During the summer of 2023, my endocrinologist noticed something in blood results that seemed to suggest potential future kidney issues. An issue often caused by diabetes and some hereditary genes and high blood pressure. I was scoring 3 for 3.
A few scans were done to indicate there were cysts on my kidneys, but that isn’t all that uncommon. He continued to monitor my blood work, but my kidneys continued to get worse. Eventually, he referred me to a Nephrologist (diagnoses and treats kidney disease).
The Nephrologist and I met regularly to monitor my GFR levels (GFR, or glomerular filtration rate, is a measure of kidney function that estimates how much blood is filtered by the kidneys each minute.) But I couldn’t fight the inevitable, my kidneys were failing me just as my pancreas already had in ’04.
The phrases, “kidney dialysis” and “kidney transplant” entered the conversations. I wasn’t prepared for this as I thought, “aren’t I too young for this?” Come to find out, people of all pages have ESRD (End-stage renal disease (ESRD) is a condition where the kidneys have permanently lost most or all of their ability to function.)
Appointments continued and my kidneys continued to get worse. I couldn’t tell you for certain I felt any different other than maybe being more tired than usual. It got to the point I needed to sit through a workshop to learn about all the different treatment options.
[Read] Treatments for kidney failure are to help prolong life and my quality of life. In no way is kidney dialysis or even a transplant a cure.
It was then I had to sit down with family and friends to tell them what was going on with me medically. I had held this information internally for a few months before I was ready to speak it into existence.
Once I spoke it, it was real.
And I wasn’t ready for it to be real.