Re: My results

August 27, 2002

Unfortunately, in this part of the world, you have to share these little

pieces of paradise with millions of black flies and mosquitoes, and the only

way to fight them is to cover yourself with a DEET-based, toxic coating from

head to toe : )

Pierre

RE: My results

> Grace, I agree, there is something about smelling the fresh air, romping

> and swimming in the water and feeling like you have " a little piece of

> paradise for the day " It clears your head... I always ask my husband

" what

> do you think the rest of the world is doing today " ? Connie, USA

>

August 27, 2002

Forgot to say the most important thing. I am thrilled you don't have to go

on dialysis! I am counting on you to live up to your end of our bet!

August 28, 2002

I forget exactly how it came about (I think this person emailed me around

the time I had my fistula surgery - not from this group), but anyway, I know

this case of a woman who was fully readied for dialysis with a working

fistula, expected to be on dialysis within a month, and 8 years later, she

is still waiting, and her fistula is still buzzing. Somehow, her creatinine

improved a little, like mine has, and then just stayed there. I remember

asking my nephrologist just before my fistula surgery what happens if I end

up not needing it right away. She said not to worry, it happens, and it

doesn't hurt the fistula any to wait.

Pierre

Re: My results

> Forgot to say the most important thing. I am thrilled you don't have to

go

> on dialysis! I am counting on you to live up to your end of our bet!

>

August 28, 2002

Pierre,

I like this one even better than our original bargain. You get 8 years, so

that means I should get 10 or so. I'll take it :-)

In a message dated 8/28/2002 3:11:16 AM Pacific Daylight Time,

placha073@... writes:

> I forget exactly how it came about (I think this person emailed me around

> the time I had my fistula surgery - not from this group), but anyway, I

> know

> this case of a woman who was fully readied for dialysis with a working

> fistula, expected to be on dialysis within a month, and 8 years later, she

> is still waiting, and her fistula is still buzzing. Somehow, her creatinine

> improved a little, like mine has, and then just stayed there. I remember

> asking my nephrologist just before my fistula surgery what happens if I end

> up not needing it right away. She said not to worry, it happens, and it

> doesn't hurt the fistula any to wait.

> Pierre

>

> Re: My results

>

> > Forgot to say the most important thing. I am thrilled you don't have to

> go

> > on dialysis! I am counting on you to live up to your end of our bet!

> >

August 28, 2002

Pierre, My Neph told me about a patient that was prepared with the access

tube for peritoneal dialysis and his numbers started to improve and after a

year they finally removed the tube and to this day he hasn't needed dialysis

and it has been several years. We can only hope...Pierre keep your fingers

and toes crossed XX. Connie, USA

Re: My results

I forget exactly how it came about (I think this person emailed me around

the time I had my fistula surgery - not from this group), but anyway, I

know

this case of a woman who was fully readied for dialysis with a working

fistula, expected to be on dialysis within a month, and 8 years later, she

is still waiting, and her fistula is still buzzing. Somehow, her

creatinine

improved a little, like mine has, and then just stayed there. I remember

asking my nephrologist just before my fistula surgery what happens if I

end

up not needing it right away. She said not to worry, it happens, and it

doesn't hurt the fistula any to wait.

Pierre

Re: My results

> Forgot to say the most important thing. I am thrilled you don't have to

go

> on dialysis! I am counting on you to live up to your end of our bet!

>

August 29, 2002

Sorry to hear that the results aren't the best, Pierre. While I'm sure you knew

the dialysis was coming, I'm sure you would have prefferred it not to happen

right now. I hope that should you need to start dialysis, things go along OK.

Pierre wrote: Anyone interested in the results of my

visit to the nephrology clinic today?

Here goes:

First of all, I forgot to pick up my copy of the lab results at the desk

before I left, so, for some values, I don't have the exact numbers.

Hemoglobin (Hg), hematocrit (Hct), potassium and phosphorus are all Ok.

