Doctor's Visit - 08/28/2007

I had my regular follow-up clinic visit on Tuesday. The doctor said that I was doing well, and that my lab reports all looked good. My creatinine remains at 1.0. My magnesium is up from 1.1 to 1.6. A normal magnesium is 1.7 to 2.1, so I guess that is good. The rest of my numbers looked about like I have expected them to. My White Blood Cell count is at 7.3, which is always nice.

The doctor said my bone density test was similar to the first one they gave me. I scored exactly the same on my lumbar region (spine). I actually got a slightly higher score on my hip bone, which I guess is good. That means that my exercise and calcium supplements have been working. Speaking of exercise, I got back to doing that this week. I got my ID badge at worked coded so that I could use the fitness facility we own. It's about 15 minutes away from work, so I'll try to go there two to three times a week and get some walking done.

I talked to the actual doctor about the Glofil problem that I mentioned last time in the blog. My score has gone down about 10 points since the first test after the transplant. The doctor said she didn't know what exactly was wrong, or if it was even a problem. She asked me to do a 24-hour urine test to make sure my clearance was still good.

I'll have to see how I am doing the next time I go in. But, the doctor doesn't seem worried. She didn't need me to come back for eight more weeks.

See you all later! Enjoy your Labor Day weekend. I know I will. My mom is coming in town to see the new house. Should be loads of fun.

Bone Density Scan - Results

Here are the results from my Bone Density Scan (taken back on August 6).


This was the worse of the two results (taken from my hip bone). Though I do not know exactly what this means, there is a small chart that gives me a usable amount of information.


The small circle in that chart shows that I am at "Increased Fracture Risk." The WHO (in 1994) classified this as Osteopenia.

So, I think these are pretty similar to the results that I got back in January. If there is greater demand for more information, then I can try to find out more from the doctor when I see him next week.

So, that's it for today. Please pray that my bones don't get worse in the next six months. I am going to get back to doing regular exercise to try and keep my bones in good shape. Thanks!

September 2007 PKD Walk

Greetings everyone!

I got a message from my aunt this week (she lives in New Mexico). Here is the letter that she is sending to all of her friends:

A message from Beverly Laude laude@gilanet.com.

Dear Friends and Family,

Most of you know that my nephew, Nathan, has Polycystic Kidney Disease and received a kidney transplant in January 2007. Now, he is leading a (mostly) normal life, no longer dependent on dialysis to live. My niece, Angela, also has PKD, but so far is not facing as many devasting medical problems as Nathan.

I am participating in the Walk for PKD. I've set a challenging goal to raise mondy to fund research to find a cure for PKD! With your help, we can make a real difference, together.

Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) is one of the most common life-threatening genetic diseases, affecting 600,000 Americans and 12.5 million people worldwide. In fact, it affects more people than cystic fibrosis, muscular dystrophy, sickle cell anemia, hemophilia, Down syndrome and Huntington's disease--combined! Still, few people know about it. There is no treatment and no cure... Yet. I am walking to change that.

You can make a secure donation online by simply clicking the link at the bottom of this message. Whatever you can give will make an impact - no donation is too small! I truly appreciate your support and will keep you posted on my progress.

Thank you for helping me help find a cure for PKD!
Click here to visit my personal page.
If the text above does not appear as a clickable link, you can visit the web address:
http://www.pkdcure.org/site/TR/Events/General?px=1299262&pg=personal&fr_id=1761&et=xvlZnu901lYDo5psiWr85Q..&s_tafId=14537

She is going to walk in the 2007 PKD walk. If you would like to help in the fight to find a cure for Polycystic Kidney disease, please visit the link above and donate some money to help find a cure. You may not know me or anyone else with Polycystic Kidney Disease, but this could be your chance to help find a cure to the most prevalent genetic disease in our world today.

Please take a minute to visit her link and donate, if you feel so led. Thanks for taking the time out of your schedule for this message (and hopefully, become a sponsor).

Enjoy your day!!