What kind of symptoms do you have.

I have stage CKD 4. I also have a prostate probem. Need to get up and pee, uusally twice a night but oherwise managing without medications. Have been pretty stable for the past 4 years. At 87 it is hard to know what is just ageing and what is related to the kidney problem. I generally manage okay. Exercise each day, walk, swim, drive, have a good appetite. My body mass is disappearing but with a hunger that probablly related to the boody needing nutrients that the kidneys can no longer process I am developing a small pot belly. Of late my energy levels are lower. I have a half hour nap afer lunch and a few minutes after dinner. I have to have kidney stent replacements every 12 months. Sort of surprised I am still here as so many people I know or have met have left the planet.

Forgot to mention dry skin, odd knots that emerge on my lower legs. Hot flushes that I had attributed to 3 monthly Zoladex injections to inhibit prostate cancer cells. I suspect it is probably uremic neuropathy. At night if I draw my legs up it will often feel like about to cramp but can preevent by straightening my legs. By the way, Zoladex is effectively a form of chemica castration. This was not explained before being put on this. I suppose I could sue but at 87 I have entered a phase of life where impotence is a bed fellow.

yeah WOW just WOW Gabby you have been through the wringer and I don’t say that lightly. There are so many issues you have shared and then the mishap with the podiatrist is beyond imagination. I mean how does cutting your big toe nail end up with cutting a hole in your heal???
I’m glad God got your attention and hopefully you’ve quit smoking. I hope they can get your COPD under control and your breathing easier. Please mask up whenever you go out to a public place. So many germs outs there you need to protect yourself from all these illnesses with your compromised system. Having pneumonia is bad enough but add to that the MRSA and your COPD and you are critical.
Are you eating healthy with lots of fruits and veggies? Drinking your allotted amount of water daily? Do all that you can to strengthen your body through diet. Check with your insurance company and see if they will cover a renal dietitian for you since you have CKD. Take care Gabby and keep fighting the good fight 💚 Cindy (Team Member)

Having a hole made in your foot? For what? We innocently tend to believe that anything being done by medical sfaff is for the good. Australia has free medical care which is great. The down side is you rarely see the same person twice. The system seems to function like with court appointed lawyers who rush in to see a client just before they go to court. They skim the paper work and arrive in court with less that a full grasp of the nature of the case. With the hospital it seems that... ok you have this problem...okay. Now we will do this... then next... and so on. Having gone through stents to my kidneys including one out the back, catheters, self catheters and so on I had finally got through to managing without catheters and had gone back to the hospital for a check up. A young urologist, I think from Tanzania, who I hadn't seen before rushed in an said he wanted me immediately readmitted to hospital and was intending to put a permanent stent in my lower abdomen. No explanation. I declined.
With that I am appreciative of the hospital culture with hard working staff and generally a respectful relationship with patients. As with every craft, plumbing, carpenters, garage mechanics there are good, indifferent and bad practitioners. Ultimately liviing is a health hazard. Enjoy it while we can but eventually something catches up with you.

, I am just checking in to see how you are doing? How are you doing with the fatigue? It can take so much out of you. We would like to hear from you. Diane (Team Member)

I just had my 6-month follow-up visit. I had kept a journal of different things that were going on in my body for the doctor. I did notice I had swelling in my ankles, and I would go to the bathroom all night long. I always felt weak and tired. How are things going on with you? Diane (Team Member)

I’m sorry you are having the back pain, fatigue, and itching. I’m stage 3b and at time I feel exhausted. It’s usually early evening sitting on the couch watching tv. I fall asleep lol. I have some itching but not too bad. I have had a little pain but it’s hard to know what’s what because I have dealt with scoliosis since 8th grade. I’ve been in pain for most of my life as a 71 yr old. I just need to remember to drink all my water. I know that makes things better. Are you eating a plant based diet to try and slow the progression? Have a Merry Christmas and keep fighting the good fight 💚 Cindy (Team Member)

, thanks for sharing some of your journey with us. This is not an easy journey, but we can do it. I know we are all different, but I know that changing my lifestyle helped a lot. What is one change you have made that you can share with the community? Diane (Team Member)