However, my serum creatinine is way up, somewhere above 460. Since my

nephrologist has always said I would need dialysis when it reached 500 (size

matters with serum creatinine, and I'm not very big), and based on my

symptoms, she says I'm ready to start now. My fistula is looking good and

they should be able to use it. In fact, it seems to be developing in two

separate directions, maybe three, just as I thought. She will order vein

mapping to get a better idea.

She was ready to start me on hemodialysis right now, like, as soon as

possible, but then she noticed that she has two conflicting lab results, one

of which may have been dated wrong. So, just to be sure, she had me go to

the lab right there to do blood work. If it comes out 450 or more, I'm on

dialysis. If it comes out under that, I may be able to wait another month,

but probably not more than that. So, just waiting. If nobody calls, I guess

I'm Ok for a little while yet. She does seem to believe in starting dialysis

early as opposed to waiting until the last possible moment, and I can't say

I disagree with that. This is textbook of how it should be done: my

phosphorus and other levels, as well as my overall nutrition have been well

managed, the access (fistula) had been prepared well in advance, the

treatment options education done and we're ready to roll anytime.

In the meantime, I have a follow-up appointment a month from now, with a lab

requisition for blood work a week before going, and, if I start vomitting my

food between now and then, I'm to forget about trying to contact my

nephrologist and go directly to the hospital where my dialysis centre will

be (about a 15 minute drive if there's no traffic).

So there you go. Funny how it just happens like that. You have kidney

disease for 25 years, with nothing too eventful other than a few

hypertensive emergencies now and again, you go to dozens, maybe a hundred or

more nephrology appointments over the years, and finally, you reach the

appointment when they tell you it's time, or almost anyway. I expected it

though, as I could tell myself I have been significantly sicker and tired

the past 2 or 3 months.

Of course, with the way my serum creatinine has been going up and down for

the past year, it still could come out under 400 today. I just don't know

yet.

Pierre

August 29, 2002

I'm pretty sure her name was Mia. I often wonder how she's getting on, too. I

hope she didn't have any further problems after the fistula blowing up.

andria Blaelock wrote: I wonder about her too...

From: " Pierre "

Reply-To: iga-nephropathy

To:

Subject: Re: My results

Date: Wed, 21 Aug 2002 20:37:02 -0400

Thanks , and Marty too.

Striding boldly into the future sounds like something out of the original

Star Trek : )

The transition has been well planned, but, on the other hand, even though

you know it's coming, it still comes as a bit of a surprise. You always sort

of think or hope it may still be some time away. I wish I could remember

that lady's name whose fistula blew up the first time they tried to use it,

right after many of us on the group had tried to reassure her about starting

dialysis. I wonder what ever happened to her.

Pierre

My results

> Date: Wed, 21 Aug 2002 16:36:32 -0400

>

> Anyone interested in the results of my visit to the nephrology clinic

today?

>

> Here goes:

>

> First of all, I forgot to pick up my copy of the lab results at the desk

> before I left, so, for some values, I don't have the exact numbers.

>

> Hemoglobin (Hg), hematocrit (Hct), potassium and phosphorus are all Ok.

> However, my serum creatinine is way up, somewhere above 460. Since my

> nephrologist has always said I would need dialysis when it reached 500

(size

> matters with serum creatinine, and I'm not very big), and based on my

> symptoms, she says I'm ready to start now. My fistula is looking good and

> they should be able to use it. In fact, it seems to be developing in two

> separate directions, maybe three, just as I thought. She will order vein

> mapping to get a better idea.

>

> She was ready to start me on hemodialysis right now, like, as soon as

> possible, but then she noticed that she has two conflicting lab results,

one

> of which may have been dated wrong. So, just to be sure, she had me go to

> the lab right there to do blood work. If it comes out 450 or more, I'm on

> dialysis. If it comes out under that, I may be able to wait another

month,

> but probably not more than that. So, just waiting. If nobody calls, I

guess

> I'm Ok for a little while yet. She does seem to believe in starting

dialysis

> early as opposed to waiting until the last possible moment, and I can't

say

> I disagree with that. This is textbook of how it should be done: my

> phosphorus and other levels, as well as my overall nutrition have been

well

> managed, the access (fistula) had been prepared well in advance, the

> treatment options education done and we're ready to roll anytime.

