Terrified of Kidney Failure after friend nearly had it
Posted , 4 users are following.
Hello, new to this site, so apologies if this turns out to be the wrong place to post this.
I'm a rather young individual, only 22, so maybe my fear is mislead. But a friend very dear to me was in the hospital and found her kidneys almost shutting down when she went in for leg pains. According to her, the doctors say it was a mixture of drinking too much liquids, and what medications she was on, which now has me terrified as I tend to drink all throughout the day due to constantly feeling thirsty.
Looking up symptoms, I possess three things that seem to be frequent symptoms of Kidney Failure, but I'm unsure if it truly is a sign or if it's just because of how poor my lifestyle is as a whole.
One is constantly feeling tired, though frankly I've felt like this for years, and was told it may be a case caused by my anti-depressants or depression as a whole.
Two is shortness of breath, but again I'm unsure, as I admit I'm not the healthiest individual, and I wonder if it's simply a case of being out of shape.
And three is frequent urination with not much output. Again, unsure if something serious, or simply a case of how I drink liquids as much as I do.
All the other supposed symptoms I've seen, such as constantly feeling cold and foamy urine aren't present in me (In fact, I tend to feel hot more often than I do cold, but it may be because I tend to dress in long sleeves/pants even on warm days.) So I know I probably sound paranoid, frankly I admit I am a hypochondriac, but I don't truly know, which terrifies me.
My question is, how would I truly know if my kidneys are failing? I've had blood work done very recently, though I've had no call back, so I assume that's a sign that nothing major was found (Though I'm unsure what the blood work completely entailed, as all I know was it was fasting and I had to avoid taking some of my medications for it.) Is my constant drinking of liquids condemning me to a bad fate, when I only mean to drink as much as I do because of this constant, thirsty feeling?
0 likes, 4 replies
Pepasan KarinaP
Posted
In your position, I would ask my doctor to tell me what they did the blood tests for and what the results mean. Don't rely on the doctors surgery to take the initiative on this. One question I would ask is whether diabetes has been eliminated as a potential issue.
KarinaP
Posted
Diabetes does run in my family, but since I haven't had a call, I assume they haven't found that. I'm gonna have to schedule a visit soon, so maybe they're discuss it then, but... I don't know.
marj01201 KarinaP
Posted
I was thinking possible diabetes or what used to be called prediabetes.
I'd definitely call and get my data. You need to have an A1C score to determine whether you've got diabetes. And for your renal function you need to hav a renal panel run. They may also want to check your hemoglobin to look for anemia.
But to start I'd get my most recent lab results. I, unfortunately, ran into a situation with a primary care physician who lost his license for malpractice, negligence, and fraud shortly after I moved and was no longer seeing him.
In my case, I saw him twice a year as I had been diagnosed as a prediabetic within a few months of moving for a job. So, of course, I had to change doctors and, unfortunately chose this "doctor." This doctor, who I will not name, saw me twice a year. Blood was drawn at the end of each appointment. I would get a call 2-3 days after the appointment from his office. They would tell me my labs were okey. They never shared actual data. I never asked. They also never mailed me the written lab report. Again, I never asked for a copy of the written report.
My prediabetic condition transitioned into diabetes at some point during the 10 1/2 years I saw that doctor. But it was never diagnosed. I moved again for my current job. My vision became blurry. My current optometrist found retinopathy. Two years later I was diagnosed with stage IIIa chronic kidney disease. I now have stage v chronic kidney disease. My diabetes is totally in check with no medication just diet and exercise. My eyes are now stable although I have some permanent vision loss. I expect to be on dialysis within a year.
I definitely wish I had been more involved with my medical care and more assertive when dealing with that "doctor." I'm thankful that he is no longer in practice and can't harm anyone else. But there is no way to undue this damage.
So, please, please take action. It's our responsibility as patients to stay on top of our medical care. Unfortunately there are some doctors who just aren't as diligent as most of us expect them to be. That should certainly not be the case. But it's our responsibility to stay on top of our medical care.
Don't worry. But definitely do get the tests done and call to get you data if they don't contact you🐶
Should they find anything it will be treatable. You'll do what I and many others in this forum do; follow your doctor's treatment plan as perfectly as you can. You'll work with your doctor. And you will be alright. But it all begins with you getting your data and visiting with you doctor to be sure you understand it and know exactly what🐶
Marj
justyna86 KarinaP
Posted
I definitely agree with previous replies.have blood tests done and definitely check it out...dont rely on your GPs. I did and that was greatest mistake...eGFR went down from 85 to 30 within 4 years. No action was taken by my doctors. So be careful and look after yourself x