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Hope

Well. At least I can say that I tried.

I thought the meds (Jynarque) would buy me time but I was wrong. Following the review of my labwork with the nephologist (eGFR is now 21 - it's been trending down since December), she's lining up consults with a dialysis nurse as well as a surgeon for fistula palacment. And, more importantly, she told me to put out the word that I need a kidney donor.

I sure didn't see that one coming.

Crap! I guess the dream of an artificial kidney may not come true for me.

Through tears, I wrote a post to my Facebook friends.

And then a crazy thing happened. They responded. With tears. With encouragement. With love. And also, with offers to be my live donor. (insert ugly cry here)

I'm still in shock. I'm so humbled. I'm so grateful. The generosity still amazes me.

I don't know if anyone will be a match and/or healthy enough to donate. But the gift they've given me RIGHT NOW is just as important. It's the gift of hope.

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Artificial kidney

I have a somewhat fanciful thought of what an artificial kidney would look like. I see a device that is shaped like a kidney (of course) but is completely clear so you could see all the blood circulating through it. Granted, once it's implanted no one's going to see it but - hey - it's my vision. The closest picture I can find of what's in my mind's eye is this image. Granted, that's a picture of a kidney-shaped paper weight and it's a little cloudy, but I know you can picture it too. My, oh my. My imagination is not even close to reality. According to a post from the American Journal of Kidney Diseases , there are three new approaches being explored right now: the automated wearable artificial kidney ('AWAK'), the wearable artificial kidney ('WAK') and the implantable artificial kidney ('IAK'). My money's on the IAK and you'll understand why once I show you the concept pictures of the other two. The AWAK is said to ...

Oops I did it again

Oops! I advocated for myself again. After getting the results from my latest CBC (Complete Blood Count), my doctor put me on daily Vitamin D-3 to increase levels but did not recommend iron supplementation for (what I consider) borderline anemia. I was glad to hear low Vitamin D might be adding to increased fatigue but I still wondered... I have a history of low Ferritin levels, despite sufficient RBC/hemoglobin counts. So... I made an appointment with an independent lab and had them check my iron levels. Results? My Ferritin level is at 51, well within the 'normal' range of 100-232. Still, I wondered... So I did further research. My low Ferritin level was originally discovered when I was diagnosed with Restless Leg Syndrome (but I may actually have Periodic Limb Movement Disorder). So I looked up literature regarding recommended Ferritin levels given RLS/PLMD. Huh. Treatment recommendations are that Ferritin be no lower than 75 for people with RLS/PLMD. Bingo! ...