Change's with Renal Failure/Blood Value

Since I found out my Kidney’s are at stage 5 and they are failing only having 15% function, My : *Iron level’s have dropped
*Creatine high 3.6 - 4.4
*Potassium is not low anymore , usually before this my level was from 2.1- *2.9, but now the level’s are more like: 3.1-4.0.
*Vitiman D is extremly low
*Albumin, low
* PTH= 425
*Red count is very low, getting more anemic
What is your take on this and what should I expect through the end stage’s of Renal Failure and Treatment’s of upcoming dialysis? Are these different levels due to ESRF?
I was thinking for some reason that these level’s seemed to change right after my Heart Attack on Oct 16, 2009. My Doctor’s stated that they don’t think it was caused by my Lupus and for the longest time I was fighting with High B.P., after the Heart Attack, my BP’s lowered and I’m not really having to many High BP’s as much. Sounds to much like a coinsidence to me? I’m thinking that with all this blood pressure problem’s maybe one of My Doctor’s could have checked for any irregular heart condition’s and caught this Blockage before I even had the Heart Attack. But I realize sometimes it’s like searching for a needle in the hay-stack.
Thanks for all your replies.
Karen~

Dear Karen

As you have already said in your first post to this site, you have two of the best doctors in the world. These advisers are clearly the best people to discuss all of this with. They know you well, know your medical history and will be able to answer all those questions without difficulty. that is what your doctor is for.

I am not your doctor. I am simply an occasional commentator on the broader issues of dialysis - and in particular, of haemodialysis. I am not keen to get into the minutia of individual patients medical issues. That is not the purpose of this site, nor is it in my ‘job description’ as agreed with Dori Schatell and the team at HDC.

I am happy to comment on clinical haemodialysis issues and broad haemodialysis-related physical and practice concepts - that is my brief - but you are asking for direct comment on your case here … and that, I am afraid, I cannot give.

You have also asked for comments on your management by others. In the site rules - see the earliest posts at this site - the following is stated:

[I]I cannot comment - indeed, will not comment - on any concerns about the management prescribed or advised by other professionals. That is not the purpose of this site.

You must remember that each patient (each ‘you’) is different and that sound medical advice requires an intimate understanding of ‘you’, the individual. Further, such knowledge cannot be obtained through an internet-based public network. I cannot - and will not - enter into private advice. My comments will remain general.[/I]

With these in mind, I hope you will understand that your questions are too case-oriented for me to fairly post a response. I am sorry, but I want to stay ‘broadly relevant’ but ‘individually aloof’.

John Agar

I am not in any way questioning my Doctor’s comment’s or treatment, I’m just thinking that sometimes another professional’s opinion sometimes offers some different idea’s to think about or possibly mention to my own Doctor something I may have “researched”. For that is only One of my purposes posting on this forum. I did join because I will be facing Dialysis in the near very near future. The other reason joining is that in order for me to stay on top of this game like I have Lups SLE. And my Doctor’s are not on call like this forum is and my intent is to only further educate myself on the problem’s at hand. For as you know as an MD, that appointment’s with patient’s come monthly to Bi-monthly. So I figured that I would ask some question’s here on my concern’s as they may come between Doctor vist’s. I’ll stick to the basic’s for you so the question’s do not get to personal from now on.
Sorry for putting you on the spot.
Sincerely
Karen~

I’m new so I may be in the wrong section…but my problem is the dialysis needle sites. Inserting the needles is so/so but the real pain comes half an hour into the treatment. The sites start to burn with a throbbing pain that gets worse with each passing moment. The needles have to be removed. My vascular surgeon says he has never heard of this and that he can’t help me !!! I am thinking of quitting dialysis because the pain is unbearable.

Dear Needled88

It’d probably be better to post this as a new thread as others may want to read the question and the answer and have it identified as a needling/fistula problem and not have it hidden and out of context in Karen’s SLE post.

Can you therefore re-post.

Meantime, can you give a bit more information when you do …

Is this a native AVF or a graft?

Is it a recently fashioned access or is it a longstanding one?

Have you had a Transonic assessment of its flows?

Where was the fistula formed (what site)?

ie: ? snuff-box, ? radiocephalic (join at the wrist with forearm needles), ? brachiocephalic (join at the elbow and upper arm needles with needle over biceps), ? brachiobasilic (join at the elbow with needles in the inner upper arm), ? a 'transpositioned fistula, ? a native fistula that has required superficialisation etc.

If you have had flows done, do you know the numbers (for the venous pressure and for arterial pressure?

Is there bleeding post dialysis which is hard to stop?

Though I can only make generalised observations based on this sort of data, it allows me to make more sensible comments about fistula behavior for the help of others, as well as (maybe) you.

So, again, please post as a new thread (titled something like ‘Fistula Problems’ and I will answer later in or after the weekend.

John Agar