First Responder’s Kidney Health Journey: From Pain to Power
First Responder’s Kidney Health Journey: From Pain to Power, documents the First Responder’s struggles with kidney disease and his eventual recovery. The story explores what it means to be a responder, the importance of community support and good health, and most importantly, how to make healthy choices even when your health fails you.
The Diagnosis
It all started with a pain in my lower back. I thought it was just a muscle strain from working out, but the pain kept getting worse. I went to the doctor and they did some tests. The next thing I knew, I was being diagnosed with stage 3 kidney disease. My kidneys were only functioning at 25%. I needed dialysis or a transplant to stay alive. With dialysis, I would need to spend four hours hooked up every day for the rest of my life. That wasn't an option for me. My sister is a nurse practitioner and she helped me find doctors who specialize in kidney transplants so that's what we did--I got on the list right away. But the waiting game took months. In the meantime, I had to start dialysis three times a week for six hours each time. And then one day, my phone rang with exciting news! They found a match for me! But before we could proceed with surgery, I had to wait another week until my body accepted the kidney without rejecting it. Thankfully, everything went well and now I'm in recovery mode recovering from surgery and looking forward to starting over again once this process is over. I want to tell people about living with chronic kidney disease because not many people know about it. Once you have it, your kidneys slowly start to stop working which can lead to other health problems like heart disease and cancer. If you're interested in learning more about kidney diseases or finding support groups near you, please check out these links below!
-National Kidney Foundation
-American Society of Nephrology
-National Institutes of Health
The First Month
It all started with a pain in my lower back. I thought it was just a pulled muscle, but the pain got worse and worse. I went to the doctor, and they did some tests. That's when they found out that my kidneys were failing. I was shocked because I had no idea what kidney disease looked like or how serious it could be. But after going through this experience, I can tell you that kidney disease is very serious - and there are many symptoms of kidney disease.
I also learned about how important taking care of your kidneys is - not only by watching what you eat and drink, but also by making sure to drink enough water every day (eight glasses!). To make sure I stay healthy now, I get my blood tested every three months and go for regular checkups. Plus, I’ve been working on changing my diet so that it includes more fruits and vegetables, which help protect against kidney disease. After all, as they say an apple a day keeps the doctor away. And one thing I know for sure is that doctors don't grow on trees! So if you need someone to talk to, talk to your primary care physician. They will be able to give you information about your condition and what needs to happen next. In fact, the best way to take care of your kidneys is by talking to them regularly. The Second Month: When I first found out that my kidneys were failing, I felt really overwhelmed. How could something like this happen? My doctor told me it was probably because my family has a history of kidney disease and diabetes. That made sense; both of those conditions increase the risk for developing kidney disease later in life. There's still a lot we don't know about these conditions - why some people have them and others don't- but we do know that these are all things you can control through better eating habits and exercise habits. Nowadays, I'm doing really well thanks to those changes plus getting plenty of rest at night (because too much stress will affect your body). One other change I've noticed is that my skin looks healthier than ever before. All of these lifestyle changes seem small but together they're helping me feel great and live healthier than ever before. I can't wait to see where I'll be six months from now!
If you think you might have symptoms of a chronic illness, call your doctor immediately. Many chronic illnesses develop slowly over time, so early detection is critical for effective treatment. Don't let embarrassment or fear hold you back! Your health is worth fighting for; after all there's no point in having good health insurance if your health isn't good!
If you have diabetes, make sure that you're checking your blood sugar regularly and keeping it as close to normal as possible. This will help prevent many serious complications from developing later on. The more frequently you test yourself, the more likely it is that these problems can be caught before they get too serious! Plus, talk with your doctor about what other warning signs they want you to watch out for - such as kidney disease or high blood pressure- so that if those start to develop, they can be treated right away before they get worse.
The Second Month - Third Paragraph: I also learned how important it was to set healthy goals and take steps toward achieving them every day because each small step forward helps build my body up into something stronger than ever before. You can't put a price tag on a good life, said my doctor. I knew he was right - and it didn't matter how much money I would need to spend to maintain my new, healthier lifestyle. I was willing to do anything necessary to continue living a full, happy, and fulfilling life.
It's been a year since that initial diagnosis and I am proud of the progress I've made in caring for myself - as well as the progress that all of us who suffer from kidney disease have made collectively as a society. For example, you can find out about the risks for kidney disease by signing up for free e-mail alerts about the latest research or reading articles about what you can do to be proactive in caring for your kidneys. Educating yourself is one of the best ways to ensure that you are getting enough protein and staying hydrated throughout the day. If you haven't already, now may be a great time to schedule an appointment with your primary care physician to discuss screening tests that are appropriate for someone in your age group. Remember, prevention goes hand-in-hand with education when it comes to preventing kidney disease - so stay tuned! Next week we'll be talking about what screenings we should be asking our doctors for and why. In the meantime, please consider joining my monthly email list for more updates!
