1/9/08

Well...I attended a class at Miami Valley Hospital about renal failure. They had a nurse educator there who really explained things in easy terms. I remembered a lot of things structurally about the kidneys from A&P, but this really helped explain what these problems meant for me. For example, the kidneys excrete a hormone called erythropoietin which stimulates the growth of new red blood cells. Without this hormone, my body doesn't know to make more RBCs. This explains why I'm so tired all the time. I don't have enough RBCs. The nurse said I should be on a drug called procrit. This is a shot that is given subcutaneously, and it stimulates the body to make RBCs. She was shocked to know that I was not on this drug. I'm going to have to schedule an appointment with a nephrologist in order to figure out whats really going on here. My doctor told me this was fatal, but all these people at the meeting are going to be on dialysis. I don't see why I can't just be on dialysis. There are also different types of dialysis. There is peritoneal dialysis (PD) and hemodialysis. PD is where they surgically insert a port into the abdomen. You can do the treatments at home. What you do is attach tubing to this port and insert sterile water. Then later you drain all of the water out. The body's peritoneal wall is used as a filter, and removes all of the toxins that the kidneys are failing to do. Hemodialysis is where the blood is being removed from your body, cleaned, and then returned. It is a continuous process that takes 4hrs, three times a week. I really don't want to have to do that. It also requires surgery prior to any treatments. The surgeons have to place a fistula in your arm. A fistula is when they sew a vein and artery together, usually on your arm, in order to have enough blood flow for the hemodialysis. Anyways...these are the new things that I have found out today. I'm feel pretty good about my chances. I think that when I see this kidney doctor, that we can set up a game plan. Thats all I need, a plan of action.