Good News! Finally!

I have been having so many issues with my old, dead transplanted kidney that my Mom donated to me in 2008. Lately my hemoglobin has been extremely low. Meaning my red blood cells are somehow "disappearing". I have had a lot of inflammation according to my blood work as well. I was sent to see a Rheumatologist just to eliminate any auto-immune diseases that would be causing inflammation or the severe anemia I have been dealing with. It all came back negative for Auto-Immune diseases, however, through those tests I have been diagnosed with a bone disease called "Renal Osteodystrophy"

Renal Osteodystrophy is a bone disease that happens when your kidneys fail to maintain proper levels of calcium and phosphorus in the blood. It is common in people with kidney disease and/or on dialysis. However, it does not normally effect patients under 40. The treatment for this is to take calcium and vitamin D supplements however, I have been taking those supplements since 2014 when I had my Parathyroid removed. So now we aren't quite sure what to do for treatment. At least this explains why I have been in so much pain recently. Still doesn't really help the pain aspect of it. I am still in pain, and I am still taking pain medication.

We finally figured out that it was my transplanted kidney causing the inflammation and severe anemia, so we decided today at my yearly transplant evaluation that I will be having this kidney removed. Surgery is scheduled for November 16th. After I have this kidney removed we will be starting infusions of a drug called IVIG. We are hoping that this medication will lower my antibodies in my blood, so it will be easier for me to receive a new kidney. This medication is something I have wanted for a very long time, and I am so glad my doctor finally decided it was the right thing to do. I was sure this surgery wasn't going to take place until after the New Year, but thankfully they fit me in as soon as they could.

I am relieved that this was decided and I will start to feel better after I have this kidney removed, and of course all surgery is stressful, but I just cannot wait to be back to my normal self. I am not worrying about the stress and pain yet, I'm sure I'll get there when the surgery date gets closer, but as of now, I'm just relieved.

I don't really have much else going on right now. I've just been doing dialysis, and keeping myself as healthy as possible. I have been suffering from pain quite a bit and just trying to give myself some rest days. The weather is changing and of course that effects everything! I am so excited for the fall weather! It felt like the Summer heat was never going to stop. We were in a heat wave almost the entire Summer. Fall is definitely going to be a nice change once the weather actually gets where it needs to be.

Thank you all for reading so far. I'm sure I will have much more to write about with everything coming up. Keep checking back here to see what has been going on and what else I have to write about! I'm hoping to stray away from kidney disease and just write about Chronic Illness in general with my posts coming up. Keep a look out!