Last month, I tried something new. All of the responses that I got were good, so I am going to do it again. I scanned my lab report, and I am going to put in the charts themselves into my blog posting today. If this doesn't work for you, let me know, and I'll see what I can do to fix it.
My albumin (the protein in the blood that helps fight infections and aids in healing) was 4.6, which is slightly above the recommended number. The dietician likes it just where it is.
My potassium (A mineral needed for normal heart rhythm and muscle function) was 4.3, which is excellent (as you can see). I have not had a real problem with potassium since I started on dialysis.
My phosphorus (A mineral needed for healthy bones. High phosphorus can damage my heart and blood vessels by making them stiff, and can weaken my bones.) level was only 4.2 this month, which is great. As you can see, back in May, my level was too high, but I think it is under control now.
My corrected calcium (A mineral needed for healthy bones and muscles) is normal at 9.0. This goes along with the phosphorus and means that I am eating right.
My parathyroid hormone level is extremely high (at 744). I do not have the explanation of what the PTH is (I forgot to scan that page). They thought my level was down in July, but not the dietician believes that it was a false low (given how high it was in October). The treatment of high PTH is to take Vitamin D shots called Hectorol. The only problem with the Hectorol is that it can cause elevated Phosphorus levels ... so we shall see where those two numbers go.
My hemoglobin A1C is normal at 4.5. I think this has mainly to do with the fact that I am not a diabetic (so my body controls it's blood sugar correctly).
They don't have a chart for it, but my hemoglobin was 13.8 (which is normal enough). They are going to keep my epogen shots at the same level to keep my hemoglobin normal (which helps keep me from being anemic).
I don't know how well you can read this chart, as it ended up a bit smaller than the others (it is a full page chart, where the others start out at 1/4 of a page).
This shows my average fluid weight gains. My monthly average stayed between 2 and 3 kilograms, which is great news. My weekend rates were higher, but that is to be expected since you go 3 days between treatments instead of the normal two. But, overall, I am doing well with my fluid.
The only other thing to report on my labs is that my access flow rate was 980-something. This is the rate at which blood flows in my fistula. The clinic prefers an access flow rate over 400 in patients with fistulas, so I am in great shape. This is either the second or third good flow rate I have gotten with this fistula, so that means it is working much better than my original one. I am glad that all the extra work and surgeries paid off.
In other (kind of long) news, I talked to Josh (the potential donor) on Sunday evening. He said that the transplant coordinator had one more meeting that she was attending on Friday, and that she would let him know this week how it went (but she wasn't hopeful, due to his higher creatanine). I have one more potential donor that has already taken the initial blood type test. I guess I will be sending her an e-mail as soon as I find out about Josh for certain.
I guess that's about it for this week. Please continue to pray for the donor that God has lined up for me. Pray that they will remain healthy and that the eventual surgeries will go well for both of us. Thank you all for reading today!
No comments:
Post a Comment