories – 31g Protein – 0 Carbs – 8.1 g Fat

FISH…

• Salmon – 3 oz – 119 Calories – 17g Protein – 0 Carbs – 5.5g Fat
• Halibut – 3 oz – 91 Calories – 18g Protein – 0 Carbs – 3g Fat
• Tuna – 1/4 cup – 70 Calories – 18g Protein – 0 Carbs – 0g Fat
• Mackerel – 3 oz – 178 Calories – 16.1g Protein – 0 Carbs – 12g Fat
• Anchovies (packed in water) – 1 oz – 42 Calories – 6g Protein – 1.3g Fat
• Flounder – 1 127g fillet – 149 Calories – 30.7g Protein – 0 Carbs – 0.5g Fat (High Cholesterol)
• Swordfish – 1 piece 106g – 164 Calories – 26.9g Protein – 0 Carbs – 1.5g Fat (High Cholesterol)
• Cod – 1 fillet 180g – 189 Calories – 41.4g protein – 0 Carbs – 0.3g Fat (High Cholesterol)
• Herring – 1 fillet 143g – 290 Calories – 32.9g Protein – 0 Carbs – 3.7g Fat (High Cholesterol)
• Haddock – 1 fillet 150g – 168 Calories – 36.4g Protein – 0 Carbs – 0.3g Fat (High Cholesterol)
• Grouper – fillet 202g – 238 Calories – 50.2g Protein – 0 Carbs – 0.6g Fat (High Cholesterol)
• Snapper – 1 fillet 170g – 218 Calories – 44.7g Protein – 0 Carbs – 0.6g Fat (High Cholesterol)

BEEF…

• Eye of round steak – 3 oz – 276 Calories – 49g Protein – 2.4g Fat
• Sirloin tip side steak – 3 oz -206 Calories – 39g Protein – 2g Fat
• Top sirloin – 3 oz – 319 Calories – 50.9g Protein – 4g Fat
• Bottom round steak – 3 oz – 300 Calories – 47g Protein – 3.5g Fat
• Top round steak – 3 oz – 240 Calories – 37g Protein – 3.1g Fat

PORK…

• Pork loin – 3 oz – 180 Calories – 25g Protein – 0 Carbs – 2.9g Fat (High in cholesterol)
• Tenderloin– 3 oz – 103 Calories – 18g Protein – 0.3g Carbs – 1.2g Fat (High in cholesterol)

GAME MEATS…

• Bison – 3 0z – 152 Calories – 21.6g Protein – 0 Carbs – 3g Fat
• Rabbit – 3 oz – 167 Calories – 24.7g Protein – 0 Carbs – 2.0g Fat
• Venison (Deer loin broiled) – 3 oz – 128 Calories – 25.7g Protein – 0 Carbs – 0.7g Fat

GRAINS…

• Cooked Quinoa – 1/2 cup – 115 Calories – 4.1g Protein – 22 Carbs – 2g Fat
• Cooked Brown Rice – 1/2 cup – 106 Calories – 2.7g Protein – 23 Carbs – 0.7g Fat
• Regular Popcorn (Air Popped no oil) – 1 cup – 60 Calories – 2g Protein – 11 Carbs – 0.6g Fat
• Steel cut Oatmeal – 1 cup – 145 Calories – 7g Protein – 25g Carbs – 2.5g Fat
• Multi grain bread – 1 slice – 68.9 Calories – 3.5g Protein – 11.3g Carbs – 0.2g Fat

BEANS (All nutrition values calculated for cooked beans)…

• Tofu – 1/2 cup – 98 Calories – 11g Protein – 2g Carbs – 6g Fat
• Lentils – 1/2 cup – 119 Calories – 9g Protein – 20g Carbs – 0.3g Fat
• Black beans – 1/2 cup – 115 Calories – 7.8g Protein – 20 Carbs – 0.4g Fat
• Kidney beans – 1/2 cup – 111 Calories – 7.2g Protein – 20.2 Carbs – 0.4g Fat
• Lima beans – 1/2 cup – 110 Calories – 7.4g Protein – 19.7 Carbs – 0.3g Fat
• Soy beans – 1/2 cup – 133 Calories – 11g Protein – 10 Carbs – 5.9g Fat

DAIRY…

• Skim milk – 1 cup – 90 Calories – 9g Protein – 12g Carbs – 4.8g Fat
• Low fat Yogurt – 1 cup – 148 Calories – 12g Protein – 17Carbs – 3.2g Fat
• Non fat Yogurt – 1 cup – 130 Calories – 13g Protein – 16.9 Carbs – 0.4 Fat
• Cheddar cheese – 1 oz – 116 Calories – 7g Protein – 0.4 Carbs – 9.2g Fat
• Low fat Cottage Cheese – 1/2 cup – 82 Calories – 14g Protein – 3.1g Carbs – 0.7g Fat
• One large egg – 73 Calories – 6.6g Protein – 0 Carbs – 6g Fat
• Low fat Milk – 1 cup – 119 Calories – 8g Protein – 12 Carbs – 4.6g Fat

NUTS & SEEDS…

• Raw Almonds – 1 oz about 22 whole – 169 Calories – 22g Carbs – 6.2g Protein – 1.1g Fat
• Raw Pistachios – 1 oz about 49 Kernels – 157 Calories – 7.9g Carbs – 5.8g Protein – 1.5g Fat
• Pumpkin seeds – 1 oz – 28g about 100 hulled seeds – 151 Calories – 5g Carbs – 6.0g Protein – 2.4g Fat
• Raw Macadamia nuts – 1 oz about 10- 12 kernels – 203 Calories – 4g Carbs – 2.2g Protein – 3.4g Fat
• Chia seeds – 1 oz – 137 Calories – 12.3g Carbs – 4.4g Protein – 0.9g Fat
• Walnuts – 1 cup in shell about 7 total – 183 Calories – 3.8g Carbs – 4.3g Protein – 1.7g Fat
• Raw Cashews1oz – 28g – 155 Calories – 9.2g Carbs – 5.1g Protein – 2.2g Fat

MORE HIGH PROTEIN FOODS…

• Natural peanut butter – 1 oz – 146 Calories – 7.3g Protein – 10g Carbs – 1.6g Fat
• Natural almond butter – 1 tbsp – 101 Calories – 2.4g Protein – 3.4 Carbs – 0.9g Fat
• Natural cashew butter – 1 tbsp – 93.9 Calories – 2.8g Protein – 4.4 Carbs – 1.6g Fat
• Hummus – 1 oz – 46.5 Calories – 2.2g Protein – 4.0g Carbs – 0.4g Fat
• Tempeh Cooked – 1 oz – 54 Calories – 5.1g Protein – 2.6g Carbs – 1.0g Fat

There’s a vegan list on the same site. Be leery of protein sources that are not on your kidney diet.

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

 

Adult Toys

In keeping with my promise to myself that August would be answer-readers’-questions month, this week I’ll be writing about the occupational therapy toys a reader asked about. Did you think I meant the other kind of adult toys? Hmmm, maybe it would make sense to know why toys are used in dealing with neuropathy in the first place.

As my occupational therapist explained it, the therapy toys are used to stimulate the nerve endings to bud so that new pathways may be created. I don’t fully understand it, but this is what I wrote in my July 29^th blog:

“I have a bag of toys. Each has a different sensory delivery on my hands and feet. For example, there’s a woven metal ring that I run up and down my fingers and toes, then up my arms and legs. I do the same with most of the other toys: a ball with netting over it, another with rubber strings hanging from it. I also have a box of uncooked rice to rub my feet and hands in… and lots of other toys. The idea is to desensitize my hands and feet.”

Ah, but now we know these therapy toys are used for more. Desensitization? Good. Building new pathways for sensations? Better. Yes, I want my hands and feet to stop feeling so tingly all the time, but I also want to be able to feel whatever it is I’m holding or touching. Remember, for me, this was an unexpected side effect of chemotherapy, although it could have just as easily been diabetic peripheral neuropathy. Aha! Now you see why I’ve included this in the blog posts in the first place: Diabetes is the number one cause of Chronic Kidney Disease.

Ready to explore some therapy toys? Well, all rightee. Let’s start with my favorite, the one I call the smoosh ball. Oh, since I bought a bag full of these different therapy toys on Amazon, none were labeled so I made up my own names for them. Hey, I’m a writer. I can get away with that.

This one is soft and rubbery. It’s the “another with rubber strings hanging from it,” mentioned above that I rub on my toes and up my legs, then my fingers and up my arms as I do with most of these therapy toys. It causes the loveliest goose bumps. I’m surprised that Shiloh, our 80 pound dog, doesn’t go after it just for the way it seems to shimmer. I also squeeze the smoosh ball with each hand.

The opposite of the smoosh ball is the steel ring. This one is almost painful if I’m not careful. In addition to using it on my hands, arms, fingers, and toes as I did the smoosh ball, I also use it as a ring on each toe and finger moving it up and down. Notice I’m not mentioning how many repetitions I do for each of the therapy toys. That’s because everyone is different. Your neuropathy may be worse than mine, or – hopefully – not as bad as mine.

The pea pod is the hardest therapy toy for me to use. The idea is to squeeze the pod to cause the peas to pop up one by one. Sounds easy, right? Nope. You need to isolate these fingers you can’t even feel until you get the right ones pressing on the right places to make that little fellow pop out.

The brush is a comforting therapy toy. I wonder if this is why horses like being curried (brushed). It’s a soft, rubber brush which feels almost luxuriant as I rub it up my fingers, arms, toes, and legs. It was also the first therapy toy I was introduced to since the occupational therapist used it during my first treatment.

Then there’s the ball with the netting around it. I do the usual rub the fingers, arms, toes, and legs with it. I also squeeze it like a stress ball. It feels completely different than the smoosh ball and even makes a sort of flatulence sound when I squeeze it. Well, that was unexpected.

I have a small ball that looks like a globe. Maybe that’s because children use these therapy toys, too? All I can figure out to do with this is to squeeze it like a stress ball. I’ll have to remember to ask the occupational therapist if that’s what it’s meant for.

The little beads can defeat me. The idea is to place them in a bowl and then pick them up using your thumb and the different fingers one at a time. At first, I was using my long nails to pick them up. Once I realized what I was doing, I cut my nails. It is surprising to me to realize how weak some of my fingers are as compared to how strong others are.

The mesh has a bead in it. You move it back and forth from one end of the mesh to the other, using each finger plus your thumb individually. Of course, this one feels really good on the toes, legs, fingers, and arms because it’s a soft mesh (but not as soft as the mesh on the net ball).

The snake is a long piece of soft rubber. Before I execute the usual rubbing on the toes, legs, fingers, and arms, I use it the way you use an elastic band for stretching across your chest. It is more flexible than you’d think.

Not part of my bag of tricks – I mean therapy toys – is the foot roller. This is another therapy toy I bought on Amazon after trying one out at an occupational therapy treatment.  Have you ever heard the expression ‘hurts so good?’ That’s what this feels like while you roll it back and forth under your feet. Lest you get me wrong, it does not hurt enough to make you want to stop, just enough to make those tingly feet tingle even more.

I also do stretching exercises for my hands, place my feet in rice, and try to pick up a wash cloth with my toes. It takes a long time to exercise, but I think it’s worth it.

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

That Looks Swollen

Remember I mentioned that several readers have asked questions that would become blogs? For example, one reader’s question became last week’s blog concerning creatinine and PTH. Another reader’s question became this week’s blog about lymphedema. She was diagnosed with it and wondered if it had anything to do with her protein buildup.

She’s a long time reader and online friend, so she already knows I remind those that ask questions that I am not a doctor and, no matter what I discover, she must speak with her nephrologist before taking any action based on what I wrote. That is always true. I’m a CKD patient just like you. The only difference is that I know how to research (Teaching college level Research Writing taught me a lot.) and happen to have been a writer for decades before I was diagnosed. Just take a look at my Amazon Author Page at amazon.com/author/gailraegarwood . But enough about me.

Anyone know what lymphedema is? I didn’t when I first heard the word, although my Hunter College of C.U.N.Y education as an English teacher gave me some clues. Edema had something to do with swelling under the skin. Actually, we can get more specific with The Free Medical Dictionary at https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/-edema :

“suffix meaning swelling resulting from an excessive accumulation of serous fluid in the tissues of the body in (specified) locations”

I took a guess that lymph had to do with the lymph nodes. Using the same dictionary, but this time at https://medical-dictionary.thefreedictionary.com/lymph, I found this:

“The almost colourless fluid that bathes body tissues and is found in the lymphatic vessels that drain the tissues of the fluid that filters across the blood vessel walls from blood. Lymph carries antibodies and lymphocytes (white blood cells that help fight infection) that have entered the lymph nodes from the blood.”

Time to attach the suffix (group of letters added at the end of a word that changes its meaning) to the root (most basic meaning of the word) to come up with a definition of lymphedema. No, not my definition, the same dictionary’s.

“Swelling, especially in subcutaneous tissues, as a result of obstruction of lymphatic vessels or lymph nodes, with accumulation of lymph in the affected region.”

I found this definition at https://www.thefreedictionary.com/lymphedema, but if you switch the search options at the top of the page from dictionary to medical dictionary, you’ll find quite a bit of information about lymphedema.

Okay, we know what lymphedema is now but what – if anything – does that have to do with protein buildup? This is the closest I could come to an answer that

1. Wasn’t too medical for me to understand and
2. Had anything to do with the kidneys.

“A thorough medical history and physical examination are done to rule out other causes of limb swelling, such as edema due to congestive heart failure, kidney failure, blood clots, or other conditions.”

It’s from MedicineNet at https://www.medicinenet.com/lymphedema/article.htm#how_is_lymphedema_diagnosed

My friend, while a Chronic Kidney Disease patient, is not in renal failure. Was there something I missed?

Johns Hopkins Medicine at https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/treatment-tests-and-therapies/treating-lymphedema gives us our first clue. It seems that lymphedema is a buildup of a specific fluid: protein-rich:

“Lymphedema is an abnormal buildup of protein-rich fluid in any part of the body as a result of malfunction in the lymphatic system.”

Malfunction in the lymphatic system? What could cause that? According to Lymphatic Education & Research at https://lymphaticnetwork.org/living-with-lymphedema/lymphatic-disease:

“Secondary Lymphedema (acquired regional lymphatic insufficiency) is a disease that is common among adults and children in the United States. It can occur following any trauma, infection or surgery that disrupts the lymphatic channels or results in the loss of lymph nodes. Among the more than 3 million breast cancer survivors alone, acquired or secondary lymphedema is believed to be present in approximately 30% of these individuals, predisposing them to the same long-term problems as described above. Lymphedema also results from prostate, uterine, cervical, abdominal, orthopedic cosmetic (liposuction) and other surgeries, malignant melanoma, and treatments used for both Hodgkin’s and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Radiation, sports injuries, tattooing, and any physical insult to the lymphatic pathways can also cause lymphedema. Even though lymphatic insufficiency may not immediately present at the time any of the events occur, these individuals are at life-long risk for the onset of lymphedema.”

I know the reader who has asked the question has a complex medical history that may include one or more of the conditions listed above. As for the protein buildup, we already know that kidneys which are

not working well don’t filter the protein from your blood as well as they could. So, is there a connection between this reader’s protein buildup and her lymphedema? Sure looks like it.

