Beth75 - Just wondering how your Kidney Biopsy went ...

Thanks for asking.....well it was less fun than a colonoscopy (except the prep part) who knew I would have preferred one of those, the Dr. laughed when I told him.

The Dr. did an ultrasound to find the kidneys and then they stuck needles in me to take some pieces out. They gave me some kind of morphine, valium and two local anasthetics. It was pretty strong but wore off quickly I was able to leave the hospital after a few hours.

I am in mild pain and discomfort today, it feels like I was just punched in my back where the kidney is and am taking Tylenol as they suggested, I don't think it's helping much. Laying on my side is the only helpful thing, though I am at work today (my chair is comfy) and it is not that bad.

I see the Dr. next wed 9/5 and my Aunt is going to go with me. My Aunt's mother (her husband is my mothers brother, we are not directly related) died of Kidney failure, she had diabetes and was over 80 years old. My Aunt knows a lot about Kidneys and is a very strong, smart and caring person and she offered to come with me so I would not be alone and she will understand more than my husband (he is still hoping they have just made a mistake and I didn't even need a biopsy) I actually prefer to have my Aunt because she knows so much and my husband will be like a deer caught in headlights and I did not want to bring both of them.

I also hope they just made some weird mistake and I'm really ok. I have done some research and from what minimal information I got from my Doc and my own symptoms. I think it could be acute nephritis....but I have no medical knowledge to back that up, whatsoever.

I am trying to stay positive but it's hard because thoughts of dying, kidney transplant etc. keep on popping up in my head.

I am hoping next week there will be a diagnosis and we can start treatment and I will be ok.

I'll let you know what happens then, thanks again for asking!

yeah, not getting a ton of stuff done today but better than being at home w/my mind wandering. though I may leave early, I am really uncomfortable now.

my husband is totally ok with my Aunt going and I think he is somewhat relieved b/c he knows that she has dealt with this kind of stuff and will be better at what questions to ask etc, though would go if I wanted him to. He was at the hospital w/me all day yesterday.

They only checked one kidney and said that because of the proteinuria that whatever I have is affecting both. They would check both if they thought it was cancer or a cyst or something else that would affect one or the other. (my Aunt had asked me and I was like I did not even think to ask at my appt, so I did at my biopsy).

Besides my UC which is pretty mild I am healthy.......except for whatever is up w/my kidney and I am young so I hope that will go in my favor.

The thing that really has aggravated me through this whole thing is that I have had edema for 6 years since I was 26 and it is a side effect of a kidney problem and I saw multiple dr's, they stuck things in crevices that I thought would not have nothing to do w/ankle swelling, one told even had the gall to tell me it was my shoes, I looked on-line a hundred times and didn't relate anything to it. I am scared that I have had this symptom for 6 years and did try (maybe not hard enough) and am hoping that is not going to make whatever it is worse. But I guess I need to go forward and stop looking behind.

Thanks Quincy, I really appreciate your asking me!

Zurich...what exactly is the reason your mom is on dialysis? What did they find from the biopsies?

q

Hey Beth - hope you are feeling much better on Friday. Take care and try not to worry too much and don't let that mind wander that much either.

Hi Zurich,

Sorry to hear about your Mom too, I did not mean to not to say anything about it. I hope they are able to take care of her and make her feel as good as possible and be able to keep on treating her. I know how scary it is to watch your parent go through something. I have legal guardianship of my mother (she is bi-polar, schizo-affective, diabetic, think she has parkinsons, colostomy, etc, etc...) where is the handbook to tell you what to do???

Feeling better today, thank you. I might take some tylenol, I am trying to sit at the edge of my chair so my back does not touch it (hurts slightly after a little while).

Quincy - no my hands and feet are not red, my ankles swell but the swelling goes down if I work out and then put my feet up or have a lazy sunday on the couch with my feet up. What kind of liver problems do you have? Is it something that can be cured? What caused the problems?

The weirdest but good things that have come out of my My Mom being sick and now me is the way my family comes together, we are not super close but have always been there when someone needs it, meaning we mostly see aunts and uncles at holiday's and a few other times thru the year and I see my Mom and sister quite a bit, but when my grandmother told me that my cousin offered her kidney if I needed it, I was surprised (what is nicer than that?). I hope it does not come to that at all.

Going to be a hard weekend (waiting it out) but luckily I have a ton of stuff to keep me occupied and hoping for the best. I have finally gotten to a point in my life where I have accomplished a lot of things, gone through a lot of things, have a wonderful, husband/family and looking forward to starting a family and the thought of not being able to continue on this road or having really hard roadblocks just pisses me off. Ah well, could be worse.....I could have no family or a family that did not not want to support me. My sister offered me her kidney too if I needed it and If I want my brother's I have to trade him a thumb (he has bone spurs and is in a lot of pain). I thought that was fair a thumb for a kidney = )

my thoughts and best wishes are with you both.

Zurich...interesting, never thought of high blood pressure and kidney connection. I'm from Polish descent (mom's side), I've inherited enough from her...enough to say NO KIDS. Oh, and from my dad too...not taking any chances.

I agree about the over 50 and serious illness. My husband's mom was diagnosed with bowel cancer last year..I have encouraged him to get a c-scope just because. He did see my GI...but he hasn't yet set up the appointment. I'm not going to push just yet, but hopefully, he'll make the decision to make that appointment before he has to get another referral to see my GI again. It totally irks me when he does that.

Be well,
q