1. My visit with kidney doctor Dr. Scott Bieber today was, as I thought it would be, short and enjoyable. After he asked me a few questions (any problems? short of breath? urinating okay?) and after listening to my lungs and heart and checking my lower legs for swelling (all good), he said, "Let's look at your labs."
I knew Dr. Bieber would be pleased with my blood work, but I wasn't expecting him to say what he did. Here is an approximate quotation: "When I first saw you a couple of years ago, I thought for sure that by now you'd be on dialysis or be transplanted. I couldn't be happier with these labs. Your kidney function has actually improved since I last saw you. Your kidneys are really doing their job."
From reading my lab results on Tuesday, I knew my filtration numbers were better and I knew that all my other numbers were in range.
We talked a bit about my slightly high blood pressure, but decided to leave my medication where it's at.
Dr. Bieber decided that he'd like me to do blood work again in three months, but that he didn't need to see me in person and that if he saw any problems we'd talk over the telephone.
He wants to see me in May and I'll have more blood work done for that visit.
So, a quick roundup, just to put this all in some perspective.
I had a complete physical exam back in December of 2004 and found out that I had a non-symptomatic kidney disease. At that time, my kidney function was around 24 or 25%. There are five stages of kidney disease and I found out I was squarely in the severe range, but the good news, nearly eighteen years ago, was that I was a fairly young person and that the type of disease I have progresses slowly.
The disease has, indeed, progressed slowly and it's not progressed in a linear fashion. My kidney function numbers have gone down and come back up again. I had thought for years that they could only go down.
Two years ago, when my kidney function was at 12% -- the numbers say kidney failure begins at 15% --, I figured, and so did Dr. Bieber, that dialysis wasn't far down the road and that a transplant loomed ahead. At the same time, though, because I was feeling so good, Dr. Bieber agreed with me that I should turn down an organ offer (which I did) and this led to me asking to put on the transplant's inactive list.
I hope you caught this detail. The one constant throughout this time of kidney disease is that I've felt great. I've continued to experience no symptoms. No metallic taste in my mouth. No shortness of breath. No fatigue. As I've written 1,000 times on this blog, if it weren't for what we see in my blood work, I'd never know I had kidney disease.
This week, I had bloodwork done on Monday, Nov. 15th and my kidney function improved to 16%. That places me out of the kidney failure range and back to the severe kidney range.
So, for whatever reason, here I am, closing in on 18 years since my original diagnosis. My kidneys are diseased but stable. They are making superb use of the limited function they have remaining. I am still on the inactive list for a kidney transplant.
I chalk this good fortune up to the fact that I haven't developed any accompanying diseases. I'm not diabetic. My heart is doing well. I have, so far, not contracted Covid-19. Back in 2009, when I was hospitalized with pneumonia and c-diff, my kidney function fell by about seven points. I know how other diseases can affect my kidney function. But, back then, I recovered that function --- largely via hydration. My hope is that for as long as possible the rest of my system stays as healthy as possible and that my kidneys keep hanging in there, keep functioning in a reduced but stable manner.
2. Debbie went to CdA today and made a quick stop at Pilgrim's and purchased several beers for us to split and sample. This afternoon, in order to help SAVE THE PORTER, we popped open a can of Cascade Lakes' Salted Caramel Porter, a fine beer out of Redmond, OR.
If a porter is going to be salted, flavored with caramel (or vanilla or other such flavors), my preference is that its presence is subtle. Debbie and I were happy with how subtle the salted caramel flavor was in this porter. When cold, we both thought the beer was a bit bitter at the finish, but as it warmed up in my glass, the beer's maltiness emerged and the bitterness receded. We both enjoyed this beer and I would definitely purchase it again.
3. Debbie and I were unsure what we'd do late this afternoon and on into the evening, but, around 3:00 or so, Ed texted me and wondered if we'd like to go to the Elks Club for burgers. We did and had a fun time yakking with Ed and enjoying the perfectly sized and perfectly cooked burgers off of Keith Greene's grill. We joined Ed and crossed the street and went to The Lounge. I didn't think we would stay long. Cas greeted me as I entered and immediately apprised of some bad news. He had a breakdown and couldn't keep his kegs cool until the repair guy came later in the week. Therefore, I would not be able to help SAVE THE PORTER.
I took his news well and ordered a Miller High Life, the Champagne of Bottled Beers, and yakked with Cas, Tracy, Debbie, and Ed for a while. After a beer, Ed had to leave and I thought Debbie and I might leave then, too, but it turned out that having some time alone together at that moment was great for Debbie and me. It gave us a chance to talk more about my kidney situation and to look ahead and start sketching some very tentative plans for the future.
Debbie and I have a long history of good conversations over adult beverages at the bar or in taprooms -- we worked out much of life over about four years time at Eugene's Billy Mac's, 16 Tons, and Cornucopia, Beltsvilles's Old Line Bistro, and DC Brau just over the Maryland/DC border. We didn't exactly work anything out once and for all at The Lounge this early evening, but it was just the right time to have a little time to ourselves and get started on some conversations that are certain to continue over the next several weeks.
Here's a limerick by Stu:
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