While the following is from BreastCancer.org at https://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/lymphedema/how/start, it is a simple explanation that may apply to other causes of lymphedema, too:

“… lymph nodes and vessels can’t keep up with the tissues’ need to get rid of extra fluid, proteins (Gail here: my bolding), and waste.… the proteins and wastes do not get filtered out of the lymph as efficiently as they once did. Very gradually, waste and fluid build up…. “

Ready for a topic change? The World Health Organization offers this pictograph for our information. Notice diabetes, one of the main causes of Chronic Kidney Disease.

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

But Why?

As Chronic Kidney Disease patients, we all know that proteinuria is one indication of our disease. Would you like a reminder about what proteinuria is? Here’s one from The American Kidney Fund at http://www.kidneyfund.org/kidney-disease/kidney-problems/protein-in-urine.html:

“Healthy kidneys remove extra fluid and waste from your blood, but let proteins and other important nutrients pass through and return to your blood stream. When your kidneys are not working as well as they should, they can let some protein (albumin) escape through their filters, into your urine. When you have protein in your urine, it is called proteinuria (or albuminuria). Having protein in your urine can be a sign of nephrotic syndrome, or an early sign of kidney disease.”

I used to think that’s all it was: an indicator of CKD. That is until my occupational therapist and I got to talking about the edema caused by neuropathy.

Ah! Flash! We did also talk about Havimat which I wrote about last week and I checked on a number of sites to see if it were safe for an active tumor. The consensus of the sites agreed it was safe to use on someone with an active tumor that was being treated as long as it was not used on the location of the tumor itself. I feel better now about having had three sessions with Havimat since the occupational therapist was careful not to use it anywhere near my pancreas – the site of the tumor.

But I digress. Back to the topic at hand: proteinuria. It seems that protein is needed in the body, rather than being excreted in the urine. You guessed it. My question became the topic of today’s blog: But Why?

According to WebMD at https://www.webmd.com/men/features/benefits-protein#1:

“Protein is an important component of every cell in the body. Hair and nails are mostly made of protein. Your body uses protein to build and repair tissues. You also use protein to make enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals. Protein is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood.”

Okay, got it that protein is very necessary but what does that have to do with the chemotherapy I had that seemed to cause the proteinuria problem?  After looking at bunches of different sites (Today’s blog is taking a very long time to write.), I gleaned a little hint here and a little hint there until I figured out that certain types of chemotherapy may make proteinuria worse if you already have it, or cause it. Boo for me; I lost on that one since I already had proteinuria.

Well, what about the edema from the neuropathy? Was proteinuria affecting that in some way? Or did I have it backwards and it was the neuropathy that was causing the edema. I went to eMedicineHealth at https://www.emedicinehealth.com/neuropathy/article_em.htm#what_is_neuropathy for some help with this.

“Certain drugs and medications can cause nerve damage. Examples include cancer therapy drugs such as vincristine(Oncovin, Vincasar), and antibiotics such as metronidazole (Flagyl), and isoniazid (Nydrazid, Laniazid).”

This little tidbit is from MedicalNewsToday at https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323481.php :

“Chemotherapy can damage nerves that affect feeling and movement in the hands and feet. Doctors call this condition chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN). Symptoms can be severe and may affect a person’s quality of life.”

By the way, diabetic neuropathy is another form of peripheral neuropathy.

Uh-oh, now what do I do? The HonorHealth Research Institute in Scottsdale, Arizona, where I’m being treated offered both the gabapentin for the pain (which I skipped since I want to try non-drug treatment first) and occupational therapy. Let’s see what that might do for me. Please note that occupational therapy works at reducing the pain of the neuropathy.

I have a bag of toys. Each has a different sensory delivery on my hands and feet. For example, there’s a woven metal ring that I run up and down my fingers and toes, then up my arms and legs. I do the same with most of the other toys: a ball with netting over it, another with rubber strings hanging from it. I also have a box of uncooked rice to rub my feet and hands in… and lots of other toys. The idea is to desensitize my hands and feet.

I was also given physical exercises to do, like raising my fisted hands above my head and straightening out my fist several times.  This is one of many exercises. Do you remember the old TV show, E.R? It takes me slightly longer than one 43 minute episode to complete the exercises.

When I go to see the therapist, she uses the Havimat (electrical stimulation), another machine that sucks the chemo out (no kidding… and it doesn’t hurt either.), and a third that pulses. I am amazed at how the edema disappears when she uses these. But, unfortunately, the effect doesn’t stay very long. Compression socks have helped and, despite their not-so-pleasing appearance are quite comfortable.

Wow! Proteinuria is so much more than just an indication that you may have Chronic Kidney Disease.

Ready for a topic change? The following is part of an email I received from KDIGO (Kidney Disease – Improving Global Outcomes).

“We … invite your comments at any time.  Suggest topics, look for opportunities for KDIGO to implement its work in your area, bring new ideas to us, and help us become more relevant to the lives of patients like you. As a global organization, we seek to continue to develop communication channels to patients throughout the world.  This is difficult to do from one perspective, but if we work together we can build a robust base of individuals and ideas that will help us plan and carry out our mission.

KDIGO doesn’t have any members or local entities to whom we are accountable.  We only are accountable to you, our patients.  Outcomes of your care are our mission.  We can do it better if you work with us and give us your constructive input.

Again, thanks for letting us know you’d like to be a part of this global effort.  Your ideas are welcome and will be taken into account. “

Keep those comments coming, folks. Their email is kdigocommunications@kdigo.org.

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

Diabetic Neuropathy or Not: I WILL Dance Again

I come from a family of dancers. My parents and their siblings were all light on their feet and danced from the time they were teens right up until just before their deaths. It was a delight to watch them. The tradition continued with me… and my youngest who actually taught blues dancing for several years.

Ah, but then my neuropathy appeared. This was years before the diabetes diagnosis. Hmmm, there’s still a question as to whether or not the diabetes was caused by the pancreatic cancer. After all, the pancreas does produce insulin.

I just reread the above two paragraphs and see so much that needs some basic explanation. Let’s start with those explanations this week. How many of you know what neuropathy is? I didn’t either until I was diagnosed with it. According to my favorite dictionary since college a million years ago, The Merriam-Webster Dictionary at https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/neuropathy defines neuropathy as:

“damage, disease, or dysfunction of one or more nerves especially of the peripheral nervous system that is typically marked by burning or shooting pain, numbness, tingling, or muscle weakness or atrophy, is often degenerative, and is usually caused by injury, infection, disease, drugs, toxins, or vitamin deficiency “

If you clicked though on ‘peripheral nervous system’ in the dictionary definition, you know it means,

“the part of the nervous system that is outside the central nervous system and comprises the cranial nerves excepting the optic nerve, the spinal nerves, and the autonomic nervous system”

Since the neuropathy was so minor before the pancreatic cancer, I wasn’t even aware of it until my neurologist did some testing. I knew my feet were tingly sometimes, but I thought they had fallen asleep. It did sort of feel like that.

Then, I started chemotherapy in March. The tingling became so bad that I couldn’t feel my feet under me and had to rely on a cane to keep my balance. We thought it was the chemo drugs causing the neuropathy. Uh-oh, that was just about when my hands became affected, too, and my A1C (Remember that one? It’s the blood test for the average of your blood glucose over a three month period.) rose all the way to 7.1.

Healthline at https://www.healthline.com/health/type-2-diabetes/ac1-test#understanding-the-results tells us,

“Someone without diabetes will have about 5 percent of their hemoglobin glycated [Gail here: that means glucose bonded to hemoglobin]. A normal A1C level is 5.6 percent or below, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

A level of 5.7 to 6.4 percent indicates prediabetes. People with diabetes have an A1C level of 6.5 percent or above.”

Mind you, during chemotherapy I’d been ordered to eat whatever I could. Getting in the calories would cut down on the expected weight loss. In all honesty, I’m the only person I know what gained weight while on chemotherapy.

Now, what is this about the pancreas producing insulin? Might as well get a definition of insulin while we’re at it. MedicineNet at https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=3989 offered the simplest explanation:

“A natural hormone made by the pancreas that controls the level of the sugar glucose in the blood. Insulin permits cells to use glucose for energy. Cells cannot utilize glucose without insulin.”

That would explain why my energy is practically nil, but it also seems to indicate that I won’t be able to do anything about it until after the surgery to remove the tumor. Although, when I start radiation next week, I may be able to go back to the diabetic diet. By the way, after following the Chronic Kidney Disease diet for 11 years, none of the new – off the CKD diet – foods I tried are appealing to me.

But I digress. So, what now? I need to dance; it’s part of who I am. My oncologist referred me to Occupational Therapy. Now I have exercises and tactile surfaces to explore that may be helpful. But what about those who are not going through chemotherapy, but do have diabetic neuropathy? Remember diabetes is the number cause of CKD.

Oh, my goodness. It looks like there are as many ways to treat neuropathy as there are different kinds of neuropathy. I hadn’t expected that. EverydayHealth at https://www.everydayhealth.com/neuropathy/guide/treatment/ gives us an idea of just how complicated choosing the proper treatment for your neuropathy can be:

“What Are the Main Ways That Neuropathy Is Treated?

Treating neuropathy in general focuses first on identifying and then addressing the underlying condition to help prevent further damage and give nerves the time they need to heal to the extent that they can.

“The treatment for the neuropathy is to reverse whatever it is that is causing the neuropathy,” says Clifford Segil, DO, a neurologist at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California. “We try to reverse the insult to the nerves first and then do symptomatic control.”

For people with diabetic neuropathy, the first step physicians take is getting the person’s blood glucose level under control, says Matthew Villani, DPM, a podiatrist at Central Florida Regional Hospital in Sanford, Florida.

This treatment approach aims to remove the “insult” created by the excess sugar to peripheral nerves throughout the body — but especially the extremities, Dr. Segil explains.

Here are some other ways diabetic neuropathy may be treated:

• Pain, burning, and tingling are treated with over-the-counter and prescription medication such as nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), topical creams, COX-2 inhibitors, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, and opioids. [Gail again, as CKD patients we’re out on the NSAIDS.]

• Numbness or complete loss of sensation can lead to complications such as ulcers, sores, and limb amputations. It is addressed by monitoring the affected areas — often the feet — for injuries and addressing wounds before they become more serious, as well as prescribing protective footwear and braces.
• Orthostatic hypotension (a drop in blood pressure upon standing up), which is an autonomic symptom, can be treated with increased sodium intake, a vasopressor such as ProAmatine (midodrine) to constrict blood vessels, a synthetic mineralocorticoid such as fludrocortisone to help maintain the balance of salt in the body, or a cholinesterase inhibitor such as pyridostigmine, which affects neurotransmitters.
• Gastroparesis, a delayed emptying of the stomach, is another autonomic symptom, which can be treated with medication to control nausea and vomiting, such as Reglan (metoclopramide), Ery-Tab (erythromycin), antiemetics, and antidepressants, as well as pain medication for abdominal discomfort.
• Motor neuropathy symptoms can include weakness and muscle wasting, particularly in the lower extremities, as well as deformities of the feet and loss of the Achilles’ heel tendon reflex. Treatments can include physical therapy to regain strength, as well as braces and orthotics.

I’ve got to think about this. Any questions? Well, then,

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

No Longer a Transfusion Virgin

I’ve been thinking about the similarities between Chronic Kidney Disease treatment and Pancreatic Cancer treatment… or, at least, my Pancreatic Cancer treatment. Some are superficial, like going to the Research Institute several days a week for chemotherapy and those on dialysis going to the dialysis center several days a week for dialysis.

Some are not. A current topic of similarity was an eye opener for me. I am 72 years old and have never had a transfusion before last Monday. I’d gone to the Research Institute where I’m part of a clinical trial for a simple non-chemotherapy day checkup. This supposedly two hour appointment turned into almost eight hours. Why?

If you can understand these labs, you’ll know. If not, no problem. You know I’ll explain.

Component	Your Value	Standard Range
RBC	2.23 10ˆ6/uL	3.50 – 5.40 10ˆ6/uL
Hemoglobin	6.8 g/dL	12.0 – 16.0 g/dL
Hematocrit	19.7 %	36.0 – 48.0 %
RDW	16.0 %	11.5 – 14.5 %
Platelets	15 K/uL	130 – 450 K/uL

Let’s start at the top of the list. RBC stands for red blood cells. MedicineNet at https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=5260 tells us:

“Red blood cells: The blood cells that carry oxygen. Red cells contain hemoglobin and it is the hemoglobin which permits them to transport oxygen (and carbon dioxide). Hemoglobin, aside from being a transport molecule, is a pigment. It gives the cells their red color (and their name).

The abbreviation for red blood cells is RBCs. Red blood cells are sometime simply called red cells. They are also called erythrocytes or, rarely today, red blood corpuscles.”

So it makes sense that if RBC is below the standard range (column on the right), the hemoglobin will also be. And where are RBCs produced? Let’s trot on over to the National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive, and Kidney Disease (NIKKD) at https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/anemia for the answer to that one:

“Healthy kidneys produce a hormone called erythropoietin (EPO). A hormone is a chemical produced by the body and released into the blood to help trigger or regulate particular body functions. EPO prompts the bone marrow to make red blood cells, which then carry oxygen throughout the body.

What causes anemia in chronic kidney disease?

When kidneys are diseased or damaged, they do not make enough EPO. As a result, the bone marrow makes fewer red blood cells, causing anemia. When blood has fewer red blood cells, it deprives the body of the oxygen it needs.”

Now, this is not saying all CKD patients will have anemia, although it is common is the later stages of the disease. Chemotherapy had a lot to do with this, too.

What about this hematocrit? What is that? I went to the University of Rochester’s Health Encyclopedia at https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/encyclopedia/content.aspx?contenttypeid=167&contentid=hematocrit for help here:

“This test measures how much of your blood is made up of red blood cells.

Normal blood contains white blood cells, red blood cells, platelets, and the fluid portion called plasma. The word hematocrit means to separate. In this test, your red blood cells are separated from the rest of your blood so they can be measured.

Your hematocrit (HCT) shows whether you have a normal amount of red blood cells, too many, or too few. To measure your HCT, your blood sample is spun at a high speed to separate the red blood cells.”

MedicalNewsToday at https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/321568.php helps us understand the RDW or red cell distribution width:

“If the results of a CBC [Gail here: that’s the complete blood count.] show low levels of red blood cells or hemoglobin, this usually suggests anemia. Doctors will then try to determine the cause of the condition using the RDW and other tests.”

So, we’re back to anemia. By the way, cancer is one of the diseases that can cause high numbers on your RDW. CKD is not, but diabetes – one of the primary causes of CKD – is.

I added platelets to the list since they are such an integral part of your blood. MedLinePlus at https://medlineplus.gov/plateletdisorders.html explains succinctly just what they are and what they do:

“Platelets, also known as thrombocytes, are small pieces of blood cells. They form in your bone marrow, a sponge-like tissue in your bones. Platelets play a major role in blood clotting. Normally, when one of your blood vessels is injured, you start to bleed. Your platelets will clot (clump together) to plug the hole in the blood vessel and stop the bleeding. You can have different problems with your platelets:

If your blood has a low number of platelets, it is called thrombocytopenia. This can put you at risk for mild to serious bleeding. The bleeding could be external or internal. There can be various causes. If the problem is mild, you may not need treatment. For more serious cases, you may need medicines or blood or platelet transfusions….”

I had my second infusion of platelets along with my first transfusion last week.

