Changes to my body (6/21/22)

So after 1 week+ on dialysis I’ve noticed a few changes to my body already.

The first is that I look healthier and younger. My body wasn’t removing toxins properly which was aging me and giving me a blotchy, pale complexion.

I’m also sleeping a lot less. The last 10 weeks I was sleeping 9-10 hours a night + 2-4 hour naps every day. My explanation for this was that I was sleeping a lot to let my gout foot heal. Little did I know that being tired was a symptom of kidney failure.

However, I found myself having trouble falling asleep. My fingers and feet would get pins and needles sensation which made me restless. I assumed this was a side effect of the antibiotics I was taking for a gum infection but it was likely my toxic blood alerting me that something was wrong. This too is gone.

I would also get a lot of cramps in my legs, especially in my feet. This is because my kidneys were no longer capable of circulating fluid correctly. Another cry for help.

While I’m not lifting heavy in the gym, I’ve noticed a stark increase in my stamina.

I also don’t get winded going up stairs anymore. Again, I assumed this was because I was out of shape from limping for 10 weeks but it was most likely the kidney failure and lack of red blood cell production. My hemoglobins were at a 4.9 and should have been at a 14. I was operating at 1/3rd tank.

I also started to develop renal foot. My left foot was swollen, in pain, discolored and dry. This too has mostly gone away.

Although my appetite was always good, it’s definitely much bigger now. This is a challenge as I’ve gained 10 pounds since my attack started 11 weeks ago. Living a sedentary lifestyle due to illness makes gaining weight very easy.

I unknowingly was likely weeks away from rapid deterioration. If I didn’t leave Mexico and book an emergency flight to USA for treatment, there’s a strong possibility I wouldn’t have seen my 39th birthday on 7/11.

Dying from kidney failure is apparently rapid, a matter of weeks, as toxins in your blood quickly build up, destroying your organs one at a time, especially the heart. My creatinine level was at a 27. It should have been at most, a 1.2. My blood was carrying 22.5x more toxic waste byproduct than it should have. It’s a miracle I wasn’t showing more symptoms.

My body was fighting this for 11 weeks and it did a damn good fucking job. It’s a good thing I mostly stopped drinking alcohol and kept my body otherwise strong at the gym.

My treatment plan (until a transplant is available) likely added decades to my life. God bless modern medicine, technology and science (and of course Trump).