For All The Ladies....

Happy Friday and welcome back! Today I want to continue the discussion for American Heart Month and specifically about women and heart disease. Heart disease is the number one killer of women in the United States. It takes the lives of more women than all cancers combined. What most women don't know is that the signs/symptoms of a heart attack can present differently for a women than a man. I hope this lifesaving information will be passed on. Please share these will all the women you know, whether they have heart disease or not. 

1. Chest pain and discomfort ~ This is the most common symptom of a heart attack however women can experience in a different way than men. For women it feels more like a squeezing or fullness feeling and can be anywhere on the chest not just the left side. It's a truly uncomfortable feeling.
2. Stomach pain ~ Sometimes stomach pain indicators of a heart attack are mistakeIFn as the flu, heartburn, or a stomach ulcer. Reoccurring or intense abdominal pain should be reported to your doctor immediately. . 
3. Pain in the jaw, arms, back or neck ~These symptom are often missed as a sign of a heart attack because most women are looking for a pain in chest or left arm. These pains can be sudden or gradual. These symptoms can be so intense they can wake you from a sound sleep. Any unusual pains that are above the waist should be reported to your doctor. 
4. Sweating ~ Breaking out in a nervous, cold sweat is a common symptom that many women experience during a heart attack. 
5. Shortness of breath, nausea, or lightheadedness ~ The sudden need to throw up, a feeling of shortness of breath or feeling like you've ran a marathon and haven't moved, and sudden dizziness are all symptoms of heart attack especially when all presented together. 
6. Fatigue ~Most women experience extreme fatigue even days before a heart attack. With such extreme fatigue that they feel like they can't even do the simplest of tacks like walking to the bathroom.

IF YOU HAVE ANY OF THE SIGNS/SYMPTOMS OF HAVING A HEART ATTACK IMMEDIATELY CALL 911.

Another factor of heart disease for women may be linked to having a hysterectomy. This is something I just learned yesterday. I was at my cardiac clearance appointment for my surgery and my cardiologist shared this information with me. When a hysterectomy is completed the changes in estrogen levels can increase the risks of cardiovascular disease. This is why it's so important for women who have had a hysterectomy to step up and and be even more vigilant with their cardiovascular health. 

Since I will be having my surgery in a few weeks, I will be taking a leave of absence  so I can recover. It has been a rough road getting to the point of needing a hysterectomy and living with chronic kidney disease. I'm not sure how many kidney doctor's talk to their female patients about this issue. I know my kidney doctor didn't talk to me about this until it became an issue for me. Because our kidneys don't make the hormones needed to maintain healthy hemoglobin and hematocrit levels, anemia becomes a huge issue for many female kidney patients. When you add terrible monthly periods into the mix the situation only gets worse. This is one of reasons why I needed to have so many, many, many blood transfusions. After 14 years of living this way it not only wore me down physically and emotionally but also has lead to some heart issues. Although I know there are some risks for increased cardiovascular disease, I think in this situation the pros's far out weight the con's.

I really appreciate all those who have followed and viewed the blog over the past  9 months and I look forward to coming back and continuing this journey with you. As always I look forward to your questions, comments, or concerns. 

Kidney Warriors keep strong and keep the faith! 

~Kidney Blogger

Love Your Heart

Happy Valentines Day, Kidney Warriors! February is American Heart Month!  Heart  disease, stroke, and high blood pressure are the #1 cause of death in the United States. High blood pressure is also one of the leading causes of chronic kidney disease. This is why it's so important as kidney patients we keep our hearts healthy and our blood pressure under control.  Today I want to share some "heart healthy" tips.