I’ve offered a multitude of definitions today. The point here is that both CKD patients and chemotherapy patients (and others suffering from a host of maladies) may need transfusions.

Right. I haven’t discussed what a transfusion is yet. Dictionary.com at https://www.dictionary.com/browse/transfusion defines it a little simplistically for us:

“the direct transferring of blood, plasma, or the like into a blood vessel.”

The MayoClinic at https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/blood-transfusion/about/pac-20385168 adds:

“Your blood will be tested before a transfusion to determine whether your blood type is A, B, AB or O and whether your blood is Rh positive or Rh negative. The donated blood used for your transfusion must be compatible with your blood type.”

That’s when we discovered my son-in-law and I have the same blood type. Nice to know… just in case, you understand.

Before I leave you today, I want to remind my USA readers that this is Memorial Day. Having married a veteran, I now understand that we are honoring those who gave their saves to preserve ours no matter how long ago or how recent. Please give them a moment of your thoughts.

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

Clinical Trials Day

By now, you probably all know that I chose a clinical trial to treat my pancreatic cancer. But did you know that today, May 20th, is Clinical Trials Day? What’s that, you ask? Let’s find out together. According to The Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) at http://www.clinicaltrialsday.org/:

“WHY MAY 20?

Clinical Trials Day is celebrated around the world in May to recognize the day that James Lind started what is often considered the first randomized clinical trial aboard a ship on May 20, 1747.

HERE’S THE STORY

May, 1747.

The HMS Salisbury of Britain’s Royal Navy fleet patrols the English Channel at a time when scurvy is thought to have killed more British seamen than French and Spanish arms.

Aboard this ship, surgeon mate James Lind, a pioneer of naval hygiene, conducts what many refer to as the first clinical trial.

Acting on a hunch that scurvy was caused by putrefaction of the body that could be cured through the introduction of acids, Lind recruited 12 men for his ‘fair test.’…

---

From The James Lind Library:

Without stating what method of allocation he used, Lind allocated two men to each of six different daily treatments for a period of fourteen days. The six treatments were: 1.1 litres of cider; twenty-five millilitres of elixir vitriol (dilute sulphuric acid); 18 millilitres of vinegar three times throughout the day before meals; half a pint of sea water; two oranges and one lemon continued for six days only (when the supply was exhausted); and a medicinal paste made up of garlic, mustard seed, dried radish root and gum myrrh.…

Those allocated citrus fruits experienced ‘the most sudden and good visible effects,’ according to Lind’s report on the trial.

Though Lind, according to The James Lind Library, might have left his readers ‘confused about his recommendations’ regarding the use of citrus in curing scurvy, he is ‘rightly recognized for having taken care to “‘compare like with like’’, and the design of his trial may have inspired ‘and informed future clinical trial design.'”

I’ve written about James Lind before, so you may want to re-read the 8/20/18 blog to read more about him and his experiments.

Time travel to 2019 with me, if you will, to read what Antidote.Me has to offer in the way of Chronic Kidney Disease Clinical Trials.

****

Headline: Chronic Kidney Disease Research: How to Get Involved

By Nancy Ryerson

May 20 is Clinical Trials Day. Every year, patient advocates and research groups participate to raise awareness of how clinical trial participation drives research progress. You may know that new treatments for Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) can’t move forward without clinical trial volunteers, but you may not know how to find active, relevant trials in your area.

Below, you’ll find answers to commonly asked questions about finding CKD clinical trials, including who can join, how to find trials, and the kinds of questions CKD research aims to answer.

How can I find Chronic Kidney Disease clinical trials near me?

There are currently 171 research studies for CKD looking for volunteers in the United States. All clinical trials are listed on ClinicalTrials.gov, but because the website was developed with researchers in mind rather than patients, it can be difficult for patients to navigate. Antidote is a clinical trial matching company that provides a patient-friendly clinical trial search tool to health nonprofits and bloggers, including this blog. With the Antidote tool, you can answer a few questions about your medical history and where you’d like to find a trial to receive a list of trials you may qualify for in your area. You can also sign up to receive alerts when new trials are added near you.

Who can join CKD clinical trials?

 It’s a common misconception that clinical trials only need volunteers who have been recently diagnosed to take part. It’s also untrue that clinical trials are only a “last resort” for patients who have exhausted other options. In reality, clinical trials can be a care option for patients at any point after diagnosis. CKD trials need volunteers with mild, moderate, and severe kidney disease to participate in different trials. Some trials also look for patients with specific comorbidities, such as hypertension. 

What does CKD research typically focus on? 

Clinical trials for Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) research potential new treatments to slow or stop CKD, as well as treat common conditions associated with CKD, such as anemia or hypertension.

CKD clinical trials aren’t limited to research into new drugs, either. For example, a kidney-friendly diet can make a significant difference in reducing kidney damage, and more research is needed into specific interventions that can help. Research studies are also looking into the impact exercise can have on CKD symptoms and progression.

Clinical trials may also be observational. These kinds of trials don’t test an intervention – a drug, diet, lifestyle change, etc. Instead, participants are divided into groups and observed for differences in outcome. 

Do clinical trials always use a placebo? 

In clinical trials, placebos – also known as “sugar pills” – help researchers understand the effectiveness of an experimental treatment. While they can be an important part of the research process, it’s also understandable that patients hope they won’t receive the placebo in a clinical trial.

If you’re considering taking part in a trial but you’re concerned about receiving a placebo, it’s important to know that not all trials use one. Many trials test a potential new treatment against the standard of care, for example. In some trials that use a placebo, everyone in the trial may receive the study drug at some point during the trial. 

I don’t have time to participate in a clinical trial.

Time restraints are another reason many patients hesitate to participate in clinical trials. While some clinical trials may require weekly site visits, others may only ask participants to come in every month or so. Some trials may also offer virtual visits online or home visits to help reduce the number of trips you’ll need to take to get to a site. When you’re considering joining a clinical trial, ask the study team any questions you have about the trial schedule, reimbursement for travel, or anything else about participation.

Interested in finding a trial near you? Use the SlowItDownCKD trial search, powered by Antidote, to start your search. (Gail here: It’s at the bottom right hand side of the blog roll.)

Ladies and Gentleman, start your motors! I hope you find just the right CKD Clinical Trial for you.

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

Chemo and My Kidneys

 As most of you know, I am extremely protective of my kidneys. When I was first diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease 11 years ago, my eGFR was only 39. Here’s a quick reminder of what the eGFR is from my first CKD book, What Is It and How Did I Get It? Early Stage Chronic Kidney Disease:

“GFR: Glomerular filtration rate [if there is a lower case ‘e’ before the term, it means estimated glomerular filtration rate] which determines both the stage of kidney disease and how well the kidneys are functioning.”

39. That’s stage 3B, the lower part of stage 3B. During the intervening 11 years, I’ve been able to raise it to 50 (and sometimes higher for short periods) via vigorously following the renal diet, exercising, avoiding stress as much as possible, maintaining adequate sleep, and paying strict attention to the medications prescribed for me. While the medications were the ones I had been taking for high blood pressure prior to being diagnosed with CKD, they worked in my favor.

This excerpt from The National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) part of the United States National Library of Medicine (NLM), a branch of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) at https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK492989/ will explain why:

“The decision of whether to reduce blood pressure levels in someone who has chronic kidney disease will depend on

• how high their blood pressure is (when untreated),
• whether they have diabetes, and
• how much protein is in their urine (albumin level).

A person with normal blood pressure who doesn’t have diabetes and hardly has any albumin in their urine will be able to get by without using any blood-pressure-lowering medication. But people who have high blood pressure, diabetes or high levels of albumin in their urine are advised to have treatment with ACE inhibitors (angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors) or sartans (angiotensin receptor blockers). In people who have diabetes, blood-sugar-lowering medication is also important.”

When I was first diagnosed with pancreatic cancer early last month, it changed my medical priorities. With my nephrologist’s blessing, my primary focus was the cancer… not my kidneys. It took constant reminders to myself not to be so quick to say no to anything that I thought would harm my kidneys. In other words, to those things I’d been saying no to for the last 11 years.

For example, once diagnosed with CKD, I ate very little protein keeping to my five ounce daily limitation. Not anymore. Protein is needed to avoid muscle wasting during chemotherapy with a minimum requirement of eight ounces a day. I even tried roast beef and other red meats. After 11 years, they no longer agreed with me so I eat ground turkey, chicken, cheese, and am considering soy.

Another change: I preferred not to eat carbohydrates, but was warned not to lose weight if I could help it. All of a sudden I’m eating Goldfish, bread, and pasta. I can’t say that I’m enjoying them, but I am keeping my weight loss to a minimum. Other limitations like those on potassium and phosphorous have also gone by the wayside. I’ve eaten every childhood favorite, foods that I’ve avoided for the last 11 years, and anything that might look tempting in the last month, but none of them really taste that good. I like the foods on the renal diet now.

Oh, the only thing I have not increased is salt. My daughter takes me to my chemotherapy sessions. There’s a Jewish style restaurant across the street and we showed up early one day. I wanted to try a toasted bagel with butter, the way I ate it before CKD. The damned thing was salty! I hadn’t expected that.

Back to chemo and my kidneys. I admit it. I was nervous. What was this combination of poisons going to do to my kidneys? If it was so caustic that I had to have a port in place so that it wouldn’t be injected directly into my veins for fear of obliterating them, what about my kidneys?

I anxiously awaited my first Comprehensive Blood Panel, the blood test that includes your GFR. Oh, oh, oh! My kidney function had risen to 55 and my creatinine had lowered to 1.0. Let me explain just how good this was.

A GFR of 55 is the higher part of stage 3A. 60 is where stage 2 of CKD begins. My kidneys were functioning better on chemo. And the creatinine? Let’s get a quick definition of that first. According to The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases at https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/kidney-disease/chronic-kidney-disease-ckd/tests-diagnosis:

“Creatinine. Creatinine is a waste product from the normal breakdown of muscles in your body. Your kidneys remove creatinine from your blood. Providers use the amount of creatinine in your blood to estimate your GFR. As kidney disease gets worse, the level of creatinine goes up.”

Yet, mine went down. How? I asked and it was explained that all the hydration used to clear my veins of the caustic chemotherapy had worked this magic. I had two hours of hydration before the chemo-therapy  itself, two hours afterward, and another two hours the next day. My kidneys had never been this hydrated!

But wait, there’s more. I have diabetes. The pancreas is the organ that produces insulin. Could my diabetes be from the tumor blocking the production of insulin by my pancreas? I truly don’t know, but my glucose level is within the standard range for the first time since I’ve been diagnosed with diabetes.

Would I recommend chemotherapy to raise your GFR, and lower your creatinine and your glucose level? Of course not. But I am feeling so very lucky that my kidneys are not coming to any harm during the chemotherapy necessary to save my life. I can’t begin to tell you how relieved I am.

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

CKD and Me

Okay, so I was finally ready to give up World Kidney Day and National Kidney Month. Maybe it’s time to give up the 1in9 chapter contribution, too. Since each contributing author also had their biography accompanying their chapter, I think the best way to do that is to print the biography… although it’s all me, me, me. Indulge me, please.

*****

Ms. Rae-Garwood’s writing started out as a means to an end for a single parent with two children and a need for more income than her career as a NYC teacher afforded. Gail retired from both college teaching and acting – after a bit of soul searching about where her CKD limited energy would be best spent – early in 2013. Since her diagnose, Ms. Rae-Garwood writes most often about Chronic Kidney Disease, although she does write fiction. She has a three time award winning weekly blog (Surprise!) about this topic at https://gailraegarwood.wordpress.com and social media accounts as @SlowItDownCKD.

*****

Hmmm, it seems to me I’ve done a lot more with Chronic Kidney Disease awareness advocacy since I started with this in 2010. Let’s see what else there is. Aha! These are on my website at www.gail-raegarwood.com.

 

Arizona Health & Living  (West Valley)  6/2018

 

MyTherapy Guest Blog    3/8/18

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eCareDiary: Coping with Chronic Kidney  Disease  3/06/18

​

NephJC: One More Patient Voice on CKD Staging and Precision Medicine  12/08/16

 

Center for Science in the Public Interest: Nutrition Action Healthletter   9/16

​

New York State United Teachers: It’s What We Do   8/9/16

​

American Kidney Fund: Slowing DownCKD – It Can Be Done   7/14/16

​

The Edge Podcast  5/19/16

​

Dear Annie   3/10/14

​

Renal Diet Headquarters Podcast   2/12/14

 

Accountable Kidney Care Collaborative: Bob’s Blog   1/23/14

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Wall Street Journal: Patients Can Do More to Control Chronic Conditions  1/13/14

​

The Neuropathy Doctor’s News   9/23/13

​

Series of five Monthly CKD education classes in The Salt River Pima-Maricopa

Indian Community   9/12/13

 

KidneySteps: Gail Rae and SlowItDown  9/11/13

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Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community: 4th Annual Men and Women’s Gathering  8/29/13

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National Kidney Foundation: Staying Healthy  6/6/13

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KidneySteps: Learning Helps with CKD    7/04/12

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Life Options Links for Patients and Professionals   5/30/12

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It Is Just What It Is    3/9/12

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Online with Andrea    03/07/12

 

Working with Chronic Illness  2/17/12

 

Libre Tweet Chat with Gail Rae   1/10/12

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Kevinmd.com   1/1/12

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Improve Your Kidney Health with Dr. Rich Snyder, DO   11/21/11

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Glendale Community College Gaucho Gazette   8/22/11

 

The NephCure Foundation   8/21/11

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Authors Show Radio    8/8/11

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Renal Support Network: Another 30 Years  1/11/10

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Working with Chronic Illness: Are You Aching to Write    1/11/10

I’m going to keep today’s blog very short so you have the time to click though on the hyperlinked podcasts and articles. When I was teaching college, my students thoroughly enjoyed the time to choose what they’d like to hear or read from a prescribed list. I hope it’s the same for you.

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

I’m Finally Ready to Let National Kidney Month Go

As you already know, I’ve been posting the chapter I contributed to the book 1in9 as my contribution to National Kidney Month. This will probably be the final post of that chapter, unless I decide to post the biography that goes along with the chapter at a later date.

Most of you are aware that I now have pancreatic cancer and the chemo effects are getting in my way. I’m hoping that I’ll not be feeling them so severely in the near future and will be able to research some new material for you. Right now, that’s just not possible. You may have noticed that my Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook pages no longer contain original posts. That’s due to the same reason.

But let’s complete the book chapter:

When I was diagnosed back in 2008, there weren’t that many reader friendly books on anything having to do with CKD. Since then, more and more books of this type have been published. I’m laughing along with you, but I don’t mean just SlowItDownCKD 2011, SlowItDownCKD 2012 (These two were The Book of Blogs: Moderate Stage Chronic Kidney Disease, Part 1, until I realized how unwieldy both the book and the title were – another learning experience), SlowItDownCKD 2013, SlowItDownCKD 2014 (These two were formerly The Book of Blogs: Moderate Stage Chronic Kidney Disease, Part 2), SlowItDownCKD 2015, SlowItDownCKD 2016, and SlowItDownCKD 2017. By the way, I’m already working on SlowItDownCKD 2018. Each book contains the blogs for that year.

I include guest blogs or book review blogs to get a taste of the currently available CKD news. For example, 1in9 guest blogged this year. Books such as Dr. Mandip S. Kang’s, The Doctor’s Kidney Diets (which also contains so much non-dietary information that we – as CKD patients – need to know), and Drs. Raymond R. Townsend and Debbie L. Cohen’s 100 Questions & Answers about Kidney Disease and Hypertension.

