Living Donors Online Message Board
Living Donation Discussion and News => Living Donation Forum => Topic started by: PastorJeff on January 06, 2017, 07:02:40 PM
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This may have been written about already. I apologize if I overlooked it. I donated 4.5 years ago. Since then my creatinine has remained a steady 1.6. As a result my egfr puts me in the category of CKD3. That's now on my medical record. i was wondering if the fact that this is the result of donation is a factor in interpreting it. In other words, is it less of a concern that it's not the result of disease? I do remember my personal nephrologist saying that with aging my kidney function will dwindle by age 90 to a need for dialysis. I am not alarmed by that since I am not aspiring to live here that long :)
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Dear Pastor Jeff,
So then isn't 1.6 your 'new normal'? Of course there is a difference between kidney donors and non-donors. We only have one kidney, so creatinine is higher than pre-donation. But we also do not have kidney disease, so the higher level tends to be stable. The CKD3 thing would only work if you were not a donor and had declining kidney function.
I'm not sure about your nephrologist telling you scary stories. Who can make a prediction like that about 30 years down the road?
I do think donors (and everyone!) should maintain a good weight and blood pressure, get plenty of exercise and stay away from NSAID's. These things will not hurt your future 90 year old self's kidney function!
Love, elephant
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I've been told something similar, that late in my eighties or nineties I may need dialysis but I figure by then xenografts or dialysis will be much improved or this will simply be an easy ticket out if I make it that far. I don't aspire to reach 100 and at that point, kidney disease will likely be the least of my problem. Like I told the evaluation team, if this costs me a few years of life in my 90s but gives someone many more years in the prime of their life, then it's a more optimal use of that kidney function.
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Thank you Elephant for your good words. I've always appreciated reading what you've had to say.
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RKEM i agree with your sentiments completely. In spite of the good medical folks and extensive testing, I never thought I would come through this completely unscathed. Just glad to help.
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I'm 71 now, 15 years after kidney donation. I'm optimistically presuming that if I reach 90 things will have progressed so much by then that I will be able to pick up a spare mechanical kidney or two at Wall-Mart.
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Or dialysis machines will have shrunk down so much you can wear them like a wrist watch. ;)