1. Know your heart health numbers ~ Establish with your doctor your baseline levels for your cholesterol, both good and bad, blood pressure, weight, BMI . Keep a yearly appointment to follow these numbers to make certain your on track.
2. De~Stress your heart ~ Stress causes increased high blood pressure, increased heart rate, and increases the stress hormone cortisol. Learning to "unplug" from life is one good way to reduce stress. Putting away the electronic devices for at least one hour a day has been proven to reduce stress
3. Get a heart healthy support system ~ Find an exercise buddy. Having a good support group of family and friends both lowers blood pressure and lowers the risks of heart disease.
4. STOP SMOKING ~ Smoking is one of major causes of heart disease.
5. A little alcohol goes along way ~ For women drinking one glass of alcohol a day and for men drinking two glasses of alcohol can help reduce the risk of heart disease.
6. Strengthening your heart with weight training ~  Reducing your  percentage of body fat, keeping your weight down, increasing your muscle mass, and increasing your aerobic endurance are just some of the benefits of strength training. It also increase your good cholesterol levels.
7. Reduce your salt intake ~ Reducing your salt intake lowers blood pressure, be certain to read food labels for added sodium especially in prepared food.
8. Eat a healthy diet ~ Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables at least five servings per day. A diet low in saturated fats, trans fat, cholesterol, and high in fiber.



As you can see many of tips for a healthy heart are also tips for keeping healthy kidneys. Many CKD patients are at risk of heart disease. Heart disease is any cardiovascular disease or CVD that affects the heart and/or blood vessels in the heart. Some complications that often found in patients with CKD can lead to CVD including: anemia, high blood pressure, high calcium and high phosphorus levels, and diabetes. Treating these conditions can lead to an overall healthier life and help you feel better.





On a very personal note I would like to THANK everyone who has given blood. I have needed many, many blood transfusions over the years and without blood donors I don't know where I would be. Please join me during the month of February to raise awareness for heart disease!

Thank you for joining me once again and help me spread the word throughout the month February for American Heart Month. As always I look forward to your questions, comments, or concerns.

Keep on fighting, you Kidney Warriors!

~ Kidney Blogger

What would you want to know?

Happy Wednesday and welcome back Kidney Warriors! The other day one of my online support groups posed an interesting question "What advice would you give to someone who was just diagnosed with kidney disease?"  The first thing I would tell them, after 15 years of living with kidney disease, is educate yourself about the disease . The more you know the more power you have over it. That's the first thing I did when I received my diagnoses. I knew absolutely nothing about kidney disease and really the only thing I knew about kidneys was that they cleaned your blood. Boy did I learn about how important the kidneys are to your overall health. Those two little bean shaped organs do some amazing things for the body. What I took away the most about learning about kidneys is they are 24/7 365 workings machines.

The second bit of advice I would share is, that your not alone in this battle. With the introduction of social media like Facebook and Twitter there are so many different support groups to provide education, support, and a place where others can relate to your experiences. I'm part of two different online support groups and both have provided me with support and comfort when no one else could relate to what I was going through. There are also offline support groups like the "Kidney Club" offered by The Northeast Kidney Foundation. If you live in New York please visit www.healthykidneys.org to find a local "Kidney Club" and if your area doesn't have one then contact Northeast Kidney to see if one can be setup in your area.

The next piece of advice I would share is, you can live a good life with kidney disease. And if  and when you advance to dialysis it's still a doable life. Yeah dialysis sucks but it will save your life. Having a good attitude towards dialysis is vital to the success of your treatments. As soon you learn that you need to start dialysis that is when you should start educating yourself about the different methods of dialysis. Please see blog posts "Kidneys and Dialysis 101, Dialysis 102, Dialysis 103, Dialysis 104 and Dialysis Wrap Up" to learn more about different dialysis methods.



The fourth piece of advice I would share is, that it's key to embrace a renal diet. Whatever stage of kidney disease you're in you should educate yourself on what's best during that stage. Each stage has different requirements and it's important to know what each is. Protein, sodium, phosphorus, and potassium are just a few things in your diet that you'll need learn how they affect your failing kidneys and the impact they have on your blood levels. This was one of the biggest challenges for me but now with a proper diet I have excellent blood work and feel so much better.