I miss my New York daughter and she misses me, so we sometimes have coffee together separately. She has a cup of coffee and I do at the same time. It’s not like being together in person, but it’s something. You can find support the same way via Facebook Chronic Kidney Disease Support Groups. Some of these groups are:

Chronic Kidney Disease Awareness

Chronic Kidney Disease in India

CKD (Kidney Failure) Support Group International

Dialysis & Kidney Disease

Friends Sharing Positive Chronic Kidney Disease

I Hate Dialysis

Kidney Disease Diet Ideas and Help

Kidney Disease Ideas and Diets1

Kidney Disease is not a Joke

Kidney Disease, Dialysis, and Transplant

Kidney Warriors Foundation

Kidneys and Vets

Mani Trust

Mark’s Private Kidney Disease Group

P2P

People on Dialysis

Sharing your Kidney Journey

Stage 3 ‘n 4 Kidneybeaners Gathering Place

The Transplant Community Outreach

UK Kidney Support

Women’s Renal Failure

Wrap Up Warm for Kidney Disease

What I hit over and over again in the blogs is that diabetes is the foremost cause of CKD with hypertension as the second most common cause. Simple blood and urine tests can uncover your CKD – if you’re part of the unlucky 96% of those in the early stages of the disease who don’t know they have it.

Each time I research, I’m newly amazed at how much there is to learn about CKD…and how many tools you have at your disposal to help slow it down. Diet is the obvious one. But if you smoke or drink, stop, or at least cut down. If you don’t exercise, start. Adequate, good quality sleep is another tool. Don’t underestimate rest either; you’re not being lazy when you rest, you’re preserving whatever kidney function you have left. I am not particularly a pill person, but if there’s a medication prescribed that will slow down the gradual decline of my kidney function, I’m all for it.

I was surprised to discover that writing my SlowItDownCKD book series, maintaining a blog, Facebook page, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest accounts of the same name are not enough for me for me to spread the word about CKD screening and education. I’m determined to change this since I feel so strongly that NO ONE should have this disease and not be aware of it.

That’s why I’ve brought CKD awareness to every community that would have me: coffee shops, Kiwanis Clubs, independent bookstores, senior citizen centers, guest blogging for the likes of The American Kidney Fund and The National Kidney Foundation, being interviewed by publications like the Wall Street Journal’s Health Matters, The Center for Science in The Public Interest, and The United Federation of Teachers’ New York Teacher, and on podcasts such as The Renal Diet Headquarters, Online with Andrea, The Edge Podcast, Working with Chronic Illness, and Improve Your Kidney Health.

I’ve been very serious about sharing about CKD before it advances to end stage… meaning dialysis. To that end, I gathered a team for the National Kidney Foundation of Arizona Kidney Walk one year. Another year, I organized several meetings at the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community. Education is vital since so many people are unaware they even have the disease.

You can slow down the progression of the decline of kidney function. I have been spending a lot of time on my health and I’m happy to say it’s been paying off. There are five stages. I’ve stayed at the middle one for over a decade despite having both high blood pressure and diabetes. That’s what this is about. People don’t know about CKD. They get diagnosed. They think they’re going to die. Everybody dies, but it doesn’t have to be of CKD. I am downright passionate about people knowing this.

Thanks for taking the time to finish the chapter. The more people who know about Chronic Kidney Disease, the more people can tell others about it. I’d hate for anyone to be part of the 90% of those with CKD who don’t know they have it.

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

To Continue…

National Kidney Month is just flying by. This is actually the last week and I doubt I’ll be able to post the rest of the 1in9 chapter before next month. But then again, it’s always Kidney Month for those of us with Chronic Kidney Disease. By the way, thank you to the reader who made it a point of telling me she can’t wait to read the rest of the chapter. Sooooo, let’s get started!

***

Nephrologist switch. The new one was much better for me. He explained again and again until I understood and he put up with a lot of verbal abuse when this panicky new patient wasn’t getting answers as quickly as she wanted them. Luckily for me, he graciously accepted my apology.

After talking to the nephrologist, I began to realize just how serious this disease was and started to wonder why my previous nurse practitioner had not caught this. When I asked her why, she responded, “It was inconclusive testing.” Sure it was. Because she never ordered the GFR tested; that had been incidental! I feel there’s no sense crying over spilled milk (or destroyed nephrons, in this case), but I wonder how much more of my kidney function I could have preserved if I’d known about my CKD earlier.

According to the Mayo Clinic, there are 13 early signs of chronic kidney disease. I never experienced any of them, not even one. While I did have high blood pressure, it wasn’t uncontrollable which is one of the early signs. Many, like me, never experienced any noticeable symptoms. Unfortunately, many, like me, may have had high blood pressure (hypertension) for years before CKD was diagnosed. Yet, high blood pressure and diabetes are the two leading causes of CKD. I find it confusing that uncontrollable high blood pressure may be an early sign of CKD, but hypertension itself is the second leading cause of CKD.

Here’s the part about my researching. I was so mystified about what was happening and why it was happening that I began an extensive course of research. My nephrologists did explain what everything meant (I think), but I was still too shocked to understand what they were saying. I researched diagnoses, descriptions of tests, test results, doctors’ reports, you name it. Slowly, it began to make sense, but that understanding only led to more questions and more research.

You’ve probably already guessed that my world changed during that first appointment. I began to excuse myself for rest periods each day when I went back East for a slew of family affairs right after. I counted food groups and calories at these celebrations that summer. And I used all the errand running associated with them as an excuse to speed walk wherever I went and back so I could fit in my exercise. Ah, but that was just the beginning.

My high blood pressure had been controlled for 20 years at that time, but what about my diet? I had no clue there was such a thing as a kidney diet until the nutritionist explained it to me. I’m a miller’s granddaughter and ate anything – and I do mean anything – with grain in it: breads, muffins, cakes, croissants, all of it. I also liked lots of chicken and fish… not the five ounces per day I’m limited to now.

The nutritionist explained to me how hard protein is on the kidneys… as is phosphorous… and potassium… and, of course, sodium. Out went my daily banana—too high in potassium. Out went restaurant burgers—larger than my daily allowance of protein. Chinese food? Pizza? Too high in sodium. I embraced an entirely new way of eating because it was one of the keys to keeping my kidneys functioning in stage 3.

I was in a new food world. I’d already known about restricting sodium because I had high blood pressure, but these other things? I had to keep a list of which foods contain them, how much was in each of these foods, and a running list of how much of each I had during the day so I knew when I reached my limit for that day.

Another critical piece of slowing down CKD is medication. I was already taking meds to lower my blood pressure when I was first diagnosed with CKD. Two more prescriptions have been added to this in the last decade: a diuretic that lowers my body’s absorption of salt to help prevent fluid from building up in my body (edema), and a drug that widens the blood vessels by relaxing them. I take another drug for my brand new diabetes. (Bye-bye, sugars and most carbs.) The funny thing is now my favorite food is salad with extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegar. I never thought that would happen: I was a chocoholic!

Exercise, something I loved until my arthritis got in the way, was also important. I was a dancer. Wasn’t that enough? Uh-uh, I had to learn about cardio and strength training exercise, too. It was no longer acceptable to be pleasantly plumb. My kidneys didn’t need the extra work. Hello to weights, walking, and a stationary bike. I think I took sleep for granted before CKD, too, and I now make it a point to get a good night’s sleep. A sleep apnea device improved my sleep—and my kidney function rose.

I realized I needed to rest, too. Instead of giving a lecture, running to an audition, and coming home to meet a deadline, I slowly started easing off until I didn’t feel like I was running on empty all the time. The result was that I ended up graciously retiring from both acting and teaching at a local college, which gave me more time to work on my CKD awareness advocacy.

***

There’s so much more to tell you about my personal CKD journey… and you’ll read more of it next week. Although, I should remind you that the entire book is available in print and digital on both Amazon.com and B&N.com, just as the entire SlowItDownCKD series of books is.

Until next week,
Keep living your life!

World Kidney Day, 2019

Will you look at that? The world keeps moving on no matter what’s going on in our personal lives. And so, I recognize that Thursday of this week is World Kidney Day. In honor of this occasion, I’ve chosen to update last year’s World Kidney Day blog… so sit back and enjoy the read.

…World Kidney Day? What’s that? I discovered this is a fairly new designation. It was only thirteen years ago that it was initiated.

 

According to http://worldkidneyday.org,

“World Kidney Day is a global awareness campaign aimed at raising awareness of the importance of our kidneys.”

Sound familiar?  That’s where I’m heading with What Is It and How Did I Get It? Early Stage Chronic Kidney Disease; SlowItDownCKD 2011; SlowItDownCKD 2012; SlowItDownCKD 2013; SlowItDownCKD 2014; SlowItDownCKD 2015; SlowItDownCKD 2016; SlowItDownCKD 2017; Facebook; Instagram; LinkedIn; Pinterest; Twitter; and this blog. We may be running along different tracks, but we’re headed in the same direction.

The 59 year old International Society of Nephrology (ISN) – a non-profit group spreading over 155 countries – is one part of the equation for their success.  Another is the International Federation of Kidney Foundations with membership in over 40 countries. Add a steering committee and The World Kidney Day Team and you have the makings of this particular concept….

According to their website at https://www.theisn.org/advocacy/world-kidney-day :

“The mission of World Kidney Day is to raise awareness of the importance of our kidneys to our overall health and to reduce the frequency and impact of kidney disease and its associated health problems worldwide.

Objectives:

• Raise awareness about our ‘amazing kidneys’
• Highlight that diabetes and high blood pressure are key risk factors for Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
• Encourage systematic screening of all patients with diabetes and hypertension for CKD
• Encourage preventive behaviors
• Educate all medical professionals about their key role in detecting and reducing the risk of CKD, particularly in high risk populations
• Stress the important role of local and national health authorities in controlling the CKD epidemic.”

While there are numerous objectives for this year’s World Kidney Day, the one that lays closest to my heart is this one: ‘Encourage systematic screening of all patients with diabetes and hypertension for CKD.’

Back to World Kidney Day’s website at https://www.worldkidneyday.org  now, if you please.

This year’s theme is Kidney Health for Everyone Everywhere.

Their site offers materials and ideas for events as well as a map of global events. Prepare to be awed at how wide spread World Kidney Day events are.

Before you leave their page, take a detour to Kidney FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) on the toolbar at the top of the page.  You can learn everything you need to know from what the kidneys do to what the symptoms (or lack thereof) of CKD are, from how to treat CKD to a toolbox full of helpful education about your kidneys to preventative measures.

If only my nurse practitioner had been aware of National Kidney Month or World Kidney Day, she could have warned me immediately that I needed to make lifestyle changes so the decline of my kidney function could have been slowed down earlier. How much more of my kidney function would I still have if I’d known earlier? That was a dozen years ago. This shouldn’t still be happening… but it is.

I received a phone call a few years ago that just about broke my heart.  Someone very dear to me sobbed, “He’s dying.” When I calmed her down, she explained a parent was sent to a nephrologist who told him he has end stage renal disease and needed dialysis or transplantation immediately.

I pried a little trying to get her to admit he’d been diagnosed before end stage, but she simply didn’t know what I was talking about. There had been no diagnose of Chronic Kidney Disease up to this point. There was diabetes, apparently out of control diabetes, but no one impressed upon this man that diabetes is the foremost cause of CKD.

What a waste of the precious time he could have had to do more than stop smoking, which he did (to his credit), the moment he was told it would help with the diabetes.  Would he be where he was then if his medical practitioners had been aware of National Kidney Month or World Kidney Day, especially since this man was high risk due to his age and diabetes?  I fervently believe so.

I have a close friend who was involved in the local senior center where she lives.  She said she didn’t know anyone else but me who had this disease.  Since 1 out of every 7 people does nationally (That’s 15% of the adult population) and being over 60 places you in a high risk group, I wonder how many of her friends were included in the 96% of those in the early stage of CKD who don’t know they have CKD or don’t even know they need to be tested.  I’d have rather been mistaken here, but I’m afraid I wasn’t. National Kidney Month or World Kidney Day could have helped them become aware.

For those of you who have forgotten (Easily read explanations of what results of the different items on your tests mean are in What Is It And How Did I Get It? Early Stage Chronic Kidney Disease.), all it takes is a blood test and a urine test to detect CKD.  I have routine blood tests every three months to monitor a medication I’m taking.  It was in this test, a test I took anyway, that my family physician uncovered Chronic Kidney Disease as a problem.

There is so much free education about CKD online. Maybe you can start with the blogroll on the right side of the blog or hit “Apps” on the Topics Dropdown. None of us needs to hear another sorrowful, “If only I had known!”

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

National Kidney Month, 2019

Anyone remember LOL? It’s older internet shorthand for Laughing Out Loud. That’s what I’m doing right now. Why? Because, after all these years of blogging, I’ve just realized that I compose my opening paragraph as I’m waking up. Still in bed, mind you. Still half asleep. Isn’t the brain wonderful?

This is my half asleep composition for this morning: March is National Kidney Month. That’s not to be confused with March 14^th, which is World Kidney Day. So, today, we address the nation. Next week, the world.

As usual, let’s start at the beginning. What is National Kidney Month? Personalized Cause at https://www.personalizedcause.com/health-awareness-cause-calendar/national-kidney-month has a succinct explanation for us. By the way, while I’m not endorsing them since the site is new to me, I should let you know they sell the green ribbons for National Kidney Month that you’ll probably be seeing hither and yon all month.

“National Kidney Month, observed in March and sponsored by the National Kidney Foundation, is a time to increase awareness of kidney disease, promote the need for a cure, and spur advocacy on behalf of those suffeing (sic) with the emotional, financial and physical burden of kidney disease. The National Kidney Foundation is the leading organization in the U.S. dedicated to the awareness, prevention and treatment of kidney disease for hundreds of thousands of healthcare professionals, millions of patients and their families, and tens of millions of Americans at risk.” That, of course, prompted me to go directly to the National Kidney Foundation’s information about National Kidney Month at https://www.kidney.org/news/monthly/Focus_KidneyMonth.

“Focus on the Kidneys During National Kidney Month in March

March is National Kidney Month and the NKF is urging all Americans to give their kidneys a second thought and a well-deserved checkup. Kidneys filter 200 liters of blood a day, help regulate blood pressure and direct red blood cell production. But they are also prone to disease; 1 in 3 Americans is at risk for kidney disease due to diabetes, high blood pressure or a family history of kidney failure. There are more than 30 million Americans who already have kidney disease, and most don’t know it because there are often no symptoms until the disease has progressed. During National Kidney Month in March, and in honor of World Kidney Day on March 14, the NKF offers the following health activities to promote awareness of kidneys, risk factors and kidney disease:

• Free Screenings: On World Kidney Day and throughout the Month of March, NKF is offering free screenings to those most at risk for kidney disease – anyone with diabetes, high blood pressure or a family history of kidney failure. Locations and information can be found on the calendar on our website.
• ‘Are You at Risk’ Kidney Quiz: Early detection can make a difference in preventing kidney disease so it’s important to know if you’re at risk. Take the online kidney quiz!
• Live Twitter Chat with Dr. Joseph Vassalotti: The National Kidney Foundation’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Joseph Vassalotti, will be hosting an interactive kidney Q&A on World Kidney Day, Thursday, March 14, from 12-2 pm ET. Ask your questions at www.twitter.com/nkf using the hash-tag #WorldKidneyDayNKF.”

