KPTX news
Les,
My kidneys have been failing for some time; was told 8/94 that I had 2-6
years to need a tx. Function is now at 23% - dialysis begins at 15%. I DO
NOT want to go on dialysis - but who has a choice when it’s a life/death
situation? I’m on a tx e-list and some there had it done w/o dialysis. Some
had dialysis for several years. One recently died never receiving the tx.
some have had K - P separately, some just one of them, and some together.
Together is better from the same cadaver. That’s the sad part, someone has
to die so I may live.
With my decreasing deterioration (almost 50 yrs of DM) it is inevitable at
this point that a tx would be necessary. My nephrologist had no hesitation
in proceding. The *list members* do not recommend Chicago. I think I could
maneuver around Indy better. BUT, a recent tx-er within 45 miles of me
highly recommends (as do others) Northwestern U in Wisconsin. The main
surgeon there is from U. of Minn where they began the whole tx thing. He is
highly recommended and PERSONABLE!! That gets high marks in my book!! I’ve
dealt with 100s of drs. over the last 5 decades and no about UNpersonable
ones. The facility there is new, etc. After the testings and I qualify, I
will be listed for kptx, then it may be 1-3 years.
Jan
January 9th, 2004 at 5:57 am
Jan,
Your account is very interesting to me, since I was advised over 10 years ago
that I would be on dialysis within three years, based on the increasing
creatinin levels. But, after starting using Vasotec (an Ace Inhibitor), the
creatinin increase stopped, and I have been stable for 9 years with no
increase. The nephrologist even stopped seeing me every three months,
pronouncing it a waste of time; now it is every six months. He even said
that the Ace Inhibitors had altered their group practice, causing them to have
to do more family practice as there was no longer enough business to support
the operation full time since the advent of the Ace Inhibitors. I presume
you have been down this path, but you did not mention Ace Inhibitors in your
history….
David
jan hughey wrote:
January 9th, 2004 at 10:39 pm
David,
I think anyone on this list who has had a history with doctors can agree
that not all doctors are *personable,* I began seeing a neph about 4/94 (35%
function then). At the first visit I had told him I took Dyazide for 16 yrs
but it was removed from the mkt because it was harmful to diabetics’
kidneys. He said he disagreed that anything that lowers BP is good. He said
I would hear about ACE inhibitors and Captopril was patented for being the
*best* because they thought of putting it on their literature first, but I
shouldn’t believe them. I was taking Vasotec at the time and lost another15%
in 1.5 yrs.. 3 mos. later at the next visit he took me off V and gave me
Captopril. I became very ill - coughing and coughing to the extent of
coughing up foam. I had no appetite and lost 7# in 10 days. I could only eat
cream style corn and white bread with bacon. (well, it was food).
This went on for about 6 wks. I called his office a couple of times with no
response,
and even *popped* in so they could view me. He ordered an inhaler. That made
me gag and vomit. I asked 5 pharmacists what was making me cough like that.
They all said the Captopril. I looked at that tiny little pill (3 a day) and
said, "I cannot put one more of these in my face if this is what’s doing
this to me." I went back to the Vasotec. That was a Thursday and my next
appt was to be Mon. On Mon. I told the ass’t what I had done. The neph came
in and was fuming. He gave me a song and dance of how uncooperative I was
and hadn’t given the inhaler a chance, and that Captopril helped 95% of
people, blah, blah, blah, blah, (I began looking at the ceiling). Then he
said something about how he was trying his best and my fault and that in all
his 10 months of practice he had never had a patient like me…and something
else, I said, "Hog wash." He gathered the papers, got up and stormed out of
the room. I get lost very easily and said, "I don’t even know how to get out
of here." He pointed the direction and said, "That way!!!"
I now go to his boss. (wrote a letter). I am taking 16mg Cardura, 200mg
Cozaar, and 10 mg Norvasc daily. I had to quit the Clonidine - put me to
sleep to heavily in the a.m. I went to the Uof M in Ann Arbor for a 2nd
opinion on that many diff meds (didn’t know about the ‘net yet) and they
agreed it was the proper treatment.
Jan
January 10th, 2004 at 6:20 am
Jan, that is quite a tale. My experience was much better; I was on four or
five different BP things and after starting Vasotec got off of all the others,
and with 20 mg once per day stabilized the kidney problem and all the side
effects from the other stuff went away. That was almost 10 years ago. So I
am sold on Ace Inhibitors.
David
jan hughey wrote:
January 10th, 2004 at 9:53 am
Jan,
I had a somewhat similar reaction to captopril. Except I spent a couple
years on mine. Finally asked the pharmacist about my cough and he said it
was due to the cap., mentioned this to my dr and within about one day the
coughing stopped.
Gail