Let's see....
In the beginning, as a child, I absolutely hated vegetables. I would tolerate fruits but still did not eat them unless I absolutely had too. My vegetable intake comprised of corn, potatoes, and maybe lettuce on occasion. That was it that I can remember for my childhood. Over the years, thanks to the efforts of my very talented father in law that cooks, my girlfriend Helen that showed me spinach can taste good, plus a few other signifigant friends in my life that have gotten me to try new things in food my taste buds have changed over the years. Good for me that they have, otherwise I would most likely starve or live a very boring culinary life with food.
It all started with swollen ankles in early June 2011. My husband and I were going out on a much needed date night. We went to BD's Mongolian BBQ which is one of the few "Asian" restaurants that the hubs will go to and he likes it there because they let him choose how much meat to vegetable ration he can have opposed to one of my fav places Stir Crazy which is the opposite. After dinner, we went to the movies and during the movies I could feel my legs begin to fall asleep. You know, that pins and needles prickly feeling. Well this was pretty intense and lasted thru majority of the movie. I figured it was due to sitting down so much. Heck I am a big girl after all weighing in at 270lbs. (then). Later on the way home we stopped at a local watering hole that we play pool for and had a few beers.
The next day my ankles hurt. I noticed they were fairly larger than normal and contact my friend Terry who is also a nurse. She told me that maybe I just had a bit too much sodium from going out (with the dinner, popcorn, soda, beer, etc). Try to drink some water to help flush out my system and that if it did not feel better tomorrow to contact my family doctor. By Monday evening, I could barely walk my ankles were so swollen. They were almost as large as my calves. Every step I took was extremely painful. I was beginning to experience some shortness of breath but then again, I am a big girl, sometimes I get short winded. When the hubs got home, I went to the after hours care clinic to see if they would prescribe a water pill to help me. I wanted my ankles to feel better quickly. I have to children I need to be able to walk and run after.
At the clinic, they began to conduct their tests. After about being there only for about 20 minutes, I was put into an ambulance and rushed to the hospital. There they began the entire battery of tests again (urine, blood, chest xray, CAT scan, plus a few others I am not too sure about). After being there for 8 hours, they decided they were going to admit me for further testing.
What it has boiled down too: This symptom of swollen ankles turned to my discovery of heart failure and kidney failure accompanied with a week long trip to the hospital and becoming a human pin cushion during that time. The docs realized that it was my kidneys causing all the problems due to the "wonderful" biopsy my doc performed (which I am complaining only because why the heck do you have to be awake during such a thing?)
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GROSS ALERT:
So now every time I go to the bathroom, I have an obscene amount of protein in my urine as well as the visual presence of blood. I am getting used to it now, but the docs still do not know how its happeened. Basically, what is going on is that there is this outer filter around your kidneys which is a step in our filtration system. My outer filter is non-existant. