Kidney failure, dialysis, and transplants....

[cascadeco]

Anyone have a family member who has gone through this ordeal?

----------------------------------

My father is 62 and I just learned that within a year he will probably need to go on dialysis.

(Sidenote: Men, **Get a physical at least every 1-2 yrs once you turn 45-50. My Dad went 5 yrs without going to the doctor, and then went in all of a sudden because he was frustrated with blurry vision, and it turns out his blood pressure had been off-the-charts (death level, they were shocked he wasn't dead) for quite a while and as a result his kidneys were destroyed.)

He's been on quite a few meds, and a regimented diet, for about 4-5 years now, but it still came as a shock last week to me when I learned that after his last doctor's visit, he was informed about need for dialysis by next year, and need to go on the transplant list.

I will be going to an all-day thing next week with my mother and father to learn about all of this, the options, etc etc, but right now I guess my brain is just adjusting to the fact that my dad might be dead within the next 5-10 years. It's really weird to be faced with that reality.

I'm also getting the initial fears regarding transplants -- already getting an internal sense of obligation from myself, as well as my mothers' unspoken hints, that I 'should' be willing to donate a kidney. But it's not something I really want to do, to be honest, or think I should have to do -- it's just the beginnings of guilt thinking I 'should' do it if I love him. So, uh....

Guess I don't know what to think at this point.

-----------

Anyone have any firsthand experience with all of this?

 

[miss fortune]

My aunt learned 3 weeks before dying that she had kidney cancer and spent the last 3 weeks on dialysis, but I don't know if that would be of any help.

I did learn that kidneys are one of the easier organs to replace, since there are even a lot of living donors out there, so it's not like needing a heart transplant. I've also known that people can live for years on dialysis and do perfectly fine

Good luck!

 

[Mole]

Anyone have a family member who has gone through this ordeal?

----------------------------------

My father is 62 and I just learned that within a year he will probably need to go on dialysis.

(Sidenote: Men, **Get a physical at least every 1-2 yrs once you turn 45-50. My Dad went 5 yrs without going to the doctor, and then went in all of a sudden because he was frustrated with blurry vision, and it turns out his blood pressure had been off-the-charts (death level, they were shocked he wasn't dead) for quite a while and as a result his kidneys were destroyed.)

He's been on quite a few meds, and a regimented diet, for about 4-5 years now, but it still came as a shock last week to me when I learned that after his last doctor's visit, he was informed about need for dialysis by next year, and need to go on the transplant list.

I will be going to an all-day thing next week with my mother and father to learn about all of this, the options, etc etc, but right now I guess my brain is just adjusting to the fact that my dad might be dead within the next 5-10 years. It's really weird to be faced with that reality.

I'm also getting the initial fears regarding transplants -- already getting an internal sense of obligation from myself, as well as my mothers' unspoken hints, that I 'should' be willing to donate a kidney. But it's not something I really want to do, to be honest, or think I should have to do -- it's just the beginnings of guilt thinking I 'should' do it if I love him. So, uh....

Guess I don't know what to think at this point.

-----------

Anyone have any firsthand experience with all of this?

Yeah, keep us informed with what you find.

Victor.

 

[spirilis]

Ick!
My uncle's gone through this and he's had to do it for about ~10 years. Health-wise he's deteriorated significantly over the past couple months and he's gone through the ringer quite a bit (just got out of a ~6wk hospital visit). He never had any transplants done though, so your dad may fare better if he does. Very sorry to hear about this though

TBH if I were you I wouldn't donate my kidney. You're a young woman with many, many years ahead and you need your body parts. All of them.

 

[cascadeco]

Thanks everyone for your comments.

It's not totally imminent that my dad will have to go onto dialysis, but also not out of the question that it could happen within the next 12 months. Possibly longer, but it really depends on when he starts experiencing symptoms enough that it becomes necessary to begin it. He's at about 15% kidney functionality now (ok, bad with details, it was somewhere between 12 and 16), and apparently it can be a threshold for when some people go onto dialysis. But again, depends on symptoms.

Two types of dialysis - one that affects quality of life much more than the other type (the former is when you have to go into a clinic 3 times a week for 4 hrs/day). The latter is when you are able to do it within your own home.

Currently a 5-6 yr waiting list for a deceased donor kidney (although I learned technically that's a brain-dead persons' kidney, and never a kidney from someone who just passed away, like in a car crash - makes total sense, logistically and functionally and all of that, but it was interesting to learn that - it was kind of a, "Huh" moment -- stuff they don't tell you when you sign up on your drivers' license to donate organs -- most of the organs can't be utilized).

Of course live donor is what they prefer. Don't entirely understand that, as they didn't explain it or give documentation as far as success rates/life spans - just seemed to be a given. I suppose it's because it's done in the same hospital and there's no significant transit time.

Also the longer one is on dialysis before getting the transplant, the less successful it may be.

And of course all of the usual surgical risks, i.e. can't guarantee the transplant will be a success, etc.

So that's the scoop.

 

[swordpath]

My dad recently received a kidney transplant due to polycystic kidney disease.

If I can assist you in answers to any questions, let me know. I can ask my dad stuff too, if need be.

 

[kyuuei]

I think this would be the time to stress why it's SO important to get regular physicals and check-ups.!

I mean, I don't see why anyone would brag or put off regular doctor visits without a damn good reason. (I can't think of one aside being in a financial crisis... but even then health > money.)

Our good friend of the family's mother just got diagnosed with breast cancer. She's probably already known, and probably for a couple years now, without saying anything, I think because she thought she'd be a burden. She's on chemotherapy but.. the earlier detected, the earlier things can hopefully start healing or stabilizing.

My mother has high blood pressure, and even if she didn't think it was a big deal then when they told her, it became one now when she caught a serious illness. Imagine if her blood pressure hadn't been controlled before that?

 

[Fairy...]

He will have to follow a careful diet and if he can do this, it may be able to delay dialysis. A registered dietitian can help him out.
While on dialysis, diet must be given a lot of attention with even further restrictions. High protein, high energy, restricted potassium, restricted sodium.
All the best.