Wow, so much going on. This is also the month of kidney walks, like the one my daughter Nima participated in on the East Coast in my honor, or the one for which I organized a team several years ago. Actually, it’s the month specifically for anything and everything that will raise awareness of kidney disease. I’ve mentioned that I contributed a chapter to the book 1in9, which is about kidney disease. You’re right. The book launch is this month, March 6^th to be specific.

The American Kidney Fund at http://www.kidneyfund.org/take-the-pledge/ is also taking part in National Kidney Month. They have a form to fill out to take a pledge to fight kidney disease.  I signed up; you can, too, if you’d like to. I’m not comfortable with the word “fight,” but I’m not going to let that stop me from spreading awareness of the disease. I wanted to share this quote from the AKF with you, both as a CKD awareness advocate and a woman:

“‘Kidney disease is a silent killer that disproportionately affects women who are often the primary caregivers for loved ones with the disease, are more likely to become living donors but less likely to receive a transplant, and are at higher risk for CKD,’ said LaVarne A. Burton, president and chief executive officer of AKF. ‘Because women with kidney disease may also face other health issues, including infertility, pregnancy complications, bone disease and depression, AKF is using Kidney Month to let women know we are here to support them and to provide resources that will answer their questions and concerns.’”

The Renal Support Network at https://www.rsnhope.org/ is working even more emphatically to spread kidney disease awareness this month, too:

“March is National Kidney Month. This is a special time set aside to raise awareness about kidney health and activities. RSN invites members of the kidney community, our friends and our families to join in the conversation.”

This on top of their usual. For those that are not familiar with this group, the following statement is from their website.

“Since 1993 RSN has created and continues to produce a vast collection of information about kidney disease. Feel free to share our National Kidney Month page, a favorite story, KidneyTalk™ show or awareness image on social media using the hashtag #KidneyMonth and be sure to tag us @RSNhope.”

DaVita Kidney Care at https://www.davita.com/education/resources offers many resources (as the website’s title assures us) to help understand both CKD and dialysis. Some of their offerings are:

• “Organizations and Programs
• Education
• Advice & Inspiration
• Recipes & Nutrition
• Specific Kidney Diseases
• Resources 
• Health Related Portals”

If you click through on the link offered above, each item will open on a new page.

As for me, I’ll blog my brains out until more and more people are aware of kidney disease. Same goes for the Instagram, Facebook,Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn accounts. It’s all about kidney disease.

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

Pancreas + Kidneys = ?

31 years ago, my father died of pancreatic cancer. For some reason, I remember him asking me what electrolytes were as soon as he was diagnosed. I didn’t know. I do now, but I don’t know if there’s a connection between the pancreas and the kidneys. Of course, I mean other than the fact that they are all organs in your body.

Oh, sorry, I didn’t give you the definition. This is from Healthline at https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/electrolytes  :

“’Electrolyte’ is the umbrella term for particles that carry a positive or negative electric charge ….

In nutrition, the term refers to essential minerals found in your blood, sweat and urine.

When these minerals dissolve in a fluid, they form electrolytes — positive or negative ions used in metabolic processes.

Electrolytes found in your body include:

• Sodium
• Potassium
• Chloride
• Calcium
• Magnesium
• Phosphate
• Bicarbonate

These electrolytes are required for various bodily processes, including proper nerve and muscle function, maintaining acid-base balance and keeping you hydrated.”

Ummm, you have Chronic Kidney Disease. These are the electrolytes you need to keep an eye on, especially sodium, potassium, and phosphate. But why did Dad ask me about them?

I plunged right in to find the answer and immediately found a journal article… on a pay site. Not being one to pay for what can be found for free (and is 30 years old, by the way), I decided to look for as much information on the pancreas as I could find and see what we could figure out together.

Let’s start at the beginning. According to the Sol Goldman Pancreatic Cancer Research Center of Johns Hopkins Medicine – Pathology at http://pathology.jhu.edu/pc/basicoverview1.php?area=ba:

“What is the pancreas?

The pancreas is a long flattened gland located deep in the belly (abdomen). Because the pancreas isn’t seen or felt in our day to day lives, most people don’t know as much about the pancreas as they do about other parts of their bodies. The pancreas is, however, a vital part of the digestive system and a critical controller of blood sugar levels.

Where is the pancreas?

The pancreas is located deep in the abdomen. Part of the pancreas is sandwiched between the stomach and the spine. The other part is nestled in the curve of the duodenum (first part of the small intestine). To visualize the position of the pancreas, try this: touch your right thumb and right ‘pinkie’ fingers together, keeping the other three fingers together and straight. Then, place your hand in the center of your belly just below your lower ribs with your fingers pointing to your left. Your hand will be the approximate shape and at the approximate level of your pancreas.”

I tried that. It’s not as easy as it sounds.

So now we sort of know what and where it is, but what does it do? No problem, Columbia University Irving Medical Center has just the info we need at http://columbiasurgery.org/pancreas/pancreas-and-its-functions:

“Exocrine Function:

The pancreas contains exocrine glands that produce enzymes important to digestion. These enzymes include trypsin and chymotrypsin to digest proteins; amylase for the digestion of carbohydrates; and lipase to break down fats. When food enters the stomach, these pancreatic juices are released into a system of ducts that culminate in the main pancreatic duct. The pancreatic duct joins the common bile duct to form the ampulla of Vater which is located at the first portion of the small intestine, called the duodenum. The common bile duct originates in the liver and the gallbladder and produces another important digestive juice called bile. The pancreatic juices and bile that are released into the duodenum, help the body to digest fats, carbohydrates, and proteins.

Endocrine Function:

The endocrine component of the pancreas consists of islet cells (islets of Langerhans) that create and release important hormones directly into the bloodstream. Two of the main pancreatic hormones are insulin, which acts to lower blood sugar, and glucagon, which acts to raise blood sugar. Maintaining proper blood sugar levels is crucial to the functioning of key organs including the brain, liver, and kidneys.”

The kidneys? Now it’s starting to make sense. We need whatever specific electrolyte balance our lab work tells us we need to keep our kidneys working in good stead and we need a well-functioning pancreas to regulate our blood sugars. Hmmm, diabetes is one of the two leading causes of CKD. It seems the pancreas controls diabetes since it creates insulin.

What could happen if the pancreas wasn’t doing its job, I wondered.  This is from the Mayo Clinic at https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/pancreatitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20360227,

“Pancreatitis [Me here: that’s an inflammation of the pancreas] can cause serious complications, including:

• Pseudocyst. Acute pancreatitis can cause fluid and debris to collect in cystlike pockets in your pancreas. A large pseudocyst that ruptures can cause complications such as internal bleeding and infection.
• Infection. Acute pancreatitis can make your pancreas vulnerable to bacteria and infection. Pancreatic infections are serious and require intensive treatment, such as surgery to remove the infected tissue.
• Kidney failure. Acute pancreatitis may cause kidney failure, which can be treated with dialysis if the kidney failure is severe and persistent.
• Breathing problems. Acute pancreatitis can cause chemical changes in your body that affect your lung function, causing the level of oxygen in your blood to fall to dangerously low levels.
• Diabetes. Damage to insulin-producing cells in your pancreas from chronic pancreatitis can lead to diabetes, a disease that affects the way your body uses blood sugar.
• Malnutrition. Both acute and chronic pancreatitis can cause your pancreas to produce fewer of the enzymes that are needed to break down and process nutrients from the food you eat. This can lead to malnutrition, diarrhea and weight loss, even though you may be eating the same foods or the same amount of food.
• Pancreatic cancer. Long-standing inflammation in your pancreas caused by chronic pancreatitis is a risk factor for developing pancreatic cancer.

Did you catch kidney failure and diabetes? I believe we now know how the kidneys and pancreas are related to each other. Ah, if only I’d known how to research 31 years ago….

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

Bulking Up

While I make sure to state that I’m not a doctor, I’m not always certain my readers get that. This is why I was so glad that a reader asked me a question about her doctor’s advice, prefacing her question by stating that she knows I’m not a doctor. I feel better.

Her question? It’s about fiber and Chronic Kidney Disease. But first, let’s find out exactly what fiber is. According to Harvard’s T. H. Chan School of Public Health at https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates/fiber/,

“Fiber comes in two varieties, both beneficial to health:

• Soluble fiber, which dissolves in water, can help lower glucose levels as well as help lower blood cholesterol. Foods with soluble fiber include oatmeal, nuts, beans, lentils, apples and blueberries.

• Insoluble fiber, which does not dissolve in water, can help food move through your digestive system, promoting regularity and helping prevent constipation. Foods with insoluble fibers include wheat, whole wheat bread, whole grain couscous, brown rice, legumes, carrots, cucumbers and tomatoes.

The best sources of fiber are whole grain foods, fresh fruits and vegetables, legumes, and nuts.”

We all know people need fiber, but do you know why? I found the answer stated the most succinctly on Verywell Fit’s site at https://www.verywellfit.com/all-about-fiber-2242215.

“Besides reducing the glycemic effect of meals and contributing to colon health, there is evidence that fiber may benefit us in other ways. It seems to help lower cholesterol and triglycerides, and also may help to prevent:

• Ulcers, particularly in the beginning of the small intestine (duodenal ulcers)
• Diabetes
• Heart Disease
• Cancer”

As a diabetic, I understand why I need fiber, but what about as a CKD patient? DaVita at https://www.davita.com/diet-nutrition/articles/basics/fiber-in-the-kidney-diet has that one covered:

“Adequate fiber in the kidney diet can be beneficial to people with chronic kidney disease (CKD) because it:

• Keeps GI (gastrointestinal) function healthy
• Adds bulk to stool to prevent constipation
• Prevents diverticulosis (pockets inside the colon)
• Helps increase water in stool for easier bowel movements
• Promotes regularity
• Prevents hemorrhoids
• Helps control blood sugar and cholesterol”

Hmmm, this is very similar to reasons why everyone – CKD or not – should pay attention to fiber. But, take a look at this list of high fiber foods from the Mayo Clinic at https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/high-fiber-foods/art-20050948:

Fruits                                              Serving size              

Raspberries	1 cup	8.0
Pear	1 medium	5.5
Apple, with skin	1 medium	4.5
Banana	1 medium	3.0
Orange	1 medium	3.0
Strawberries	1 cup	3.0

 

Vegetables	Serving size	Total fiber (grams)*
Green peas, boiled	1 cup	9.0
Broccoli, boiled	1 cup chopped	5.0
Turnip greens, boiled	1 cup	5.0
Brussels sprouts, boiled	1 cup	4.0
Potato, with skin, baked	1 medium	4.0
Sweet corn, boiled	1 cup	3.5
Cauliflower, raw	1 cup chopped	2.0
Carrot, raw	1 medium	1.5

 

Grains	Serving size	Total fiber (grams)*
Spaghetti, whole-wheat, cooked	1 cup	6.0
Barley, pearled, cooked	1 cup	6.0
Bran flakes	3/4 cup	5.5
Quinoa, cooked	1 cup	5.0
Oat bran muffin	1 medium	5.0
Oatmeal, instant, cooked	1 cup	5.0
Popcorn, air-popped	3 cups	3.5
Brown rice, cooked	1 cup	3.5
Bread, whole-wheat	1 slice	2.0
Bread, rye	1 slice	2.0

 

Legumes, nuts and seeds	Serving size	Total fiber (grams)*
Split peas, boiled	1 cup	16.0
Lentils, boiled	1 cup	15.5
Black beans, boiled	1 cup	15.0
Baked beans, canned	1 cup	10.0
Chia seeds	1 ounce	10.0
Almonds	1 ounce (23 nuts)	3.5
Pistachios	1 ounce (49 nuts)	3.0
Sunflower kernels	1 ounce	3.0

*Rounded to nearest 0.5 gram.

Source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Legacy Release

Looks delicious, doesn’t it. So what’s the problem? Well, CKD patients are restricted in their diets… and even the permissible foods are restricted as far as amounts we can eat. It all depends upon our most current lab results. Do we need less potassium? Then we need to eat even less potassium rich food. The same is true for all the electrolytes. That means our diets may not contain enough fiber.

CKD is an inflammatory disease. Fiber can lower inflammation. So what’s a CKD patient to do?

My reader was recommended supplements by her doctor. One was Solfi Green, something new to me.

I went to MIMS in the Philippines (while a new site to me, they self-describe as “Asia’s one-stop resource for medical news, clinical reference and education”)  at https://www.mims.com/philippines/drug/info/solfi%20green?type=full  for the ingredients and found this:

“Ingredients: Fructose, Mixed Fruit Powder, Mixed Vegetable Powder, Soluble Dietary Fiber, Physllium (sic) Husk, Oat Fiber, Wheat Fiber, Citric Acid, Wheat Grass, Alfalfa, Rooibos Extract, Contains Permitted Food Conditioner.”

Wait a minute, Psyllium Husk? I clearly remember writing that this can cause inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract. We need to decrease, not increase inflammation as CKD patients. I would steer clear of this.

Would my reader need to steer clear if she were a dialysis or transplant patient? Drugs.com at https://www.drugs.com/drug-interactions/psyllium.html  doesn’t seem to think any specific dosage reduction is necessary, but they also don’t mention it can cause inflammation or that it is high in potassium. Dialysis patients, beware. If you’re a transplant, you simply need to watch your labs as you would anyway. Just keep in mind psyllium husk can be both an inflammatory and laxative.

Another supplement suggested to my reader is C-lium fiber. I went directly to their website at http://c-liumfibre.com/faq/index.html#Q15  and found this warning in their FAQ:

“If you have rectal bleeding, history of intestinal blockage, difficulty swallowing, diabetes mellitus, heart disease, hypertension, kidney disease, or if you are on a low-sugar or low-sodium diet, contact your doctor before taking C-Lium Fibre.”

Obviously, my reader has gone to her doctor since these two supplements were prescribed by her doctor. I have to make a confession here. When something is prescribed for me, I research it. If I don’t like what I find, I speak with my doctor. If she can explain in more detail or tell me something that is not in my research which I should be aware of to make an informed decision and it’s all positive, I go with the prescription. If not, well….

Of course, you have to make your own decision, just as I do. Here’s hoping this has helped my reader.

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

Kidney Anxiety

I clearly remember writing about how depression, grief, and stress affect your kidneys, but not about anxiety. As Bear’s pain worsens, there’s a lot of that in my house recently. I don’t understand why it’s taking so long for his doctors to decide upon a treatment plan for him, but while they do I am one anxious person.

I went directly to my old friend, the Mayo Clinic at https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anxiety/symptoms-causes/syc-20350961 for a set of anxiety symptoms:

“Common anxiety signs and symptoms include:

• Feeling nervous, restless or tense
• Having a sense of impending danger, panic or doom
• Having an increased heart rate
• Breathing rapidly (hyperventilation)
• Sweating
• Trembling
• Feeling weak or tired
• Trouble concentrating or thinking about anything other than the present worry
• Having trouble sleeping
• Experiencing gastrointestinal (GI) problems
• Having difficulty controlling worry
• Having the urge to avoid things that trigger anxiety”

While I don’t have all these symptoms, there are at least four or five of them I can identify with.

