Latest Lab Results

Yesterday, I visited my kidney doctor, who I haven't seen since March. I was looking forward to this appointment, as my edema has improved significantly since then.

However, the results were not as I had hoped. As a matter of fact, they didn't make sense at all.

When I went for my six-month evaluation, it showed that my kidneys had made a remarkable improvement from 13.8 to 4.3 grams of protein leakage. This was great news, as it put me on a fast track to a rapid recovery (as far as my kidneys were concerned.)

Then I came back for a followup in March. There was improvement on my albumin and protein levels, but the protein leakage numbers were way off. We had dismissed them as a test glitch and moved on. I had the test redone in March to confirm, but never verified the results.

The latest lab results in May show that perhaps the test was not a glitch. As unbelievable as it sounds, I went from 4.3 grams of protein in my urine back up to 13.5 grams in March. In May, this went down slightly to 11.9 grams. My protein and albumin levels (the cause for all of my problems) did not change at all.

It just doesn't make sense. Why would they go down then back up, unless I was relapsing? And if I was relapsing, why is my other kidney functions stable, and my edema is noticably improved?

My 1-year evaluation, the big one, is at the end of June. The tests they perform at this evaluation will hopefully bring some insight into whether the treatment is holding, and how my body is (or is not) recovering.

With Apologies to Mr. Clemens

To paraphrase Mark Twain, "the news of my death has been greatly exaggerated". I'm still here, just moping and trying to get by. I'm just having difficulty managing my time now that I am working full-time and taking care of myself.

Because of my restricted diet, I cannot really afford to eat out. For example: Last week, I ate out three times in two days. The result? I gained four pounds of fluid due to the salt intake. It took me the whole weekend to get rid of it.

This means that I must cook and prepare my meals. For someone who has a tendancy to burn water, this has definitely been a challenge. I come home and spend an hour in the kitchen cooking. Then I wind down by propping my feet up for an hour or so, and then it is time to go to bed. Repeat.

But progress is being made. I am starting to get crafty with the 'ol crockpot, and I am learning to make meals that can last me a couple days. This is a big timesaver!

Next doctor appointment is on May 30th, when I see my nephrologist and get the results of my kidney tests. I'm expecting a very, very small improvement. This could be a very long year.

644

No, that wasn't my Lotto pick this afternoon. That is my triglyceride count as of last Thursday. I was hoping for something in the 500's, but I guess this will have to do. I have maxed out on medication and am doing all of lifestyle changes (despite the occasional Starbucks Caffe Mocha) to deal with them, so there's nothing more I can really do but keep up on the stupid no-salt, no-sugar, no-fun diet. Considering that I need to be under 150 or so, I may not be in a comfortable range until the beginning of 2008. So much for my boozing episodes anytime soon. And that also means no sweets or sodas either for a looooong time.

The end of week brought on a really bad strep-throat-like infection in my respitory system that just wouldn't quit. It started to move into my chest and I really got scared. Last thing I wanted to do is get pneumonia and get pumped up with more antibiotics. Luckily, I was able to sleep most of it off on Friday, and I am pleased to say that I am now on the mend.

I'm a little sour over the recent developments, but I still do count my blessings. As Robert Jordan stated in one of his recent posts, "When you think things are tough, look around. You’ll see somebody who has it tougher. I guarantee it".

Allez Cuisine!

On Thursday I meet with my cardiologist for some more bloodwork and a checkup. I expect that there won't be much to discuss as I would be getting the blood tests earlier that morning. I am eagerly awaiting the results to see if my trigylcerides have come down any further. Since my medication hasn't changed since last visit (if you recall, the Omacor wasn't working for me) and that my body is healing very slowly, I'd imagine that it will be in the 500 range. That's great news from when I was around 1400 around Christmas, but if you consider that anything over 300 is dangerously high, there's always cause for concern. I'm sure that he'll ask me to try the Omacor again....

I'm partially guilty, as I have been a little, shall we say, looser with my diet. I am not drinking alcohol or sodas, but I do engage in some orange juice or semi-sweet chocolate from time to time. I have also slightly increased my carbohydrate intake in an attempt to gain some more weight. I have succeeded in gaining (and keeping) about 2 pounds since the beginning of the year. But I am still 14 pounds less than my normal weight before the illness.

Sodium

One of the requirements of my diet is to manage my sodium, as it causes me to retain fluid. This is a hard call, as the sodium also increases my low blood pressure and makes me feel better. So, I need to choose whether or not to feel good and limp around, or feel miserable and be mobile. More recently, I've decided on the latter.

The average person gets 2.5 to 4 grams or sodium a day. My goal is 500mg a day, although in reality I end up pushing a little over 1 gram a day. My body seems to tolerate a little extra sodium, but should I eat something like a slice of pizza, or a can of soup -- I turn into a sponge. Seriously.

The answer? Low sodium cooking. It's a pain in the ass to cook regular meals -- so to prepare a special meal takes a lot of time and dedication.

Here's a challenge for you the next time you go to the store: try to find ingredients for a single meal without going over 500mg of sodium in all ingredients combined. Start looking at all of the labels and knock yourself out. It's much harder than you think.

You really have to go on a scavenger hunt for special low-sodium foods, and stick to eating them over and over. I usually have to go to Whole Foods or Wild Oats for speciality low-sodium alternatives, and they are usually not cheap. When desparate you can always order them online.

Ok, so you've spent your life savings on special ingredients, and you cook something with them. The result: meals that taste very plain. You take one bite and say, "This needs something... oh yeah, salt". Low Sodium Cooking is a good website for low-sodium recipes that actually taste good. I made the Crockpot Chicken Cacciatore this past weekend, and it was very delicious.

I'd love to hear about your low-sodium recipes if you're willing to share. I'm not an Iron Chef yet, but I'm getting there.

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