SlowItDownCKD

Each time I see my nephrologist, he presses on my lower leg. I’ll bet yours does too during your visits. By doing so, the doctor is checking for edema. If the depression his finger makes stays depressed when he removes his finger, you have edema. If it doesn’t, you don‘t. That depression that doesn’t disappear is called a dimple… the one in today’s title. Time to take a trip to my all time…

If you’re like me as soon as you see words you don’t know, you want to know what they mean. Hopefully, today’s blog title drew your eye. That would be fitting because it means dry eye. I know. I know. You’re already asking what that has to do with chronic kidney disease. Let’s start as usual with definitions. The Merck Manual Consumer Edition offers this definition of dry…

Before I begin today’s topic, I want to remind those of us in the United States that today is not only for picnics and bar-b-ques, but to honor those who did not return from protecting us. Today is Memorial Day, the day to remember and thank those folks. Let me state it formally: thank you for all you’ve given to protect us. I’m also thankful that Bear, my husband, is not one of those we…

Sound familiar? It’s from the 1935 folk opera, Porgy and Bess, by the fabulous George Gershwin. But summertime is not really easy for those of us with chronic kidney disease. We need to be vigilant not to get sunburnt or be out in the heat too long. This isn’t something I’d thought about before I read an article about sunburn and diabetes. Since diabetes is the foremost cause of CKD, I wondered…

Today’s blog is something of a surprise to me. A good friend who is a Physician’s Assistant was over for lunch the other day.  We talked about Bear’s compromised immune system. Later, she asked me if he’d ever been tested for zinc. That’s the ‘Z’ in the title of today’s blog. Just as I do with practically everything that’s mentioned to me, I wondered if zinc had any relation to chronic kidney…

Enlisted Kidney Foundation’s Dan Holmes posted an update that caught my eye. Remember, in addition to being a chronic kidney disease patient, I’m married to a veteran with CKD. I asked Dan for permission to reprint that post. As gracious as ever, he agreed. And so, that’s this week’s blog. Thank you, Dan. “Veterans and Kidney Disease: Closing the Gap Between Risk and Real CareBy Dan Holmes,…

I clearly remember when people started worrying about their weigh, I blatantly declared, “I don’t worry. I am how I am.” Hah! Those days are long gone… especially since I have chronic kidney disease. Before we get into the connection between obesity and CKD, let’s go over some information about obesity. That’s right, obesity. I was horrified the first time a medical professional called me obese.…

I honestly believe we’re all one people, just different types. They can be listed by race, religion, skin color, politics, any number of things. But I prefer not to. It’s the same with chronic kidney disease. It’s all one disease, but there are different types. Rather than make a list and leave it at that, I’ll include a short explanation of each one today. The American Kidney Fund starts us…

I have been worried about the progress of my CKD lately. Exercising is difficult since my rheumatologist pronounced my knees crepitus. Hydration is also a problem since I developed Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Too much water puts me right back in the bathroom. We all know how important both exercise and hydration are in controlling your CKD. That’s why I was happy to discover today’s something…

As a 79 year old with a complex medical history , I am enamored of telehealth doctor visits. You know, the ones in which you speak with the doctor over the phone… or iPad… or computer – be it laptop or desktop. When I was weak from chemo, my nurse was even able to tell me if me port was infected or not via a telehealth visit. We know you can even have a phlebotomist come to your home to take the…

Back in 1970 [Is that really 56 years ago?], Brewer and Shipley released the album Tarkio. The song “One Toke Over the Line” was included. The first stanza lyrics are: Photo by Kindel Media on Pexels.com “One toke over the line, sweet JesusOne toke over the lineSitting downtown in a railway stationOne toke over the line” Do we all know what ‘one toke’ means? How about what it refers to? Right!…

When I was a child and asked my five foot nothing Yiddish Bubby [Grandmother] what her recipe for  something she’d cooked was, she would always answer in her broken English, “Eine bissel this, eine bissel that. That’s what I’m serving in today’s blog: eine bissel this, eine bissel that. Just in case it’s not clear, bissel means a little. A little of what you ask? Well, it is National Kidney…

Lately, my dog Teddy and I have been scratching. We’ll find out why he’s doing it next week when he has his annual vet checkup. As for me …, I suspect it has to do with my chronic kidney disease. Here’s why: Way back at the end of January in 2022, I explained a bit about pruritus: “Have you heard the term pruritus? We know the suffix ‘us’ means prone to, but what about “prur’? ETYMOLOGEEK [The…

Here we are, lucky enough to have Leesa Thompson back with a guest blog … and during Women’s History Month! We know she’s not history (luckily for us), but she is a woman. Okay, enough silliness. Leesa, it’s all yours. When the Words Get in the Way: How Medical Language Limits Patient Advocacy in CKD If you live with chronic kidney disease (CKD), you’ve probably had this experience: You sit…

Last week, I wrote about colitis. I received an interesting question about that blog. A reader wanted to know if what I wrote about colitis is the same for Crohn’s Disease. Not being a doctor, I didn’t know. So, once again, we’ll find out together. I don’t even know what Crohn’s Disease is, but my favorite dictionary for the last six decades or so does: “chronic inflammation that typically…

A couple of decades ago – seems like another lifetime now – I taught English in a high school. It happened to be a vocational-technical high school on Staten Island in New York. The students were wonderful. I was also the grade advisor for their entire four years for several graduating classes. That’s when I really got to know them. Some of the students are still in contact after all these…

A long time reader [way back from the days of the land line phone] who quickly became a friend asked me a question I couldn’t answer. You now have the pleasure of discovering the answer with me. She has had chronic kidney disease for ever so long. Now there’s a heart problem, too. Her question was what does an angiogram with contrast do to your kidneys. Good one, right? Let’s do the usual and…