Wait a minute. Maybe I’m barking up the wrong tree. Is my worry about Bear’s pain really causing anxiety? I popped over to Medical News Today at https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323456.php for some help in figuring out just what it is that causes anxiety.

• Environmental factors: Elements in the environment around an individual can increase anxiety. Stress from a personal relationship, job, school, or financial predicament can contribute greatly to anxiety disorders. Even low oxygen levels in high-altitude areas can add to anxiety symptoms.
• Genetics: People who have family members with an anxiety disorder are more likely to have one themselves.
• Medical factors: Other medical conditions can lead to an anxiety disorder, such as the side effects of medication, symptoms of a disease, or stress from a serious underlying medical condition that may not directly trigger the changes seen in anxiety disorder but might be causing significant lifestyle adjustments, pain, or restricted movement.
• Brain chemistry: Stressful or traumatic experiences and genetic factors can alter brain structure and function to react more vigorously to triggers that would not previously have caused anxiety. Psychologists and neurologists define many anxiety and mood disorders as disruptions to hormones and electrical signals in the brain.
• Use of or withdrawal from an illicit substance: The stress of day-to-day living combined with any of the above might serve as key contributors to an anxiety disorder.

There are items on this list which I hadn’t considered before. Years ago, when I was teaching in an old vocational high school, a student holding one of those long, heavy, solid oak window poles to open very high windows quickly spun around to answer a question and accidentally hit me in the head with the pole. That was certainly traumatic and also one of the few times I’ve been hospitalized.

We’ve pretty much figured out that there is an undiagnosed history of anxiety in the family. I’m referring to people from past generations who faced pogroms, the Depression, and even having to give up babies for adoption since that’s what was done with babies from unwed mothers in that generation. Could these folks have had anxiety disorders rather than environmental anxiety? Of course, we’ll never really know since they are long gone from this earth, but it is a thought.

Lightning Bolt!!! I remember visiting my buddy and her mother in San Miguel de Allende in Mexico not long after my own mother died and being anxious. I attributed it to still being in mourning for my mother. San Miguel de Allende has an elevation of 7,000 feet. Was that one of those “low oxygen levels in high-altitude area?” I didn’t know, but Laura Anderson author of the Gunnison Country Times’ article on Acli-Mate at https://acli-mate.com/living-at-altitude-the-pros-and-cons-of-a-high-altitude-lifestyle/ did:

“Low landers generally aren’t affected by altitude until they reach 4,500 to 5,000 feet. But after that, the affects (sic) of altitude are compounded about every 1,000 feet — so the affects (sic) of going from 6,000 feet to 7000 feet can feel the same as jumping from sea level to 4,500 feet.”

What in heaven’s name is this doing to my kidneys, I wondered. I was surprised to find an answer… in reverse. Rather than anxiety causing a kidney problem, it seems that fear of kidney disease can cause anxiety, or at least that’s what Calm Clinic at https://www.calmclinic.com/anxiety/kidney-problems claims. Be aware that they are a business and will try to sell to you if you go to their site.

• “Extra Urination Anxiety can cause more frequent urination. When you experience anxiety, the part of your brain that controls the withholding urination slows down because anxiety requires resources to be sent to other parts of your brain. This can lead to concerns over your renal health, although nothing is wrong.
• Lower Back Pain Lower back pain is also very common with anxiety. Lower back pain comes from severe stress and tension, and yet it’s associated with some conditions that affect the kidneys as well which can have many people worried about their kidney health.
• Life Experiences Anyone that suffers from anxiety and has had a friend or family member diagnosed with a terrible kidney condition is at risk for developing anxiety over the idea of poor kidneys. Anxiety can turn life experiences into very real concerns, and so kidney health concerns are one of the issues that can come up when you see it in others.”
• Urine Color Urine color is another issue that can cause anxiety. Many people check their urine color for diseases habitually, and every once in a while the color of a person’s urine may be very different than what they expect. This can create concerns that the urine color changes are due to kidney problems.”

What I find interesting is that kidney disease can cause frequent urination, too. Kidney disease may also cause lower back pain. If you know any CKD patients, you know we’re always checking the color of our urine to make certain we’re well enough hydrated.

So it seems your fear of kidney disease may cause a symptom of kidney disease… and/or possibly diabetes. All I have to say to that is make sure you take the simple urine and blood test to determine if you do really have Chronic Kidney Disease or diabetes.

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

At the Heart of the Matter

Happy New Year! Here’s wishing you all a very healthy one. I, on the other hand, found myself in the cardiologist’s office the very first week of 2019. That was odd for me.

It all started when I asked my very thorough primary care physician what – if anything – it meant that my blood pressure reading was ten points higher in one arm than the other. By the way, she’s the one that suggested I take my blood pressure on a daily basis. Her nurse always used the left arm to take the reading, so I did too. Then I got curious about what the reading on the other arm would be and how much difference there would be between arms. I expected a point or two, not ten.

Although my readings had always been a bit high, they weren’t high enough to warrant extra attention… until I mentioned the ten point difference to my PCP. BAM! I had an appointment with the cardiologist.

This information in last year’s April 23’s blog will explain why:

“We know that hypertension is the number two cause of CKD. Moderating our blood pressure will (hopefully) slow down the progression of the decline of our kidney function. Kidney & Urology Foundation of America, Inc. at http://www.kidneyurology.org/Library/Kidney_Health/High_Blood_Pressure_and_Kidney_Disease.php explains this succinctly:

‘High blood pressure makes your heart work harder and, over time, can damage blood vessels throughout your body. If the blood vessels in your kidneys are damaged, they may stop removing wastes and extra fluid from your body. The extra fluid in your blood vessels may then raise blood pressure even more. It’s a dangerous cycle.’

And heart rate? The conclusion of a study published in the Journal of Nephrology reads:

‘Heart rate is an independent age-dependent effect modifier for progression to kidney failure in CKD patients.’

You can read the entire study at https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232714804_Heart_rate

So we know that blood pressure and heart rate are important for Chronic Kidney Disease patients. Just in case you’ve forgotten, heart rate is a synonym for pulse which is the number of times your heart beats a minute.

MedicineNet at https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=154135 offers more about what the difference between readings from both arms MAY mean:

“People whose systolic blood pressure — the upper number in their reading — is different in their left and right arms may be suffering from a vascular disease that could increase their risk of death, British researchers report.

The arteries under the collarbone supply blood to the arms, legs and brain. Blockage can lead to stroke and other problems, the researchers noted, and measuring blood pressure in both arms should be routine.

‘This is an important [finding] for the general public and for primary care doctors,’ said Dr. William O’Neill, a professor of cardiology and executive dean of clinical affairs at the University of Miami Miller School Of Medicine.

‘Traditionally, most people just check blood pressure in one arm, but if there is a difference, then one of the arteries has disease in it,’ he said.

The arteries that run under the collarbone can get blocked, especially in smokers and diabetics, he noted. ‘If one artery is more blocked than the other, then there is a difference in blood pressure in the arms,’ O’Neill explained.

‘Doctors should, for adults — especially adult smokers and diabetics — at some point check the blood pressure in both arms,’ he said. ‘If there is a difference it should be looked into further.’

The report appears in the Jan. 30 online edition of The Lancet. ”

Notice I capitalized may. That’s because, in my case, there apparently was no blockage. My cardiologist had a different view of things. He felt there wasn’t a problem unless the difference in readings between your two arms is more than 20 points and that your blood pressure would have to be much higher than my slightly elevated blood pressure before this could be considered a problem.

He made note of my diabetes and congratulated me for taking such good care of myself, especially since I’m a caretaker. I must have looked puzzled because he went on to explain that caretakers sometimes have a sort of martyr complex and are convinced they cannot take the time away from the person they’re caring for to care for themselves. And, yes, he did use the oxygen masks in an airplane analogy to point out how important it is for caretakers to care for themselves first.

Now that I’ve wandered on to the subject of caretakers, seemingly continuing the thread from last week’s blog, here’s a health screening from Path to Wellness that may interest you if you live in Arizona. I urge you to take part yourself and bring anyone you think may be affected or has someone in their lives that may have CKD.

What: The National Kidney Foundation of Arizona will host a FREE health screening, aiming to identify chronic diseases in their early stages in those at highest risk.

When: Saturday, January 26, 2019, 8:30am- 12:00pm (appointments highly recommended**)

Where: Betty Fairfax High School (8225 S. 59th Ave., Laveen, AZ 85339)

Individuals who are 18 years or older and have a family member with diabetes, high blood pressure or chronic kidney disease, OR have high blood pressure or diabetes themselves are urged to attend this important event. Early detection means the possibility of preventing further, life-risking damage to the kidneys.

**Appointments may be scheduled by calling the National Kidney Foundation of Arizona at (602) 840-1644 (English) or (602) 845-7905 / (602)845-7912 (Spanish).

OR

Visit https://azkidney.org/pathtowellness and register online!

This medical screening includes immediate onsite results and medical education and is provided at absolutely no cost. The event is staffed with medical professionals, with the ability to screen 200 attendees.

About Path to Wellness: The Path to Wellness program is the product of a community collaboration between the National Kidney Foundation of Arizona and Cardio Renal Society of America. This January screening is provided in partnership with Adelante Healthcare and the Phoenix Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. Sorority, Inc., and generously funded by the BHHS Legacy Foundation. Path to Wellness screenings are unique in that they try to target areas of cities where the high demographics of under-insured or at-risk individuals may have an opportunity to detect chronic health problems early on, in a cost-free environment. The screenings also offer the unique advantage of both on-site results, and post-screening education on chronic disease management.

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

Happy Holidays!

The holiday season is upon us full strength right now, but you have Chronic Kidney Disease. You don’t need the stress associated with the holiday season. The National Kidney Fund at https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/Stress_and_your_Kidneys explains why:

“As the blood filtering units of your body, your kidneys are prone to problems with blood circulation and blood vessels. High blood pressure and high blood sugar can place an additional strain or burden on your kidneys. People with high blood pressure and diabetes are at a higher risk for kidney disease. People with kidney disease are at higher risk for heart and blood vessel disease. If you already have heart and blood vessel disease and kidney disease, then the body’s reactions to stress can become more and more dangerous. Therefore, whether your goal is to prevent heart and/or kidney disease, or improve your health while living with heart and/or kidney disease, managing stress is an important part of maintaining your overall health.”

So what’s a CKD patient to do? First, you need to identify that you are stressed. In an article on caretaker stress at https://www.davita.com/education/ckd-life/caregiver/caregiver-stress-and-chronic-kidney-disease, DaVita outlined some of the symptoms. These are the same whether you’re the patient or the caretaker. I happen to be both a CKD patient and my Alzheimer’s husband’s caretaker, although we call me his care partner as suggested by the Alzheimer’s Association.

Physical signals

• Inability to sleep or sleeping too much
• Weight gain or loss
• Feeling tired all the time
• Change in posture—walking with your head down or with a stooped posture
• Chronic headaches, neck pain or back pain

Emotional signals

• Anger
• Frequent crying spells
• Inability to think clearly or concentrate
• Excessive mood swings
• Feelings of sadness that don’t go away

Behavioral signals

• Withdrawing from usual activities and relationships
• Quitting or changing jobs frequently
• Becoming more impulsive and over-reacting to things
• Using alcohol or drugs to feel better

Uh-oh, I recognize quite a few of these in myself. How about you?

Today is the last day of the eight day Chanukah celebration for us and all of you who celebrate this holiday. We usually throw a blowout party for anywhere from 30 to 50 people. But just a couple of months ago, we hosted a blowout pre-wedding potluck party for my daughter and her fiancé … and it was wonderful. Yet, it was clear that we can no longer handle undertaking such large parties. I had expressed my doubts last year about how long we’d be able to keep up the Chanukah party.

I was getting more and more stressed dealing with Bear’s medical issues and my own and then the party, so I did what I consider the logical thing to do, I delegated. We’ll still have the party, but a friend of my daughter’s will be hosting it. Instead of assigning different foods to specific guests, we’ve asked them to let us know what they’re be bringing. No prepping of the house (Shiloh sheds an entire other dog every few days) and no post party clean up. More importantly, no stress. I just bring the religious articles necessary and toss in a batch of cranberry chicken as my food contribution. Easy-peasy.

My very capable neighbor came in with cookies she’d just baked the other day. She knows about Bear’s sweet tooth. We started chatting as we’re wont to do and she brought up the point that she finds delegating stressful. Amy wants to make sure whatever it is that’s being delegated is done and done well, so she has to be careful about who she choices. I see her point, but I think that if you know your friends and family and how responsible (or not) each is, this shouldn’t be a problem.

But enough about me. What else can you do to reduce your stress at this time of year?

One thing is make sure you aren’t overeating. Avoiding comfort eating can be a real struggle. According to Baylor College of Medicine’s Dr. Sreedhar Mandayam in an article at https://medicalxpress.com/news/2017-11-overeating-holidays-bad-kidneys.html,

“For people with kidney disease, even eating normal amounts of food puts stress on their kidneys. If you consume large amounts of carbohydrates, protein or fat the stress on an overworked, half functioning kidney will get even worse and can accelerate your kidney dysfunction.”

How about exercising? This is when I get on the exercise bike and watch a good movie. Why? The Mayo Clinic at  https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/stress-management/in-depth/exercise-and-stress/art-20044469 explains far better than I could:

Exercise increases your overall health and your sense of well-being, which puts more pep in your step every day. But exercise also has some direct stress-busting benefits.

• It pumps up your endorphins. Physical activity helps bump up the production of your brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters, called endorphins. Although this function is often referred to as a runner’s high, a rousing game of tennis or a nature hike also can contribute to this same feeling.
• It’s meditation in motion. After a fast-paced game of racquetball or several laps in the pool, you’ll often find that you’ve forgotten the day’s irritations and concentrated only on your body’s movements.

As you begin to regularly shed your daily tensions through movement and physical activity, you may find that this focus on a single task, and the resulting energy and optimism, can help you remain calm and clear in everything you do.

• It improves your mood. Regular exercise can increase self-confidence, it can relax you, and it can lower the symptoms associated with mild depression and anxiety. Exercise can also improve your sleep, which is often disrupted by stress, depression and anxiety. All of these exercise benefits can ease your stress levels and give you a sense of command over your body and your life.

 

Of course, you could give yourself permission to curl up with a good book for half an hour or so. You might like Portal in Time or Sort of Dark Places for sheer escapism or any of the SlowItDownCKD series (including What Is It and How Did I Get It? Early Stage Chronic Kidney Disease) for edifying yourself. Oh, the shameless self-promotion here! All are available on Amazon although,personally, if I’m stressed, I want pure escapism.

 

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

Something New and Entirely Different

I sit here trying to write this week’s blog and being interrupted every five minutes by a long involved commentary about one thing or another. Why do I tolerate it? Because it’s Bear, my Bear, my husband who is interrupting. Why not just ask him not to, you say. Well, it’s involved. Basically, it’s because he has Alzheimer’s, doesn’t know how long winded he’s being, and feels terribly insulted when I ask him not to interrupt so I can write.

Sometimes, we can have a conversation without the interruptions and without the involved commentary. Obviously, not right now, but during one of these conversations, I explained to him that I had been asked to write about his Alzheimer’s but felt I needed to preserve his privacy. This good man blew that up. He said something to the effect that if it’s going to help even one person to know what he experiences, what I experience, with this disease, then I was obliged to write about it. His privacy wasn’t more important than that.

