How did you find out...? suddenly or way before?

[Ottawagirl]

Hi,

I am just wondering how people on here found out they had to start Dialysis?

What happened to me was that suddenly one day I became ill and my kidneys just stopped working...all of a sudden just like that.

I was very healthy before, ate no artifical foods at all and was a gymnast before and extremely health conscious.
I did not have a family history of kidney problems and had no health issues ever at all.
I know because I'd go to the doctors just to make sure I was fine even when I had a cold.

I even had a serious knee injury and took no painkillers for it-just oced my knee instead every day for a few hours.

So, I am wondering why this happened to me?
8 years later all I have seen on my medical chart is "cause unknown".

even when I went to the hospital emergency, they did not beleive I was sick and sent me home 3 times that week and I almost ended up dying!

Finally I was admitted and put on emergency dialisys.

Has anyone else had any experiences similar to this?

The unit I go to is quite unfriendly and people never talk to each other there.

[Guest]

I found my ESRD 2 years before I was placed on HD. The doctors had told me my kidney functions getting worse and I had to get a transplant or go on a dialysis very soon. Well, it took about 2 years for my kidneys to go really bad. The cause is really unknown for me also because I don't know if the hypertension caused the kidney problems or the kidney problems caused the hypertension.

[Ottawagirl]

Well,
I don't have any blood pressure problems and never have.
So, for myself I was prefectly fine one day and very I'll the next.

I was actually sent away from the hospital emergency 3 times after they did all the test with them telling me I was still perfectly fine.

When they did find out, I almost died or was pretty close.

They also weren't sure if my kidney problems were temporary or not....

Even my parents took about 2 years to beleive I had kidney problems and though the hospital was making me go there "just to make money" and that I was pretending to be sick....

[candeefrede]

Sorry to hear about all that you had to go through Ottawagirl. It is hard to have something like this and not have people believe that there is something wrong.

I found out that my kidneys were failing about four years ago when I was 23 weeks pregnant with my second child. I was put on dialysis in December and got a kidney transplant on 2/20/06. I am still in the recovery phase so it has been quite a trip. I am very greatful that my entire family has been very supportive thorough my entire sickness. Do you have other family members or friends that do believe you? Have you tried to explain to your parents exactly what is wrong or given them literature about your disease? That may help. Knowledge is power.

[Ottawagirl]

Hi,

well thankfully my friends are really nice and treat me like a "normal" person

I have given a bunch of info to my parents and they pretty much finally beleive I have kidney problems now.
-along with thinking people who have any kidney problems should not lift anything that weighs more than 5 lbs/pounds.....

(I find the last one funny as my ski boots alone weigh 8-10 pounds and are heavy as rocks...)

Also, the guy I was seeing before wa super nice about my kidney problems. (we're not seeing each other for other reasons unrelated....).

Well, good luck to everyone on here...

[Guest]

Hi,

I am just wondering how people on here found out they had to start Dialysis?

What happened to me was that suddenly one day I became ill and my kidneys just stopped working...all of a sudden just like that.

I was very healthy before, ate no artifical foods at all and was a gymnast before and extremely health conscious.
I did not have a family history of kidney problems and had no health issues ever at all.
I know because I'd go to the doctors just to make sure I was fine even when I had a cold.

I even had a serious knee injury and took no painkillers for it-just oced my knee instead every day for a few hours.

So, I am wondering why this happened to me?
8 years later all I have seen on my medical chart is "cause unknown".

even when I went to the hospital emergency, they did not beleive I was sick and sent me home 3 times that week and I almost ended up dying!

Finally I was admitted and put on emergency dialisys.

Has anyone else had any experiences similar to this?

The unit I go to is quite unfriendly and people never talk to each other there.

I am so sorry that this happen to you and to the rest of us. I have had kidney disease since the 1989. That was the first year I had a 24 hour urine and was spilling protein. I was told then to loose weight, stop smoking, and exercise. I did this off and on but I never really knew just how bad kidney disease was until tey told me a few years ago that I would be doing dialysis in years to come, now I am here and will start anytime now, I have weekly blood test now, they are just waiting for my creat to stay at 5. or 6. as they go up and down. Please everyone needs to be more educated on kidney disease, I mean doctors telling it like it really is. My Neph told me if they did tell their patients and show them people on dialysis and showing the end that it would scare the patient into not seeing the doctor and he also said no matter how much education they put out there, there still will be those that will not take notice and take care of their health, I just feel so bad for all of those who are young and those who could not help kidney disease and those like me that could of prevented it and didn't do it.Sue

[Guest]

Found out all of a sudden

On mother's day weekend 2004, I was admitted to the hospital with a hemoglobin count of 4. I had been bleeding heavily for the previous two weeks and basically thought that my monthly friend had completely gone out of control.

I had no history of high blood pressure, no diabetes, nothing remotely close to kidney history in my family (so I thought). Upon admission in the hospital and after receiving two bags of blood, I was told that my creatinine level was 9 and that I was in the end stages of kidney failure. My kidney biopsy revealed kidneys so riddled with scar tissue that the actual cause has not been found. This was as sudden as it gets.

I'm now on a mission to let people know not to take their health for granted.

Almost two years later, I'm on PD dialysis and doing well.

[Guest]

Knew it was a possibility

I've had high blood pressure problems since at least the age of 18. Though there is no official diagnosis, the consensus opinion seems to be that my kidneys were damaged in a skiing accident when I was 17. Shortly after I was found to be spilling protein and had blood in my urine. I followed up with some tests, but there was nothing conclusive.

Over the past 21 years, I have been on and off of hypertension meds. I failed to take care of myself properly, and found a few years ago that my kidney function had dropped to about 50%.

