Posted 5/22/2014 4:05 PM (GMT 0)
Well, as they used to say in the Three Stooges Movies..."this is a fine kettle of fish you have us in, Ollie!"
I find myself in Ollie's kettle of fish this morning, hurting a members feelings, with no intention.
Today, like many days, is a bit off.
I got up before 6AM to take my sister to the big University of Miami Eye Institute, Balcom Palmer, to check on her Macular Degeneration. She is 65, has Moderate Cognativie Dysfunction, Uncontrolled Hypertension, and BiPolar Disorder, has double vision and the aformentioned Macular Degeneration. Hands full here. Sister lives 5 miles away and I keep a pretty close eye on her. At least Mike is doing well.
So, we were waiting and waiting, and I started to do my HW stuff on my phone (which is bad because I am all thumbs (joke), when they call her name and I zoom off. So, I got to the "Yes..." part of my answer on kidney dysfunction and liver disease and zoomed off so she didn't get lost, see the doc without me and forget everything he said. UGH.
Sorry to have been abrubt.
I would have amended that post later, but will continue here instead now that I'm home:
Many folks have kidney problems with liver disease. Some even need double transplants -- liver/kidney.
With a failing liver unable to process wastes property, it puts a burden on the kidneys, and we often see acute kidney failure, raising billirubin, etc. Most everyone at some point is affected. The jaundice seen in very ill liver patients is directly related to the kidneys.
Even the MELD score calculations for transplantation take Kidney function to consideration TWO kidney numbers (billi and createnine) suggest who is the most ill with liver disease and the counter balance..who, of those ill, is most likely to survive a major surgery.
Mike was hospitalized several times with acute kidney failure, but his kidneys perked back up with their tweaking his electrolytes and getting him rehydrated each time. They'd get him all improved, then send him home and he'd be back 3 weeks later...once a month actually the whole year before transplant!
They kept saying they may need to start dialysis, but never did. Whew.
Liver patients often have fluid retention problems....edema and/or ascites. And they give diuretics for that...which are terrible for kidneys, so before raising the lasix doses too high, they add spirondolactone instead, which is less effective, but kidney sparing (or that is how I underatand it).
And post liver transplant, recipients take antirejection meds that suppress the immune system AND some of the best ones can damage the kidneys.
Mike has moderate chronic kidney disease at this time and takes a minimum amount of prograf hoping to stave off kidney failure without putting him into liver rejection (1mg AM; .5 mg PM). His last 2 liver biopsies showed moderate liver rejection as well. It is a balance. One time they changed his antirejection meds to Rapamune, which is kidney sparing BUT he had a horrible reaction...rash, mouth sores as big as a 4 year olds infected tonsils. He was a MESS and had to be hospitalized when all his lfts and kidney numbers went bonkers.
I think Mike has been in hospital 5 or 6 times in the 3 years post transplant..though two of those times were for rotator cuff repair....elective...but the guy can't catch a break. Maybe now, with no HCV coursing through his blood it will be better.
LW2, did they move hubby to a major medical center? Are they going to? Hoping today is a big better.
Please know that mental confusion is really pretty typical of liver disease also. Lots of folks have it. I read here that people can recognize "episodes" where their loved has some days or weeks of HE. For Mike it was all day every day for what seemed like forever. Cranky, confused, mean, ugly, sad, tired, cranky, mean, and then confused some more. It was pitiful. Hang in there...it must be awful for him.
Hugs,
ML