The last piece of advice I would share is, remember you are the captain of your own health care ship. If you don't like the doctor you are working with then find a new one. I have "thrown more doctors over board" than I can count. If you have questions, ask. If something feels wrong it probably is. Learn to listen to your body. You the best person to say when things are going wrong so pay attention to the signs. 

What would you want to about Kidney disease? Please feel free to leave a comment and ask! I would love to hear your questions weather you have just been diagnosed or you have lived with kidney disease for a long time. Thanks for joining me today! 

Keep on fighting, you Kidney Warriors! 

~Kidney Blogger 

Kidney Tips #1

Happy Wednesday Kidney Warriors! Today I would like to talk about some healthy kidney tips. 

1. Stay active and keep fit ~ keeping fit helps to reduce blood pressure which is one of leading causes of Chronic Kidney Disease. Doing at least 30 minutes of exercise three times a week is important to keeping fit.

2. Keep your blood sugar under control ~ Over half the patients who have diabetes develop kidney damage. Therefore it's vital that people with diabetes have regular tests to check kidney function. Diabetes is a leading cause of Chronic Kidney Disease. 

3. Monitor your blood pressure ~ Tracking your blood pressure and bringing the results to your doctor is just one way of determining if your blood pressure medications are working. Keeping your blood pressure to 120/70 is critical to maintaining healthy kidneys. High blood pressure is also a leading cause of Chronic Kidney Disease. 

4. Eat healthy ~ Reduce your salt intake, keeping it to about 5-6 grams a day is recommended. Avoiding processed food, not eating out often, and not adding salt to meals are all ways to reduce the sodium in your diet.  Maintaining a healthy diet helps prevent heart disease, diabetes, and other conditions associated with Chronic Kidney Disease. 

5. Maintain a healthy fluid intake ~ Drinking at least 2 liters of fluid per day helps the kidneys clear excess sodium, urea, and toxins from the body. This helps reduce the risks of Chronic Kidney Disease.

6. DO NOT SMOKE ~ Smoking increases the risk of Kidney Disease and Cancer by 50%. It also slows the blood flow to the kidneys and this lessons their ability to function correctly. 

7  Regular kidney checks ~ Its important to have your kidney function checked regularly especially if you have a family history of kidney healthy issues, have high blood pressure, diabetes, or obesity.

I would also like to share some tips about living life on dialysis, some things that many doctors don't  tell with us about. 

1. Lactose Intolerance ~ This means the body cannot easily digest lactose which is the natural sugar in milk and other dairy products. Symptoms include gas, belly pain and bloating. This becomes common in dialysis patient because many patients avoid dairy products due to its high phosphorus content. Over time the body has more and more trouble digesting dairy and the patient becomes lactose intolerant. This is something I have dealt this but it took me awhile to figure out. That's why i wanted to share this tip with you. 

2. Itchy skin ~  This is very common among dialysis patients and can drive you insane if you're dealing with it. Some tips I have used to deal with it are: find a healing lotion and use it every day twice a day. Take shorter, cooler showers and don't wear tight fitting, irritating clothing. It usually gets worse during the winter so lower the heat and use a humidifier to put moister in the air. 

3. Anemia and fatigue ~ Chronic anemia and fatigue is the biggest challenge I have faced living with  dialysis. The most common symptoms include: looking pale, shortness of breath, trouble sleeping, and dizziness. The fatigue can be debilitating and it can take you by surprise. The best tips for living with chronic anemia is the take all doses of the ESA medications prescribed by your doctor, have regular blood work done to monitor your hematocrit and hemoglobin levels For more information about chronic anemia and fatigue see blog post "Anemia and Fatigue in CKD.".  

I hope you find these tips useful and they help you lead a healthier life with your kidneys .And I also hope these tips also makes your life easier living with dialysis. Thanks for joining me for Kidney Tips #1. I look forward to your comments, questions, or concerns. 

Keep on fighting, you Kidney Warriors! 

~Kidney Blogger