Kidney Patient Guide

Taurine may be an additive in energy drinks, but it's also an amino acid that we all need and use in our bodies, so it's not an alien substance exactly. I have similar concerns about things like ginseng and guarana, which crop up in lots of energy drinks. I looked into taurine a while back, and foun...

Do a lot of people have issues with parathyroid then? Might it only manifest after transplant? I've had very few issues with calcium and phosphate up to now since I started taking alfacalcidol, is there anything I should be looking out for?

Best of luck, hope it all starts working nice and quickly!

Have you mentioned these things to the docs already, Keith? If so, what did they say? Can't be worth trying to second guess something as major as another organ tx until other possibilities have been eliminated. I hope it proves to be something nice and simple.

I've pretty much lost interest in sex too - or at least, times when I am interested are much rarer. I put it down to the anaemia and constant tiredness. I'm sorry it's been an issue for you, Nicky - I can totally see how. My partner and I are still hugely affectionate towards each other - we talk ab...

Given how unreliable my HP Printer has been, I don't know how keen I'd be...

Tis an interesting idea, though!

Aw, that's great!

Ah, it looks like we might be off again - despite having done a kidney biopsy they still can't say for sure if they are happy for my friend to donate or not, and she's got to go back in for even more tests! Apparently these involve checking for flecks in her eyes and problems with her ears - any ide...

I totally know how you feel. I've had a cold since the end of September and it will not go away! It's waking me up in the night and keeps me sneezing constantly, bah! I'm just keeping on with the healthy diet, keeping warm and taking paracetamol when I'm hurting. Hope you feel better soon! *edit* ac...

Aileen - they've decided not to give me a fistula after all, doc reckons it's so unlikely I'll be dialysing that it's not necessary.

Hi Amanda I'm really glad you posted what you did, and you're right, I do have options and could delay if I didn't think I was ready. When I read your post, my instinctive reaction was "why would I want to dialyse if I don't have to?", so I think in the end taking the tx (if it's even avai...

Thanks for your replies and PMs :) It's really interesting to hear from other people on this. I hadn't actually considered the possibility of postponing my transplant, and I don't think I will either. If my donor is ok to go, it either has to be in December or theoretically I'd have to wait til next...

Apologies in advance, I just feel the need to rant, although I'm sure loads of you have similar tales to tell! It's been 11 months since my last major infection, when my kidney function turned for the worse, and the nephs told me I'd most likely need a kidney transplant within a year. At the time th...

it gets to this stage and part of you almost wants the eGFR to drop so you can get on with it. At least that's how I felt last time! I'm in the mind set that there are no U-turns here so I'd rather just get it done. [...] I'm still on course for New Year too but I'm slightly worried because the the...

Ugh - sounds horrible!