The week before Christmas was the worst one for me...
Suddenly got so weak and sick—vomiting even after three sips of water!
SO, I learned to lay low and REST and pray.
Because I still wanted to make it to Florida—where I'd booked us already in October—those 7 free nights for points.
And YES, I did make it to drive to Florida on December 26, and I only needed REST, vitamin D from swimming, walking and biking.
Eating healthy and finding my way out of this.
Well, my nephrologist had SHOCKED me on December 19, when he delivered the news that from 28% kidney function in June, now it only was 25%... and I had a heart murmur!
~
While I was sick, I called my nephrologist's office twice but no person on the line!
A nurse on a recording and she never bothered to call me back.
But I started analyzing things on my own and learned a LOT.
This by the way is me on the scale before breakfast, on my B'day and in my B'day suit—haha!
49.7 kg or 109.5 lb.
Just wanted to SEE if it was true what I felt...
Yep, only 66 cm or 26 inches.
Aha—that's WHY my 28 inch low rise jeans from Australia (Last Call by Neiman Marcus) FELL OFF MY HIPS!
Pieter solved it, by adding 3 more holes in his former belt that I used...
Guess the week before Christmas I suffered from Hyperkalemia and for that I've drastically changed my diet.
Hyperkalemia: High Potassium – Your Kidneys and Your Health ←click link for short video.
I knew that I had to limit my potassium intake but since my kidney function went down—it is even more serious to strictly adhere to that!
Hyperkalemia from any cause may produce nausea and vomiting... as published by healthfully.com
Guess that was also why it was affecting my heart, causing palpitations when running up and down the stairs and very much I felt it in Colorado at the high altitude pedestrian bridge...
Pieter said, he's having that problem already very long and that's why he alters his pace and needs frequent rests.
Weakness, dizziness, lightheadedness all have been felt.
Sure, as being advised by the Mayo Clinic—I knew already those 3 points:
Avoid products with added salt.
Choose lower potassium foods.
Limit the amount of protein you eat.
The University of Maryland Medical Center explains that as potassium increases, people are likely to notice muscle aches and cramps, fatigue, weakness, difficulty breathing, irregular heartbeat, nausea...
Loss of appetite I've never had and I sure hope not any decreased mental sharpness...!
All the REST—YES except swelling of feet and ankles.
Such lists are helpful in knowing what to avoid!
No more coffee...!
CHOCOLATES! Good grief... and even salt substitutes!
Sure milk I have not taken for quite a while, only Trader Joe's soy milk as that has the LOWEST percentage of sugar—another thing to watch being diabetes type 2.
With fruits I'm fine—still a lot left to enjoy!
But I'm feeling a LOT BETTER since I've altered my diet.
Not for losing weight but purely to SURVIVE just a little longer...
Maybe this will be helpful for others as well.
My singing with the choir goes better—as I have more breath!
AND on February 1st my housekeeper started and that is super as now I find more time for doing the laundry, the shopping, the cooking + biking!
There is hope and with lots of prayers we have made it this far and even together in a blissful relationship.
May God grant us some more time together—so grateful for everything we lived through and for the fond memories and many friends all over the world!
Related link:
{Cashmere Words of Wisdom & Update} | previous post shortly after Mom died from Chronic Kidney Disease—she had almost 7 years of dialysis...