Now you have just an inkling of why I love him… and I do, Alzheimer’s or not. Since this is my kidney disease blog, it would make sense to look for any connections between Alzheimer’s and kidney disease. If they exist, that is.

I was not happy to find the following on The National Kidney Foundation’s page at https://www.kidney.org/news/ekidney/august08/Dementia_august08

“People with albuminuria were about 50% more likely to have dementia than people without albuminuria, Dr. Joshua I. Barzilay, at Emory University School of Medicine in Atlanta, Georgia, and his research team report. The association between the two conditions was still strong after controlling for age, education and risk factors, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, and cholesterol levels. There was a weaker relationship between albuminuria and mild cognitive impairment.”

By now it’s common knowledge to my readers that diabetes is the foremost cause of Chronic Kidney Disease with high blood pressure (hypertension) being the second.

How about some reminders right about now?

The American Diabetes Association at http://www.diabetes.org/diabetes-basics/common-terms/?loc defines the most common type of diabetes in the following manner:

“diabetes mellitus (MELL-ih-tus)
a condition characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from the body’s inability to use blood glucose for energy. In Type 1 diabetes, the pancreas no longer makes insulin and therefore blood glucose cannot enter the cells to be used for energy. In Type 2 diabetes, either the pancreas does not make enough insulin or the body is unable to use insulin correctly.”

As for high blood pressure, also known as hypertension, The National Library of Medicine PubMed Health was able to help us out:

“It happens when the force of the blood pumping through your arteries is too strong. When your heart beats, it pushes blood through your arteries to the rest of your body. When the blood pushes harder against the walls of your arteries, your blood pressure goes up.”

Keep this in mind for later. Here’s the definition of albumin from What Is It and How Did I Get It? Early Stage Chronic Kidney Disease:

Albumin: Water soluble protein in the blood.

As mentioned in SlowItDownCKD 2013, “according to the physicians’ journal BMJ: ‘albuminuria [is] leakage of large amounts of the protein albumin into the urine.’”

Many of us with CKD have albuminuria at one time or another. Does that mean that 50% of us are going to develop dementia? No, not at all. According to the National Kidney Foundation, that 50% of us with albuminuria are MORE LIKELY to develop dementia, not GOING TO.

I get it. By now, most of you are probably asking what Alzheimer’s has to do with dementia. I popped right over to the Alzheimer’s Association’s (my new best friend) website at https://www.alz.org/alzheimers-dementia/what-is-alzheimers  for an explanation.

“Alzheimer’s is a type of dementia that causes problems with memory, thinking and behavior. Symptoms usually develop slowly and get worse over time, becoming severe enough to interfere with daily tasks.”

I’ll bet you want a definition of dementia now. Let’s go to Healthline.com at https://www.healthline.com/health/dementia for one:

“Dementia is a decline in cognitive function. To be considered dementia, mental impairment must affect at least two brain functions. Dementia may affect:

• memory
• thinking
• language
• judgment
• behavior”

It’s not surprising that the two definitions look so much alike. Alzheimer’s is one of the ten kinds of dementia that I know about. Different websites have different numbers for how many different kinds of dementia there are. I used the information from MedicineNet at https://www.medicinenet.com/dementia/article.htm#what_are_alzheimers_vascular_and_frontotemporal_dementia

Did you keep the definition of albumin in mind? The key word in that is protein… and that’s where the connection between Alzheimer’s and CKD lies. The information is from an unusual source for me to use, Science Magazine at https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/01/alzheimer-s-protein-may-spread-infection-human-brain-scans-suggest:

 “Tau is one of two proteins—along with β-amyloid—that form unusual clumps in the brains of people with Alzheimer’s disease. Scientists have long debated which is most important to the condition and, thus, the best target for intervention. Tau deposits are found inside neurons, where they are thought to inhibit or kill them, whereas β-amyloid forms plaques outside brain cells.”

I realize this is getting very technical and may concentrate on particular elements of this connection in future blogs, but right now, I’d like to remind you that the National Kidney Fund is hosting a webinar “Eating healthy with diabetes and kidney disease” in recognition of National Diabetes Awareness Month on Wednesday, November 28, 2018 from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. EST.

Again, diabetes… the number one cause of Chronic Kidney Disease. Read more about CKD, diabetes, and hypertension (as well as many other topics) in the SlowItDownCKD series and What Is It and How Did I Get It? Early Stage Chronic Kidney Disease. All eight books are available in print and digital on Amazon.com and B & N.com.

Did you know that the first day of Chanukah is December 3^rd? We start celebrating Chanukah the night before the first day and celebrate for eight nights… and there are eight books. What a coincidence! (Just planting a seed here, folks.)

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

Shining a Light on 1in9

Last week, I began my blog post by mentioning that kidney disease awareness advocates have a habit of finding each other. This time, we had a little help.  I transferred to a new nephrologist because he was so much closer to my house. We spent some time getting to know each other as people new to each other do. Then he told me about another patient of his who is also working on spreading awareness, but via a documentary. Raymond, a transplant recipient that you’ll meet in a moment, and his brother who is also his donor, are both veterans. It made sense to me when his wife and partner on their documentary, Analyn Scott, suggested I post her guest blog about their project today since Veterans’ Day which was yesterday. Readers, meet Analyn; Analyn, meet the readers of the blog.

By now it shouldn’t surprise me that as I’m out and about I’m constantly meeting more and more people with a connection to kidney disease. That was not the case 21 years ago, or even four years ago for that matter. What changed? The opening of my eyes to statistics I was previously unaware of, and frankly I found to be quite shocking and unacceptable. I’ll get to those stats a little later.

21 years ago this month I met my now husband, Raymond Scott, on a blind date. A year out of the Army, here was this 29 year old handsome, kind, Southern gentlemen that swept me off my feet. Little did either of us know that three months later his kidneys would unexpectedly fail and that our journey would lead us to where we are today.

Like many others, although Raymond ‘crashed’ into dialysis, his previous medical records revealed that he had Kidney Disease, but he was not properly made aware of his status or what he could do to improve it. So our journey with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) began together with Raymond finding out he had End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) and needing to start on dialysis right away.

Throughout the past 20, going on 21 years, Raymond has been on both peritoneal dialysis and in-center hemodialysis, had a kidney transplant that lasted for five years, and for the past five years has his hemodialysis treatments administered by me five days a week from the comforts of our home. With that, we’ve also had many twists and turns with Raymond’s health that often go along with ESRD. But, despite our own experiences, it wasn’t until we were invited as guests to attend the National Kidney Foundation’s Dancing With The Stars Arizona 2015 Gala that our eyes would start to be opened to the staggering statistics surrounding Kidney Disease.

As we enjoyed the lively and energetic dance performances I turned to Raymond and teasingly said, “Hey, that could be you dancing next year.” My eyes got big and my giggles stopped, and before I could get the words out of my mouth, Raymond already knew that look on my face very well and anticipated my next words, “Wait, why not you? You can do this!.”

Sure enough, Raymond was the first celebrity star dancer who was an active dialysis patient at the National Kidney Foundation’s 10th Annual Dancing With the Stars Arizona Gala on February 20th, 2016…..18 years to the exact day that his kidneys failed! He and his dance partner and instructor, Brianna Santiago, spent six months of grueling practices preparing for their energetic performance to Pharrell William’s song Happy, demonstrating the improved quality of life home dialysis can provide, and that dialysis does not have to be a death sentence.

As we picked up the torch of advocacy, we were led to start filming a documentary and create a non-profit organization to create hope and change the trajectory of kidney disease. As I was brainstorming with a dear friend about potential names for the organization, she said, “Wait, go back to that statistic you mentioned: 26 Million Americans, 1 in 9 adults have Kidney Disease….that’s it…..1in9.” That and meeting our incredible videographer was how 1in9 was birthed!

You may have guessed it, but 1 in 9 American adults having Kidney Disease was one of those stats that caught us off guard. And hearing that 90% of those with CKD weren’t aware was totally unacceptable to us. Diabetes is the leading cause of Kidney Disease, and high blood pressure….which took Raymond’s kidneys….is second. Kidney disease is the ninth leading cause of death in the U.S. and kills more people than breast cancer or prostate cancer. Surprising, right? It sure was to us, and we figured if this was news to us after all these years of living with it, then the general population must really be in the dark.

Our vision for 1in9 is to save millions of lives globally through awareness, prevention, and expedited research and development of regenerative medicine treatments and solutions. Last year our family headed out across country on an RV tour to raise awareness and film, while keeping up Raymond’s dialysis treatments five days a week on the RV. We met some incredible people near and far that continue to inspire us to keep pushing the wheels of change. Like our friends at…..

University of Arizona http://deptmedicine.arizona.edu/news/2017/1in9-kidney-challenge-founders-visit-ua-nephrology-faculty-researchers

Washington University https://nephrology.wustl.edu/1in9-kidney-awareness-documentary-visits-division-nephrology/

The Veterans’ Administration Medical Center in Washington DC https://www.washingtondc.va.gov/features/Living_Well_with_Kidney_Disease.asp

And our visit to UCSF with Dr. Shuvo Roy, co-Director of The Kidney Project, where we were able to hold the 3D printed bio-artificial kidney prototype in our own hands! Friends, if you haven’t already heard, change is not only on the way, it’s here!

We are still filming our documentary, releasing our 1in9 Compilation Book next March, and excited about other impactful programs we are launching that will help us bring Kidney Disease out of the public shadows of silence and misunderstanding and confront it head on with solutions.

To learn more and link arms to help keep the torch illuminating bright on our life saving mission please visit, follow, and/or contact us at: www.1in9kidneychallenge.com 
www.facebook.com/1in9kidneychallenge/ 1in9kidneychallenge@gmail.com

Analyn and Raymond have asked me to contribute a chapter to their book. I will be delighted to do so. As a Chronic Kidney Disease awareness advocate, I can’t begin to tell you how much pleasure I have at meeting more and more people with the same mission in life. We get to help each other spread awareness.

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

Dead People

Hmmm, maybe that title should read “Famous People Who Died from Kidney Disease.” Let’s go back a bit to see what I’m talking about. By now you know my youngest married on the 6^th of this month. Thank you to everyone who sent their best wishes. She and her husband did a wonderful job of creating the wedding they wanted, just as the new Mr. & Mrs. Nielson are doing a terrific job of creating the life they want together.

Of course, her sister came out from New York to join the festivities. As usual, she stayed with Bear and me. That gave us plenty of time to gab between the pre-wedding potluck at my house and all the preparations for the wedding. At one point, I casually mentioned to her that Jean Harlow died of kidney disease. That fascinated Nima for some reason. As I explained the how and why, she asked me why I hadn’t yet written a blog about famous people who died from kidney disease.

At first, I thought it a bit macabre but then I rethought that. My new thinking ran along the line of, “What a perfect blog for Halloween week.” By the way, that’s my brother’s birthday and there is nothing spooky about him. Oh, our preconceptions.

Back to Jean Harlow. For those of you who don’t know, she was not only an American film actress during the 1930s, but a sex symbol as well.

This is from the official Jean Harlow website at https://www.jeanharlow.com/about/biography/

“While filming Saratoga in 1937, Jean was hospitalized with uremic poisoning and kidney failure, a result of the scarlet fever she had suffered during childhood. In the days before dialysis and kidney transplants, nothing could be done and Jean died on June 7, 1937.”

A couple of reminders:

Uremic poisoning is what we now call uremia. This type of poisoning happens when the kidneys can’t filter your blood.

Kidney failure means your kidneys don’t work anymore. One of their jobs is to filter urea from your blood so that it doesn’t build up resulting in uremia.

As for the scarlet fever, “In general, appropriately diagnosed and treated scarlet fever results in few if any long-term effects. However, if complications develop for whatever reason, problems that include kidney damage, hepatitis, vasculitis, septicemia, congestive heart failure, and even death may occur.“ (Courtesy of MedicineNet at https://www.medicinenet.com/scarlet_fever_scarlatina/article.htm)

Dialysis was invented in 1943 by Dr. Willem Kolff. It wasn’t until the 1950s before it was perfected, but for Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) only. To make matters worse, few machines were available. Dr. Belding Scribner then developed a shunt to make dialysis effective for End Stage Renal Disease patients. In other words, not only those with short term kidney injuries, but also those whose kidneys were shutting down permanently. It wasn’t until 1962 that he opened the first outpatient dialysis unit. Later on, he developed the portable dialysis machines.

Keep those years in mind. Keep in mind also that there was no dialysis or transplantation when these people died of kidney disease.

You may remember the blog I wrote about the Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. He died of kidney failure back in 1792… way before dialysis or transplantation.

Transplantation? You’re right; I haven’t defined it yet. You cannot live without a functioning kidney unless you are on dialysis OR a new kidney – either from a cadaver or a life donor – is placed in your body. It is not a cure for kidney failure, but a treatment. Transplantees take anti-rejection medications for the rest of their lives.

Have you heard of Sarah Bernhardt? She was a French stage actress who died of kidney disease in 1923. She’d also been a silent screen actress, but reportedly didn’t care for film acting. Notice the year.

Emily Dickinson, the celebrated American poet died of Bright’s disease in 1886. (She was still alive during Portal of Time. I wonder if Jesse read her work?) Oh, you forgot what Bright’s disease is? No problem. New-Medical Net at https://www.news-medical.net/health/Brights-Disease-Kidney-Disease.aspx tells us it is “… a historical term that is not currently in use. It referred to a group of kidney diseases – in modern medicine, the condition is described as acute or chronic nephritis.”

It would make sense to define nephritis now. The suffix “itis” means inflammation of and “neph” refers to the kidneys. So, nephritis is an inflammation of the kidneys and can be due to a number of causes.

Let’s not forget the great Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw. He moved to London at 20 years old and became a critic and political activist as well. You’ve heard of the play ‘My Fair Lady’? It was based on his ‘Pygmalion’. He died of kidney disease just before he might have been saved… in 1950.

I think the one who surprised me the most was Buffalo Bill Cody. He was not just the leader of his wild West show, but also a bison hunter, scout (as in finding the way for wagon trains), gold rush participant, possibly a Pony Express rider, and actor. He died in 1917 of kidney failure.

Other famous people who have died of kidney disease include Art Tatum, Color Porter, Douglas MacArthur, Alex Karras, Manute Bol, Ernest Borgnine, Don DeLuise, Art Buchwald, Norman Mailer, Sandra Dee, Barry White, Erma Bombeck, Marlene Dietrich, and Laurence Olivier.

This blog is not meant to scare the wits out of you. Well, maybe it is in a way. Famous people from all walks of life – athletes, writers, actors, musicians, singers, military members, and others – have died of kidney disease. Many before the invention of dialysis and transplantation. Some of kidney disease in combination of other diseases. And some because they didn’t know they had kidney disease.

My point? If you belong to any of the high risk groups for kidney disease, get yourself tested. We’re talking simple blood and urine tests here. The high risk groups are “diabetes, hypertension and a family history of kidney disease. African Americans, Hispanics, Pacific Islanders, Native Americans and Seniors.” Thank you to the National Kidney Center at http://www.nationalkidneycenter.org/chronic-kidney-disease/risk-factors/ for this list.

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

How Does That Work Again?

I’ve had so many questions lately about how clinical trials work that when Antidote asked me if I’d consider including their infograph in a blog, I jumped at the chance. There’s even more information about clinical trials at https://www.antidote.me/what-are-clinical-trial-phases.