3 Months In
It all started with a pain in my lower back. I thought it was just a muscle strain from working out, but it didn’t go away. A few weeks later, I started having trouble going to the bathroom and my urine was dark. I went to the doctor and they did some tests. That’s when they found out my kidneys were failing. It was devastating news for me. My family is prone to kidney problems so I knew that it could happen, but I never thought that it would happen to me at 28 years old. I also know that because of my age and genetics there are no guarantees on how long I will live or what kind of quality of life I'll have afterwards. The doctor told me he had some bad news for me - one of my kidneys wasn't functioning at all and the other one only had about 10% function left. He said that we would be starting dialysis soon, which would mean two days a week hooked up to a machine that filters your blood like your kidney does normally while you sleep at night. He told me that most people who need dialysis don't get out of bed more than once every day, because their body can't handle more. But he encouraged me to take control of my health journey by exercising and eating well before things got worse.
I was really mad and sad at first, but then I realized that this might be an opportunity for something good. My journey has been tough, but it's helped strengthen my faith in God and make me more grateful for everything I do have. When I exercise now, I appreciate how strong my heart feels beating faster and pushing oxygen-rich blood through my body. When I eat healthy foods now, I appreciate the way they keep me full longer instead of craving junk food right after lunch. Every time I go to see my friends and loved ones, it's an opportunity to tell them I love you instead of waiting until our next time together. And while sometimes its hard to accept that this is happening now rather than later in life, knowing that each day is a gift reminds me not to waste any time feeling sorry for myself or worrying about what will happen tomorrow. Instead, I want to spend as much time living my best life as possible today. So far, I've managed to work through my anger and sadness. I'm still undergoing treatment, but I'm trying to stay positive about the future. As difficult as this journey has been for me physically and emotionally, it's also given me a new perspective on life that makes everything seem a little bit brighter. I used to think of my life being made up of these phases, where I progressed from one stage to the next. But now I realize that it's more like stages within stages. Some parts may be better than others, but I always feel blessed to experience each part. Sometimes those periods are short, sometimes they're long. Sometimes I feel content, sometimes disappointed, and sometimes scared. But whichever stage I'm in, there's always hope ahead to look forward to - and reasons to celebrate the present moment. It's been six months since I was diagnosed and my life is changing for the better. I'm now able to play soccer and I'm even training for a marathon! All of this would be impossible without my faith in God, the support of my family, and the encouragement of my doctors. They help me understand that every moment is a chance to live more fully.
The Future
The First Responder's Kidney Health Journey has been an amazing one. It all started with a pain in my side that just wouldn't go away. I went to the doctor and found out that I had a kidney stone. The pain was so bad that I had to go to the hospital. After a few days of treatment, I was released and told to follow up with my doctor. I did what they said, but it still didn't work. I went back again only to find out that this time I needed surgery. All of this left me feeling powerless over my own body and nervous about the future. But then something happened. The first responders showed up at our doorsteps when the hurricanes hit Texas. One by one they came with their trucks, ready to help people who were desperate for water and food. And because of them, we were able to get through this difficult time together as a community! When I saw how hard these brave men and women worked every day, I knew that if they could be strong through such tough times then maybe so could I.
It wasn't easy getting my life back on track after everything that happened, but now I'm doing better than ever before thanks to the first responders' guidance! My new diet is working wonders, and I feel like a million bucks. My family is proud of me for not giving up and fighting through the rough patches- you should see how proud they are! Now I know what kind of future I want to have- happy, healthy, and full of adventure- and I can't wait to get there with everyone's support!
It isn't easy when someone you love has kidney disease, especially when you're trying to help them through their health journey. The First Responders Kidney Foundation gives me hope every day as they tirelessly work towards ending kidney disease once and for all. They taught me that no matter what happens in life we always have people who will be there to help us reach our full potential. Keep looking at your future with hope! - First Responder's Kidney Health.What was the First Responder's Kidney Health Journey? You might be wondering where I got my title from. Well, it started with a pain in my side that wouldn't go away. Then I went to the doctor and found out that I had a kidney stone. The pain was so bad that I had to go to the hospital where they treated me for two days until they released me. When they sent me home, though, it still hurt so much more than before and even made going pee very painful. So I went back to the doctor again and they said that I would need surgery. That was scary, but then something else happened too. Hurricane Harvey hit Texas, and a lot of first responders helped our town get through it. Seeing them put others before themselves during such difficult times gave me hope. So even though my pain never fully went away, with the doctors help I learned how to deal with it and make some changes in my lifestyle (like changing my diet). Now my family says I am happier than ever!
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