INFORMATION ON CHRONIC KIDNEY DISEASE

Your kidneys do a lot! Their main 5 jobs include:

1. Removing excess waste (toxins) and fluid from the body
2. Make red blood cells
3. Control your blood pressure
4. Balance your electrolytes
5. Keep your bones healthy

There are many types of kidney disease (For example, I was diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease originally from Glomerulonephritus, IgA Neuropathy, as well as IgA Vasculitus). Most people are diagnosed with one type of kidney disease, and almost all of them can cause CKD. Kidney Disease can be caused by Diabetes, High Blood Pressure, Heart Disease, Obesity, Family History, or Autoimmune disorders. 

Chronic Kidney Disease often goes undiagnosed - 14% of adults in America have CKD, and 9 out of 10 of them don't even know they have it. In its early stages, CKD has almost no symptoms, but it can be seen on blood and urine testing. 

End Stage Renal Disease (Stage 5 CKD) symptoms include: 

• Weight loss or poor appetite
• Swelling in the ankles / feet
• Shortness of breath
• Fatigue
• Difficulty sleeping (Insomnia)
• Blood in your urine
• Brain fog
• Itchy skin
• Muscle cramps
• Headaches
• Nausea

Unfortunately there is not cure for Chronic Kidney Disease. Patients are treated with medication everyday, as well as maintaining a healthy diet and exercise to slow the progression, but once your kidneys are too damaged, you have to get a kidney transplant. Once your kidneys are no longer working on their own, you have to rely on different treatments until you can get a kidney transplant. Treatments can include Steroids and Chemotherapy (for Glomerulonephritus), but more commonly either Peritoneal or Hemodialysis. 

A kidney from a living donor lasts an average of 15-20 years (or longer) compared to only 7-10 years with a deceased donor. This is very crucial in my case, since I will have to have more than one (probably more than two) kidney transplants in my lifetime. The average wait time for an O+ deceased donor kidney in Oregon is 4-7 years, and unfortunately, they do not prioritize by age. The only way to get a deceased donor transplant is to wait your turn in line, which is why only 2.5% of kidney recipients receive a transplant before having to start dialysis. 

There are an estimated 35.5 million U.S adults who have CKD. About 808,000 of them are currently living with kidney failure, with only about 93,000 accepted onto the waiting list. On average, of those 93,000 people, only about 6,300 people receive transplants from living donors each year. 

Peritoneal Dialysis is the process of filtering out your bodies toxins using a cleansing fluid. Multiple times a week (depending on severity) the cleansing fluid goes through a permanent catheter that is surgically placed into the abdomen (Peritoneum) where it collects the bodies toxins and cleans your blood. After a few hours, it is drained through the same catheter and discarded. This method has a higher risk of infection, weight gain, and it can become ineffective after a few years.  

Hemodialysis can be done at home, or at a dialysis clinic. It is typically done 3 times a week, for a few hours (depending on severity). This process works by having an artificial vein surgically implanted into your arm, to allow for two needles to be placed (One pulls the old blood out, one pushes the cleaned blood in). Your blood gets pulled into a machine where it gets filtered (just like your kidneys are supposed to) and then put back into your body. With this method, you have to be very careful with your diet and weight.

https://www.kidney.org/about/kidney-disease-fact-sheet