Countdown to the Big D

[lisarose99]

Hello,

I am new to this forum and I have lots of questions. I have read a couple of the 'nearing dialysis' threads but my questions are a little different.

Brief history: I am diabetic, 47, a woman and at about 7-10% functionality and have been hovering around there since July 2013. I have been working out and have lost around 30 pounds. The anemia kicked in pretty bad and even though I am on ProCrit, the fatigue has become daunting and I am finding it difficult to just everyday things, much less hit the gym. If I lose another 25 pounds, I can get a pancreas-kidney transplant, but I fear it will take too long to achieve that goal. I have fistula just below my arm bend. I opted out of PD because I understand that there can be significant weight gain, which defeats my purpose.

So, my question is, does dialysis help the fatigue, tiredness, general bad feeling diminish at all? How do you feel afterwards? I have some sporadic nausea but no sickness, yet. What can I expect between treatments?

More questions... Will it help the weight come off easier? I have been on an adjusted dialysis diet since last summer, plus the exercising but I am hitting wall after wall & I think my metabolism just needs one kick to get it back in motion. Does the dialysis help with bloating? I think its mostly water retention that's causing the problem.

Well, that's where my head is at for the moment. I really appreciate any insight as to what lies ahead. The good part is, I have a possible kidney match so I can opt to just get a kidney now and not bother with a pancreas. But, I need more information to make a clear decision.

Thank you for your time!

[kcramer]

I am not diabetic but I can answer some of your questions.
You do feel better on some days after you start dialysis. You can also eat more and feel better.
For me...I feel real good the day after and the day of dialysis. After the treatment I am very tired and drained and go right to sleep. When I wake up, I feel better than before dialysis but not my normal self. I still watch what I eat but eat more and very healthy. I still do not use salt to cook and still eat more veggies and fruit than starchy foods. My best day is usually Sunday since I am on M W F it is my second full day without having to go to dialysis. On that day I forget I even need a new kidney. I have Polycysitic Kidney's (PKD) so I am different than others on dialysis. I hope someone with diabetic problems will write to you. I am on a transplant list but need a live donor which they tell me will work better. The team wants me to lose 10 lbs and an inch off my waist. I have not lost an inch off my waist but have lost 3 off the hips. No weight lose off but the retention water is taken off each treatment. Some people it is up to 5 lbs but I only have 2 taken off each time to my dry weight. I still pee with PKD.
Also, I just learned from the education nurse that they like to start people with failed kidney's at GFR 10 because when you are on dialysis the doctors run the machines to keep your kidney function at 10%. If you are below that when you start, they will have you on longer to get the kidney function to that level. Your kidney function at 10% is important when you are trying to get a transplant. I don't know if this will help you either.
Praying you learn as much as possible to make good discussions.