Chronic Kidney Disease

One year after Daxton was born I had high counts of protein and signs of hematuria. I went to the Urologist and after a cystoscopy, MRI, an IVP there was no explanation. Four months later the dipstick showed no signs of hematuria and protein in my urine. The urologists theory was that it might have been a slight tear in the ureter that caused the bleeding. Eight months after Lucas was born the gross hematuria and protenia returned. I figured that it would come and go again but after being denied for life insurance and four months of continual hematuria, Greg fearing the possible outcome from my symptoms, finally talked me into making an appointment with Dr. Begun, the Urologist, at the Medical School. He performed two cystoscopys, a localization test, a ureteroscopy, and a CAT scan, but there were still no answers. No lumps, no bumps, no stones, no nothing. So he transferred me to Dr. Wesson, a Nephrologist, who ran tests on my blood and urine which revealed protein counts 200 times the normal limit. So he determined that a biopsy would answer the unknown. Dr. Wesson handed me off to Dr. Dall -- also a Nephrologist who will be joining the Medical School kidney "team" in July and will be my new doctor. Dr. Dall performed the biopsy assisted by Dr. Baris. Just a note about Dr. Baris--he holds the record for performing the most biopsy's in the US! I was told a number of times throughout the day that I was "in good hands". After the biopsy I had to lay flat on my back for 6 hours and then had a 24 hour stay in the hospital while they monitored my blood pressure and the hematoma. I was so grateful to my mom for making the trip out to stay with my kids as that was definitely one less stress for me. Once home Dr. Dall called to give me the results: tests show that I have IgA Nephropathy a Chronic Kidney Disease which he said I could have gotten from a viral infection. Once someone has IgA Nephropathy, they always have it but it's not quite as bleak as I had supposed. The prognosis is actually pretty promising. My kidney's are functioning at 98% right now. For most a decrease in kidney function with IgA Nephropathy is 1-3% per year so by the time I'm 60 my kidneys could be functioning at 55% but they don't do dialysis or kidney transplants until kidney function is at 15%. Dr. Dall is putting me on Lisinopril, which if I take well without dizziness and swelling, it should lower my protein. Our worst fear through this all was that I wouldn't be able to have more children, but I was told that most people with IgA Nephropathy do really well during pregnancy; I just don't take any medication during that time and then hop right back on it once I deliver. As for all else, I'm suppose to do everything that we all know to be pretty common sense: healthy diet, exercise, low stress--anything to keep my blood pressure down. So far I have never had high blood pressure.
I feel so blessed to be here: the medical school is 20 minutes from my home and I have had a number of friends to help with my kids. I am so so glad that all the invasive tests should be crossed off the list. Some of them were almost unbearable. It's been a few years coming, but it's just so nice to be able to have some answers and move forward with my life. At one of my visits the other day there was a sign in the hospital above the elevator that said the medical school is rated in the top 50 hospitals for kidney disease. Out of all the places we could have attended Dental school, I don't know if we could have ever been so blessed as we feel we have been here. The lessons we have learned, the people we have met, the friends we have made, the memories, the laughs, the trials, and all the tears we've wept will never be forgotten. Thank you so much for your prayers and your phone calls--I have felt them in my darkest and quietest moments.