My mother age 85 has stage 5 Kidney failure..
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My mother is suffering from. Kidney failure, needless to say dialysis is not an option given her other healissues.
Over the past week she seems to have gone downhill, her appetite has gone and she has become very weak.
It's awful to see her like this 
My mother has always been very active and now she just has no energy.
She is very tired and sleeps a lot.
I'm interested in communicating with others who have witnessed this. I've read a lot on the internet but it's not quite the same as having first-hand knowledge.
Many thanks 
0 likes, 44 replies
sandra48305 tricia83055
Posted
Hello tricia Thank you for sharing your story about you mom I have just been told about my mom diagnosis she is in stage 4. I too was doing research and stumble on your story. I have been taking care of my mom since 2008 since my father's passing she has been bed bound for 12 years and for the pass 2 she has been telling me she does not want to go on dyalisis I talk to her again tonite and she still says the same thing. I just want to say it did me good to see this is so real to a lot of people. Thanks for sharing you story.
donna48047 tricia83055
Posted
Hi...
?I am kind of at a loss as to what to do for my 98 year old mother who has a Ureteral mass and it if blocking her urine output. she has a signed DNR form, so the doctor in the hospital last week said, since she is not a candidate for surgery, best to take her home.. she lives in asst. living. He said do not call paramedics if she gets really bad.. Hospice is coming tomorrow to evaluate her and if needs will come three times a week to see her. she says now, today and yesterday she has hardly any urine come out when she goes to the bathroom. doctor did say urine is backing up ... so not doing anything to help her includes not using a cathater
?My question, at this stage is she close to dying? I just don't know what to expect and it seems so weird or strange not to get her help.
?Do you know anything about her condition and what kind of timeframe she might have left?
?Thank you for your comments.. Donna
TinaRibena123 donna48047
Posted
Hi there Donna
It's an awful time isn't it, you hate to see a loved one suffering. I can only tell you what happened with my mum and maybe this will give you some kind of timescale, or not, it's so very difficult. My mum had been in hospital for 2 weeks in December 2015 and the drs said there was nothing else they could do for her, she had wee infections that wouldn't clear up and basically as her kidneys were failing they said (because they knew we were taking her to a hotel over the Christmas period), take her and have a good time. She was not too bad whilst we were away, in a wheel chair and her legs were very swollen with fluid, but she was very with it, still eating and singing along with the hotel entertainment!.... however the day we returned home (she was living with us) she took a turn for the worse. On call dr came out and so did nurses who said they would get in touch with the local hospice and a lovely lady from the hospice came out to evaluate mum, she said mum could go in but was not expected to last the week. All the family came to see her to say their goodbyes (even her 92 year old brother - it was heartbreaking). However, my mum being a fighter, after two weeks, she was back to eating and was too well to be in the hospice! They arranged for her to go into a care home where she had a lovely room and so from January 2016 she got to know people, did colouring in her books and took part in quizzes there. However, in May, suddenly out of the blue, there had been nothing untoward up to this, she suffered a minor heart attack, the paramedics were called and from then my mum went rapidly downhill. (I had been going to visit her every day whilst she was in the care home). This was on a Thursday, the hospice were informed so that they could be involved in her end of life care, mum's body basically shut down from then, immediate family sat bedside and the following Tuesday, after lots of morphine over the weekend, she passed away, with all her family around her. It was bizarre that she had gone within a week, basically she could have gone at any time over the last five years, she had been in and out of various hospitals. She also had a DNR notice (strangely it was only in the summer of 2015 that one hospital asked her, no one had mentioned it before ever and I had been to umpteen hospital appointments with her up until then). As I say, mum went peacefully, which was a great blessing. I hope this has given you some help and you are able to make your mum's last days (how ever long they may be) as comfortable as possible. Thinking of you at this time Donna xxxxx
jodie58917 tricia83055
Posted
Hey, my father law is in stage 4 kidney disease. He recently came to live with us, he has cancer on both arms and his leg. He is 88 and not doing dialysis. He sleeps about 20 hours out of a day, barely can get around with a walker, stays confused a lot. he doesn't really know he is close to the end of his life, ÷underlying he scratches constantly. How do we know when the end is real close?
marj01201 jodie58917
Posted
Jodie,
I'm in Stage V with an eGFR of 14 and a creatinine level of 3.2. I have severe anemia as a sid effect of my CKD. But my nephrologist treats that with a combination of medications, i.e., Auryxia which I take 3x a day with meals and an EPO injection which I receive as needed. This treatment plan keeps my hemoglobin up to 10.5. That puts me in the moderate range with anemia. I feel quite well. I no longer sleep so much. And I'm able to exercise daily (walk 2 mikes a day and a 30-minute workout on my elliptical machine daily). I'm also still working full time and am not yet on dialysis.
My skin isn't itchy unless my eGFR falls down into 8-9 range. My potassium is my other issue. It runs high without treatment. So I follow a low potassium diet (2000 mg daily) and take a potassium binder daily.
I mention all of this as there may be some medications they can use with your father-in-law that will make him more comfortable.
It's unclear what your father-in-law is experiencing that is related to his renal function and what is related to the cancer. But, hopefully, having a candid discussion with his doctors will lead to a treatment plan that will keep him comfortable and will give him a little more energy.
Best wishes--this is definitely not easy!
Marj
rebecca48620 tricia83055
Posted
marj01201 rebecca48620
Posted
Rebecca, have you talked with your mother's doctor's? They can tell you what to expect.
My mother had cancer. She chose to be in the hospital for comfort care during the final few weeks of her life. Like you, I watched my mother's health deteriorate. I didn't know what we, my siblings and I, should expect. I asked my mother's doctor. He walked me through the symptoms I would see as her kidneys shut down before she passed away.
Knowing what we would be seeing, what it meant, and what they would do to ensure she remained comfortable both physically and emotionally was tremendously helpful for my siblings and myself. Hopefully your mother's doctor's will be willing to provide similar information for you.
Best wishes,
Marj
rebecca48620 tricia83055
Posted
cathryn74566 tricia83055
Posted
good evening tricia I my mum is 86 and has kidney failure as well and same as your mum was always active and now just always in bed and sleeping all time it breaks your heart seeing your mum like this I am always checking to see if she is still breatheing terrible thing to say just don't know what to do anymore x
Guest tricia83055
Posted
My mum is 73yrs she was like this when they were preparing her for dialysis. Then the nephrologist put here on suppliment drinks and puddings high in protein and nutrients I think (someone correct me if im wrong)
Since using these suppliments she has perked up alot znd now back to stage 4. The nepbrologist has postponed the dialysis for now.
Why not have a chat with the renal unit or Dr?
Good luck x
Guest
Posted