Thanks to everyone - Pierre

[Guest guest]

I just wanted to thank everyone who wrote me well wishes and other kind

thoughts during my recent hospital stay. I wanted to reply to each one of

you individually and I said earlier that I would, but, I realize now that

would take an impossibly long time. I want to assure you that I did read

every single message that was posted, and that all of your good thoughts,

nice words, and prayers helped me get through this trying period of being

off the transplant waiting list and awaiting some heart tests.

Everything seems to be back to normal now. I've already had five dialysis

treatments at my regular dialysis unit, since the hospital stay, and

everything has been boring - ie. totally uneventful, which, in dialysis, is

a good thing :-)

The first night back at my regular dialysis centre was monthly blood work

night. The dietician - a superb one who takes care of us in hemodialysis,

came by with the monthly report card this past week. Albumin (sign of

nutrition) was 44 (where 35 or above is good), potassium 4.8 (this is

pre-treatment, where the acceptable range is 3.5-5.5), weight gain between

treatments 2.3 kg (about 5 lbs, just over the 1 kg per day which is ideal,

so I drank a bit more, but it's close enough), phosphorus 1.02 (well within

the acceptable range of 0.8-1.6). Separately, the nephrologist comes by and

tells you if the lab results are Ok. If it's Ok, he/she just tells you that.

If it's not, then they tell you what's wrong and what has to be done. In my

case, everything was fine. That includes hemoglobin, the one that gets your

EPO adjusted if it's too low or too high. I could get a copy of all my blood

work results by asking. It's all computerized and they can print out a table

with all the past results, but I rarely bother to do that.

As far as potassium goes, I could still eat more than I am, because, during

my treatments, the potassium " bath " , as they call it, is the higher one, ie.

it removes less potassium from the blood. K3 they call it. If my potassium

were higher, they could still switch me to the K2 bath which the majority of

the other patients are on. It hard to say exactly how much more to eat

though. You kind of have to just test it a month at a time, not too far from

monthly blood work, to see what effect it has on the potassium number. More

is not that much though. It could be one or two extra high potassium fruit

per day, an extra tomato sandwich, etc. This is one thing that will be nice

whenever I do start daily home hemo - no diet to worry about at all. In

fact, patients have to eat more and many need phosphorus supplements!

Pierre

P.S. Seems like a slow morning, so I thought I would add those dialysis

details for those who are interested.

[Guest guest]

Hi Pierre,

I am glad to hear your good lab results! We were all so worried about you so it

is very good to hear that you are doing so well after such a scare.

Any idea when you might be able to move to home hemo?

In a message dated 2/13/2005 12:23:41 PM Eastern Standard Time, " Pierre

Lachaine " writes:

>

>I just wanted to thank everyone who wrote me well wishes and other kind

>thoughts during my recent hospital stay. I wanted to reply to each one of

>you individually and I said earlier that I would, but, I realize now that

>would take an impossibly long time. I want to assure you that I did read

>every single message that was posted, and that all of your good thoughts,

>nice words, and prayers helped me get through this trying period of being

>off the transplant waiting list and awaiting some heart tests.

>

>Everything seems to be back to normal now. I've already had five dialysis

>treatments at my regular dialysis unit, since the hospital stay, and

>everything has been boring - ie. totally uneventful, which, in dialysis, is

>a good thing :-)

>

>The first night back at my regular dialysis centre was monthly blood work

>night. The dietician - a superb one who takes care of us in hemodialysis,

>came by with the monthly report card this past week. Albumin (sign of

>nutrition) was 44 (where 35 or above is good), potassium 4.8 (this is

>pre-treatment, where the acceptable range is 3.5-5.5), weight gain between

>treatments 2.3 kg (about 5 lbs, just over the 1 kg per day which is ideal,

>so I drank a bit more, but it's close enough), phosphorus 1.02 (well within

>the acceptable range of 0.8-1.6). Separately, the nephrologist comes by and

>tells you if the lab results are Ok. If it's Ok, he/she just tells you that.

>If it's not, then they tell you what's wrong and what has to be done. In my

>case, everything was fine. That includes hemoglobin, the one that gets your

>EPO adjusted if it's too low or too high. I could get a copy of all my blood

>work results by asking. It's all computerized and they can print out a table

>with all the past results, but I rarely bother to do that.

>

>As far as potassium goes, I could still eat more than I am, because, during

>my treatments, the potassium " bath " , as they call it, is the higher one, ie.

>it removes less potassium from the blood. K3 they call it. If my potassium

>were higher, they could still switch me to the K2 bath which the majority of

>the other patients are on. It hard to say exactly how much more to eat

>though. You kind of have to just test it a month at a time, not too far from

>monthly blood work, to see what effect it has on the potassium number. More

>is not that much though. It could be one or two extra high potassium fruit

>per day, an extra tomato sandwich, etc. This is one thing that will be nice

>whenever I do start daily home hemo - no diet to worry about at all. In

>fact, patients have to eat more and many need phosphorus supplements!

>

>Pierre

>P.S. Seems like a slow morning, so I thought I would add those dialysis

>details for those who are interested.

>

>

>

>

>

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