Chronis Kidney Disease

[1860pamkerby]

I am 48 years old and have just been told I have stage 3 chronic kidney disease.  I am also at high risk of heart disease.  What am I looking at as far as time left here.  5-10 years doesn't change my life plans.  Less than that might.

[lindahand]

There is a thread called "Diet Does Make a Difference" That I wrote that outlines what my doctor told me. At Stage two you probably don't have to go hard core, my doctor said to cut down but not cut out, so I eat a little bit of it.

I find the salt the hardest thing to control. It is in so many sauces so I end up making a lot of my own. You can also google, that is what I did. I will also take things like teriyaki sauce and use a little bit but add sherry to thin it out and reduce the salt content.

They recently came out with coconut milk. It is a bit high in fat (but supposedly it is good fat not trans fat), but has no protein. It is far superior in taste to that awful rice milk. I use it to make pancakes, and on my cereal. You can put it in your coffee, but it doesn't turn it white. For some reason it dissipates in. So that cuts down on a serving of protein.

I was born with three kidneys but the double decker side got infected, they did surgery to fix it but knicked an artery and I lost both kidneys on that side, so I now only have one too. Makes you a bit more cautious.

[denisechapman]

I have been stage 2 for 10 years now... I am 48 and I cannot take the ACE or ARB drugs because I am allergic. My protein recently jumped up to 2.67 gms so I am trying to get that back down... but it's difficult when you can't take the drugs. I need to investigate the "diet" someone mentions above.  Plus I was born with one kidney!

[warney]

Hi unfortunately noone can predict how fast these things progress, only that they usually do! I have gone from stage 1 to 3 in 8 monhts, with d drop of over 37 in this time.  If it contiunes at the same rate of decline, i will be on dialysis, stage 5 within 6 months. some only lose a few points a year. Generally from what I have read, any drop of consistenly more than 4 or 5 per year, indicatres rapid decline and referral should be made. could be 20 years or only 12 months!!!!!! follow all advice strictly and this may well slow it all down

[lindahand]

I remember reading that people can live 8 years on dialysis so I think you should make the 10 year mark. As well if you follow the kidney diet you may be able to keep the numbers the same, slow the progression, or even increase the numbers. I am 37. I was at stage 3 kidney disease. I am now at stage two because I followed the diet. It gives your kidney a break. I bumped a thread called Diet Does Make a Difference. It outlines the kidney diet. I was told that as long as I stayed at stage 3 I could easily make it to my 70's. It is when it gets higher that it is more problematic.

[rsm60]

Hello!

I'm sorry to hear that you are now on dialysis.

What were your meds when you were at stage 4? Can you please list them down?

Your help is very much appreciated. Thank you! God bless!

rsm60

[rosh2554]

Time is what only a nephrologist can confirm at this stage and then too with proper health care, you can survive more.

Looking out for the time to live shouldnt be your task, rather you should target knowing the ways of having a prolonged life by having a healthy loving in the coming times...

[Tem14]

Hello there,
                 I was diagnosed with stage 4 kidney disease about 2 years ago and now I am in complete kidney failure. As for time no one can tell you that. But my advice to you is to take your meds as your doctor tells you and take good care of yourself. I did not follow my doctors advice and now I am on dialysis 3 times a week 4 hours a day. My doctor predicted that I had about 2 years before complete kidney failure and his prediction was correct, but I feel if I would have been taking the meds like he told me it would not have happened as fast as it did. I am not sure if you were told that there is nothing they can do to repair the kidneys but they can delay the failure process. Another thing, if I were you I would start looking for a donor now because the transplant process is not easy and you can be prepared for when you need a donor. Another thing I stupidly ignored.

Good Luck