| Author | Subject: mother with 1/4 of her kidney facing dialysis |
| bill | Posted At 23:39:18 05/15/2002 my mother is 85 and has 1/4 of one kidney due to cancer. she had her kidney removed over 30 years ago. she now has 20% function and quality of life is not good. She also has lupus. The medication for the lupus is hard on her 1/4 kidney. Her hands are always swolen and very painful. she fills up with water about every 5 days and has trouble breathing. She takes her purple water pill and gets rid of the water over the next 2 days. I would appreciate any info on where we go from here |
| beth Witten | Re: mother with 1/4 of her kidney facing dialysis (Currently 0 replies) Posted At 10:30:27 05/16/2002 If your mother isn't being followed by a nephrologist (kidney specialist), this is the first place to start. Make sure her nephrologist knows exactly what her symptoms are, when they occur, what makes them better/worse, and how her symptoms affect her quality of life and independence. Also, be sure to let her doctor know what her lifestyle has been so he/she doesn't make assumptions based on how she acts now. Now is the time to learn as much as you can about options for treatment if she develops kidney failure. You can learn more on the Life Options Kidney School (www.kidneyschool.org) web site. In addition, there are classes and educational opportunities for people with kidney disease in some communities, such as: * People Like Us, Live (National Kidney Foundation) www.kidney.org/patients/live.cfm * Stay in Touch and Kidney Directions (Baxter Healthcare) www.kidneydirections.com * AAKP Kidney Beginnings (American Association of Kidney Patients) www.aakp.org/CKD.htm People with chronic kidney disease can do well and enjoy their lives, but they need to receive appropriate treatment, have a positive attitude, seek answers to their questions, and participate as actively in their care as possible. It also helps if they have a strong support system. Your mother is lucky to have you advocating on her behalf. |