>

> In the meantime, I have a follow-up appointment a month from now, with a

lab

> requisition for blood work a week before going, and, if I start vomitting

my

> food between now and then, I'm to forget about trying to contact my

> nephrologist and go directly to the hospital where my dialysis centre

will

> be (about a 15 minute drive if there's no traffic).

>

> So there you go. Funny how it just happens like that. You have kidney

> disease for 25 years, with nothing too eventful other than a few

> hypertensive emergencies now and again, you go to dozens, maybe a hundred

or

> more nephrology appointments over the years, and finally, you reach the

> appointment when they tell you it's time, or almost anyway. I expected it

> though, as I could tell myself I have been significantly sicker and tired

> the past 2 or 3 months.

>

> Of course, with the way my serum creatinine has been going up and down

for

> the past year, it still could come out under 400 today. I just don't know

> yet.

>

> Pierre

>

> _________________________________________________________________

> Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com

>

August 29, 2002

That does ring a bell. You have a good memory.

Pierre

My results

> Date: Wed, 21 Aug 2002 16:36:32 -0400

>

> Anyone interested in the results of my visit to the nephrology clinic

today?

>

> Here goes:

>

> First of all, I forgot to pick up my copy of the lab results at the desk

> before I left, so, for some values, I don't have the exact numbers.

>

> Hemoglobin (Hg), hematocrit (Hct), potassium and phosphorus are all Ok.

> However, my serum creatinine is way up, somewhere above 460. Since my

> nephrologist has always said I would need dialysis when it reached 500

(size

> matters with serum creatinine, and I'm not very big), and based on my

> symptoms, she says I'm ready to start now. My fistula is looking good and

> they should be able to use it. In fact, it seems to be developing in two

> separate directions, maybe three, just as I thought. She will order vein

> mapping to get a better idea.

>

> She was ready to start me on hemodialysis right now, like, as soon as

> possible, but then she noticed that she has two conflicting lab results,

one

> of which may have been dated wrong. So, just to be sure, she had me go to

> the lab right there to do blood work. If it comes out 450 or more, I'm on

> dialysis. If it comes out under that, I may be able to wait another

month,

> but probably not more than that. So, just waiting. If nobody calls, I

guess

> I'm Ok for a little while yet. She does seem to believe in starting

dialysis

> early as opposed to waiting until the last possible moment, and I can't

say

> I disagree with that. This is textbook of how it should be done: my

> phosphorus and other levels, as well as my overall nutrition have been

well

> managed, the access (fistula) had been prepared well in advance, the

> treatment options education done and we're ready to roll anytime.

>

> In the meantime, I have a follow-up appointment a month from now, with a

lab

> requisition for blood work a week before going, and, if I start vomitting

my

> food between now and then, I'm to forget about trying to contact my

> nephrologist and go directly to the hospital where my dialysis centre

will

> be (about a 15 minute drive if there's no traffic).

>

> So there you go. Funny how it just happens like that. You have kidney

> disease for 25 years, with nothing too eventful other than a few

> hypertensive emergencies now and again, you go to dozens, maybe a hundred

or

> more nephrology appointments over the years, and finally, you reach the

> appointment when they tell you it's time, or almost anyway. I expected it

> though, as I could tell myself I have been significantly sicker and tired

> the past 2 or 3 months.

>

> Of course, with the way my serum creatinine has been going up and down

for

> the past year, it still could come out under 400 today. I just don't know

> yet.

>

> Pierre

>

> _________________________________________________________________

> Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com

>

August 29, 2002

Pierre ,

I hope your fistula has to wait a long long time!