I’ve written about Antidote before… and I’ve written about clinical trials before. It seems more and more people are becoming interested in the process for a multitude of diseases, not only Chronic Kidney Disease.

As a newly diagnosed diabetes patient, I’ve noticed clinical trials for diabetes. A family member has Alzheimer’s; his neurologist keeps an eye out for clinical trials for him. Whatever your disease is, you can search for clinical trials.

While this is not everyone’s cup of tea, it is a chance to help others who may develop the same diseases in the future. Who knows, maybe the new treatment will be FDA approved during your own lifetime and help you with your own disease.

In case you are one of those people who have always wondered just what the FDA is, their website is https://www.fda.gov. That’s right: it’s a government site which is part of the U.S. Health and Human Services. What’s that? You’d like a more precise definition?

No problem. This is from the United States of American Government website at https://www.usa.gov/federal-agencies/food-and-drug-administration and offers basic information about the FDA.

Food and Drug Administration

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is responsible for protecting the public health by assuring the safety, efficacy, and security of human and veterinary drugs, biological products, medical devices, our nation’s food supply, cosmetics, and products that emit radiation. The FDA also provides accurate, science-based health information to the public.

                                                                                                                                                      Agency Details

Acronym: FDA

Website: Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

Contact: Contact the Food and Drug Administration

 Report a Problem with a Product

Main Address: 10903 New Hampshire Ave.
Silver Spring, MD 20993

Toll Free: 1-888-INFO-FDA (1-888-463-6332)

Forms: Food and Drug Administration Forms

Government branch: Executive Department Sub-Office/Agency/Bureau

By the way, they are also responsible for both recalls and safety alerts for the treatments they’ve approved.

In the infograph above, you’ll notice, “Sometimes, only healthy volunteers participate.” in Phase 1. Should you decide to apply for a clinical trial, you need to keep this in mind to save yourself a bit of heartache. I firmly believe in paying back for the wonderful things in my life and have applied for several clinical trials for other diseases in an effort to do so. I must have missed the small print because I was rejected for having CKD.

I wanted to help eradicate or ameliorate whatever the disease was. Sometimes it was a disease that was ravaging a loved one. It was just a little bit of a heartbreak not to be able to do so.

As for Phase 2, I went to the blog’s site at gailraegarwood.wordpress.com to use the antidote widget at the bottom of the right side of the page. It’s the turquoise one. You can’t miss it. Face Palm! You can also go directly to www.antidote.me to search for clinical trials.

Why Antidote? It’s simply an easier way to find a clinical trial. This is from SlowItDownCKD 2017:

“Antidote Match™

Matching patients to trials in a completely new way
Antidote Match is the world’s smartest clinical trial matching tool, allowing patients to match to trials just by answering a few questions about their health.

Putting technology to work
We have taken on the massive job of structuring all publicly available clinical trial eligibility criteria so that it is machine-readable and searchable.

This means that for the first time, through a machine-learning algorithm that dynamically selects questions, patients can answer just a few questions to search through thousands of trials within a given therapeutic area in seconds and find one that’s right for them.

Patients receive trial information that is specific to their condition with clear contact information to get in touch with researchers.

Reaching patients where they are
Even the smartest search tool is only as good as the number of people who use it, so we’ve made our search tool available free of charge to patient communities, advocacy groups, and health portals. We’re proud to power clinical trial search on more than a hundred of these sites, reaching millions of patients per month where they are already looking for health information.

Translating scientific jargon
Our platform pulls information on all the trials listed on clinicaltrials.gov and presents it into a simple, patient-friendly design.

You (Gail here: this point is addressed to the ones conducting the clinical trial) then have the option to augment that content through our free tool, Antidote Bridge™, to include the details that are most important to patients – things like number of overnights, compensation, and procedures used. This additional information helps close the information gap between patients and researchers, which ultimately yields greater engagement with patients.

Here’s how Antidote Match works
1. Visit search engine → Patients visit either our website or one of the sites that host our search.
2. Enter condition → They enter the condition in which they’re interested, and begin answering the questions as they appear
3. Answer questions → As more questions are answered, the number of clinical trial matches reduces
4. Get in touch: When they’re ready, patients review their matches and can get in touch with the researchers running each study directly through our tool

Try it from the blog roll. I did. I was going to include my results, but realized they wouldn’t be helpful since my address, age, sex, diseases, and conditions may be different from everyone else’s. One caveat: search for Chronic Renal Insufficiency or Chronic Renal Failure (whichever applies to you) rather than Chronic Kidney Disease.”

Before I sign off, this came in from the American Association of Kidney Patients:

Please join us on Tuesday, October 9, 2018 at 1 p.m. ET for an educational webinar on Making the Perfect Team: Working with Your Dialysis Technician in partnership with National Association of Nephrology Technicians/Technologists (NANT).  Keep in mind that’s tomorrow. Hit this link if you’d like to register https://register.gotowebinar.com/register/7744206034004582403

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

Backed Up

Granted this is weird, but I have wondered for quite a while what – if anything – constipation has to do with Chronic Kidney Disease. Maybe my memory is faulty (Hello, brain fog, my old friend), but I don’t remember having this problem before CKD entered my life… or did I?

In my attempt to find out if there is a connection, I hit pay dirt on my first search.

“Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and end-stage renal disease (ESRD) are more likely to develop in individuals with constipation than in those with normal bowel movements, according to a new study published online in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

More severe constipation, defined as using more than one laxative, was associated with increasing risks of CKD and its progression.”

You can read the entire Renal and Urology News article at https://www.renalandurologynews.com/chronic-kidney-disease-ckd/constipation-associated-with-ckd-esrd-risk/article/572659/.

Wait a minute. This is not quite as clear as I’d like it to be. For example, what exactly is constipation? The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases at https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/constipation was of help here:

“Constipation is a condition in which you may have fewer than three bowel movements a week; stools that are hard, dry, or lumpy; stools that are difficult or painful to pass; or a feeling that not all stool has passed. You usually can take steps to prevent or relieve constipation.”

Well then, what’s severe constipation? A new site for me, HealthCCM at https://health.ccm.net/faq/267-acute-constipation defines severe or acute constipation as,

“Acute constipation is usually defined by a slowing of intestinal transit generating a decrease in bowel movements and the appearance of dehydration. The person will have difficulty defecating or may not be able to at all.”

This sounds downright painful, so let’s go back to my original query about how constipation and CKD relate to each other.

But first I want to share this very clear explanation of how constipation happens from Everyday Health at https://www.everydayhealth.com/constipation/guide/.

“The GI tract, which consists of a series of hollow organs stretching from your mouth to your anus, is responsible for digestion, nutrient absorption, and waste removal.

In your lower GI tract, your large intestine, or bowel — which includes your colon and rectum — absorbs water from your digested food, changing it from a liquid to a solid (stool).

Constipation occurs when digested food spends too much time in your colon.

Your colon absorbs too much water, making your stool hard and dry — and difficult for your rectal muscles to push out of your body.”

Keep in mind that diabetes is the number one cause of CKD as you read this. According to the Mayo Clinic at https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/constipation/symptoms-causes/syc-20354253

“Hormones help balance fluids in your body. Diseases and conditions that upset the balance of hormones may lead to constipation, including:

• Diabetes
• Overactive parathyroid gland (hyperparathyroidism)
• Pregnancy
• Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)”

Many of the sites I perused suggested drinking more water to avoid or correct constipation. But we’re CKD patients; our fluid intake (Well, mine, anyway) is restricted. I’m already drinking my maximum of 64 ounces a day. In the words of Laurel and Hardy’s Hardy, “Well, here’s another nice mess you’ve gotten me into!” It’s possible constipation contributed to my developing CKD and drinking more may help, but with CKD you’re limited to how much you can drink.

Another suggestion I ran into on many sites was increase your fruit and vegetable intake. Great, just great. I’m already at my maximum of three different fruits and three different vegetables – each of different serving sizes, mind you – daily.

Wikipedia at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constipation#Medications has a great deal of information about constipation. Remember though that anyone can edit any Wikipedia article at any time. Be that as it may, this sentence leaped out at me:

“Metabolic and endocrine problems which may lead to constipation include: hypercalcemia, hypothyroidism, hyperparathyroidism, porphyria, chronic kidney disease, pan-hypopituitarism, diabetes mellitus, and cystic fibrosis….”

Thank you, MedicineNet for reminding us that iron can cause constipation. How many of us (meaning CKD patients) are on iron tablets due to the anemia that CKD may cause? I realize some patients are even taking injections of synthetic iron to help with red blood production, something the kidneys are charged with and slow down on when they are in decline.

Apparently, another gift of aging can be constipation since your metabolic system slows down. That’s also what makes it so hard to lose weight once you reach a certain weight. I’m getting a lot of information here, but I’m still not clear as to how one may cause the other. Let’s search some more.

I think I just hit something. We already know that diabetes is the number one cause of CKD. Did you remember that high blood pressure is the second most usual cause of CKD? Take a look at this from Health at https://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20452199,00.html#inflammatory-bowel-disease-3:

“Constipation can be a side effect of some common drugs used to treat high blood pressure, such as calcium channel blockers and diuretics.

Diuretics, for instance, lower blood pressure by increasing urine output, which flushes water from your system. However, water is needed to keep stools soft and get them out of the body.”

Now we’re getting somewhere.

It gets even better. The American Association of Kidney Patients at https://aakp.org/dialysis/relieving-constipation/ not only offered more clarification, but offered a list of high fiber foods without going over most of our potassium and phosphorous limits. Fiber intake is considered another way to both avoid and help with constipation.

“Adults need 20-35 grams of fiber daily. However, for dialysis patients who have to limit their fluid intake, this may be too much since it is thought increased dietary fiber may require an increased fluid intake. Also, all patients are different so the amount of fiber needed to relieve constipation varies from person to person.

High Fiber Foods

Bran muffin                 ½ muffin

Brown rice (cooked)   ½ cup

Broccoli*                    ½ cup

Peach                          1 medium

Prunes*                       3

Prunes*                       3

Spaghetti (cooked)      ½ cup

Turnips*                      ¾ cup

(Each serving contains about 150mg potassium, 20-90mg phosphorus and 1 – 5.4 grams of fiber.) (*Items contains 2 or more grams of fiber per serving.)”

I’ve got the connection between constipation and CKD now; do you?

Until next week,

Keep living your life!

The Dynamic Duo

Sorry Batman, not yours. I’m writing about Chronic Kidney Disease and diabetes. For a decade, I’ve been told diabetes is the number one cause of CKD. Got it… and (as you know) CKD. Then I learned that CKD can cause diabetes. Ummm, okay, I guess that sort of makes sense. And then, oh my, I developed diabetes. But how? I’d never questioned how that worked before, but I certainly did now.

Let’s go back to the beginning here. First of all, what is diabetes? I included this information in SlowItDownCKD 2013:

“According to MedicalNewsToday at https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/info/diabetes:

‘Diabetes, often referred to by doctors as diabetes mellitus, describes a group of metabolic diseases in which the person has high blood glucose (blood sugar), either because insulin production is inadequate, or because the body’s cells do not respond properly to insulin, or both. Patients with high blood sugar will typically experience polyuria (frequent urination), they will become increasingly thirsty (polydipsia) and hungry (polyphagia).’”

Guilty on all three counts as far as symptoms. It gets worse. I uncovered this fact in SlowItDownCKD 2014:

“According to Diabetes.co.uk at https://www.diabetes.co.uk/how-does-diabetes-affect-the-body.html,

‘The kidneys are another organ that is at particular risk of damage as a result of diabetes and the risk is again increased by poorly controlled diabetes, high blood pressure and cholesterol.’”

This is getting more and more complicated. But again, how is diabetes damaging my kidneys?

It seemed to me that I had just posted a fact about this on SlowItDownCKD’s Facebook page, so I checked. Yep, I did on September 7^th.

“Did you know that high glucose levels can make your red blood cells stiffen? This hinders your blood circulation.”

And this affects the kidneys how? Let’s think about this a minute. Way back when I wrote What Is It and How Did I Get It? Early Stage Chronic Kidney Disease, I included this information:

“A renal artery carries the blood, waste and water to the kidneys while a renal vein carries the filtered and sieved waste from the kidneys.”

The American Society of Hematology at http://www.hematology.org/Patients/Basics/ tells us there are four parts of the blood:

1. Red blood cells
2. White blood cells
3. Plasma
4. Platelets

Hmmm, so red blood cells compose one quarter of your blood and high glucose can make them stiffen. To me, that means a quarter of your blood will be working against you.  Not what we need… especially when we’re already dealing with Chronic Kidney Disease.

Back to my original question (again): How do high glucose levels affect the kidneys?

Thank you to the National Kidney Foundation at https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/Diabetes-and-Kidney-Disease-Stages1-4 for exactly the answer I was looking for:

• Blood vessels inside your kidneys. The filtering units of the kidney are filled with tiny blood vessels. Over time, high sugar levels in the blood can cause these vessels to become narrow and clogged. Without enough blood, the kidneys become damaged and albumin (a type of protein) passes through these filters and ends up in the urine where it should not be.
• Nerves in your body. Diabetes can also cause damage to the nerves in your body. Nerves carry messages between your brain and all other parts of your body, including your bladder. They let your brain know when your bladder is full. But if the nerves of the bladder are damaged, you may not be able to feel when your bladder is full. The pressure from a full bladder can damage your kidneys.
• Urinary tract. If urine stays in your bladder for a long time, you may get a urinary tract infection. This is because of bacteria. Bacteria are tiny organisms like germs that can cause disease. They grow rapidly in urine with a high sugar level. Most often these infections affect the bladder, but they can sometimes spread to the kidneys.

I would say I’m heart… uh, kidney…broken about this development, but the truth is I’m not. I don’t like it; I don’t want it, but I can do something about it. I’d already cut out complex carbs and sugar laden foods in an abortive attempt to lose weight for my health. Well, maybe my daughter’s wedding on October 6^th had something to do with that decision, too.

The point is, I’ve started. I’m aware of the carbohydrates in food and I’m learning how to control my intake of them… just as I’m aware that I have to break in the shoes for the wedding. Something new has to be gotten used to. I’ve had a head start.

Why the emphasis on carbs, you ask. I turned to my old favorite The National Institute of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Diseases at https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/diet-eating-physical-activity/carbohydrate-counting  for help:

“When you eat foods containing carbohydrates, your digestive system breaks down the sugars and starches into glucose. Glucose is one of the simplest forms of sugar. Glucose then enters your bloodstream from your digestive tract and raises your blood glucose levels. The hormone insulin, which comes from the pancreas or from insulin shots, helps cells throughout your body absorb glucose and use it for energy. Once glucose moves out of the blood into cells, your blood glucose levels go back down.”

If you’ve got diabetes, your body either is not producing enough insulin or not interacting well with the insulin it is producing. Measuring my blood sugar levels when I awaken in the morning has shown me that when I’m sleeping – when I cannot help my blood sugar levels come down by eating protein or exercising, even in my dreams – is when I have the highest blood sugar. During the day I can keep it under control.

And that’s where my medication comes in. The usual – Metformin – can cause nausea, which I deal with more often than not, so that was out. However, a new medication on the market just might do the trick. It’s only been a few days, but I do notice my blood sugar upon waking is getting lower each day. This medication is not a panacea. I still have to be careful with my food, exercise daily, and sometimes counteract a high carb food with a protein. I’m not there yet, but I’m learning.

Until next week,

Keep living your life!