A few weeks ago, I had a bout of colitis. My body lost a lot of fluid, and I couldn't keep my meds down. Apparently the strain shut my kidneys down, and I walked out of the hospital 12 days later with a catheter and a healing fistula.

I'm doing dialysis three times a week now, and trying to learn more about treatment/transplant options. The worst I've suffered so far is some cramping on a "challenge" day. The fistula seems to be maturing at a good pace, and (even though I hate needles) I'm looking forward to getting rid of my catheter -- I want a hot shower!!

[Guest]

Hi, all I am new, My name is Kathleen and I am from AZ I found out when I started swelling up all over, I knew something was wrong with me, then this doctor told me I have kidney disease and sent me to the hospital and then they put a catherer and a fistula in my arm. since I was a kid I put salt on almost everything and that is how I got high blood pressure. I have been on dialysis since march 17. and I hate it, because I can't work.

[shivashankerprasad]

unknown cause of renal failure

well there must be a cause of kidney failure.
either it is hypertension or diabetes or autoimmune disorder or defective gene or analgesic nephropathy or pre renal like renal artery stenosis or post renal problems like kidney stone,urethral stricture ,prostate enlargement
this disease is asymptomatic so people are unable to detect this disese early and one day they find that their kidneys have failed .
kidneys are powerhouse organs so even 70% failure will not get attention from patients.only when around 90% has failed symptoms occur like nausea and vomitting etc.
detecting chronic kidney disease is very easy.
routine urine test and serum creatinine test is used to test kidney performance.
if albumin is present in urine and creatinine is more then 1.2 mg/dl then u sure have a kidnetydisease.ur neph will test further.
if u want further information u can contact me on shivashanker.prasad@rediffmail.com

[Black]

Hi, all I am new, My name is Kathleen and I am from AZ I found out when I started swelling up all over, I knew something was wrong with me, then this doctor told me I have kidney disease and sent me to the hospital and then they put a catherer and a fistula in my arm. since I was a kid I put salt on almost everything and that is how I got high blood pressure. I have been on dialysis since march 17. and I hate it, because I can't work.

If you go on home dialysis you can probably go back to work.

Lorelle

[Guest]

I was born with a genetic defect, one of the side effects was
kidney failure. I was born with only one operating kidney,
so have used only one all my life. About 7 years ago
my general practitioner sent me to the nephrologist
for testing. At that point I was about 60 percent. I survived
for 6 years before having to have dialysis. Pretty good. Not
great, but good. I'm on PD now (cycler) and really like it,
and the effect it has on me. I have a life, and I have more
energy!! About a year ago my nephrologist told me to
expect to have to be on dialysis within 6 to 9 months.
Sure enough. January I was having the surgery for
the cathether. I started in March. A little later than he
wanted, but that's the way it ended up.

I started the cycler last week, and after the first day
(which was horrible, anything that could go wrong did!),
I have had a wonderful experience with it.

[Guest]

I was born with a genetic defect, one of the side effects was
kidney failure. I was born with only one operating kidney,
so have used only one all my life. About 7 years ago
my general practitioner sent me to the nephrologist
for testing. At that point I was about 60 percent. I survived
for 6 years before having to have dialysis. Pretty good. Not
great, but good. I'm on PD now (cycler) and really like it,
and the effect it has on me. I have a life, and I have more
energy!! About a year ago my nephrologist told me to
expect to have to be on dialysis within 6 to 9 months.
Sure enough. January I was having the surgery for
the cathether. I started in March. A little later than he
wanted, but that's the way it ended up.

I started the cycler last week, and after the first day
(which was horrible, anything that could go wrong did!),
I have had a wonderful experience with it.

[Adam_W]

Until Jan. 21 '07, I had no idea I had any kind of disease. I had been having some abdominal pain and diarrhea that I thought was just a stomach flu. I had it off and on for several weeks, and eventually it got so bad I decided to go to a health clinic to have an exam and make sure it wasn't anything serious (oh boy was I in for a surprise!). The doctor at the clinic gave me the exam, and although he wasn't able to tell exactly what was wrong, he knew it wasn't just a stomach flu, and he wanted me to go to the emergency room and have a CT scan. I got to the ER and was given a blood and urine test and a CT scan. The doctor came in with my results and changed my life forever. I was diagnosed with end stage renal failure, anemia, hypertension, and a colon infection (which was causing the diarrhea and abdominal pain). I was admitted to the hospital where I would remain for the next two weeks, and almost be killed from my blood pressure going up to 240 over 120. I started dialysis on Jan 25th, and I was released from the hospital on Feb 3rd. The reason I didn't know any of this was coming, was because I was the kind of person who never went to doctors, even for simple check ups because I always felt so healthy. I don't think it would have made a difference in the end, but I would have known a lot sooner that it was coming if I had gone to the doctor when I should have. Well, I can't change that now, so I'm not worrying about it. Well, that's my story. Take care.

Adam

[mawf1977]

Suddenly

I was really tired and weak at work, so I went to urgent care. The doctor told me I was stressed out. I told him my pulse was racing, and he told me to dunk my head in cold water to slow it down. (Yeah, I hope he gets sued by someone soon.)

I went to a cardiologist and he finally did some blood tests after convincing me I was just really stressed out. I was admitted to the hospital with a hemoglobin of 4.9. My caridologist originally wanted me to go in for some blood transfusions, but when I got there there was a nephrologist waiting for me wanting to do tests. The next day I had a kidney biopsy and was diagnosed with kidney failure... cause unknown. I had never really been sick before. They still don't know what the cause is. Four months later they put my catheters in and it's been Kidney World ever since.