Doctor's Visit - 3/7/11
Today I had a chance to meet with my nephrologist for a follow-up appointment. It had only been 1 1/2 weeks since my last visit, which is a little shorter than my 2 week normal, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. At my last visit, my doctor and I had been discouraged by my lab results, which showed a significant jump in creatinine numbers (aka kidney impairment). All day long, I was a little agitated and nervous, and I was afraid that I’d be getting another blow this afternoon. My “threshold” to dialysis is getting a little too close for comfort, so I was relieved this afternoon when I saw my results. Finally, some good news!!!
My doctor was very encouraged because my creatinine levels seem to have stabilized a bit. At this point, I’ve been “on meds” since Jan. 18, so we’re about 6 weeks into treatment. He was so happy with my numbers that he’s even thinking of reducing my prednisone dosage a bit - if my numbers continue to hold where they are - in the next 2-4 weeks. The steroids are causing most of the side effects, so I was delighted to hear that. My other numbers looked much better also. Steroids can cause diabetes, high blood sugar, and weight gain, but I was down 10 pounds from my visit 1 1/2 weeks ago, and my glucose level was down 39 points. It seems that this whole foods diet, combined with the exercise and my medications, really seems to be helping! My swelling is greatly improved, and my blood pressure is more normal.
The only caveat at this point is that I’ve developed an itchy rash on my back, shoulders, chest, neck, and scalp. My doctor thinks it might be related to the blood pressure medication, so he’s taking me off of that for the time being. Hopefully I’ll be able to control the hypertension with diet and exercise so I can eliminate a medication.
Overall, the visit was very uplifting. While I’m not “out of the woods” by any means, I feel like we’ve found the path. It’ll be a long time before I can use the word remission, but at least I’m seeing some more stability. In the meantime, I’m going to keep on with what seems to be working and find a way to keep kicking this Wegener’s rear!
Thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers. I have pulled so much strength from each of you over the last few months, and I am so grateful for that. What a blessing!!!
My doctor was very encouraged because my creatinine levels seem to have stabilized a bit. At this point, I’ve been “on meds” since Jan. 18, so we’re about 6 weeks into treatment. He was so happy with my numbers that he’s even thinking of reducing my prednisone dosage a bit - if my numbers continue to hold where they are - in the next 2-4 weeks. The steroids are causing most of the side effects, so I was delighted to hear that. My other numbers looked much better also. Steroids can cause diabetes, high blood sugar, and weight gain, but I was down 10 pounds from my visit 1 1/2 weeks ago, and my glucose level was down 39 points. It seems that this whole foods diet, combined with the exercise and my medications, really seems to be helping! My swelling is greatly improved, and my blood pressure is more normal.
The only caveat at this point is that I’ve developed an itchy rash on my back, shoulders, chest, neck, and scalp. My doctor thinks it might be related to the blood pressure medication, so he’s taking me off of that for the time being. Hopefully I’ll be able to control the hypertension with diet and exercise so I can eliminate a medication.
Overall, the visit was very uplifting. While I’m not “out of the woods” by any means, I feel like we’ve found the path. It’ll be a long time before I can use the word remission, but at least I’m seeing some more stability. In the meantime, I’m going to keep on with what seems to be working and find a way to keep kicking this Wegener’s rear!
Thank you for your continued thoughts and prayers. I have pulled so much strength from each of you over the last few months, and I am so grateful for that. What a blessing!!!
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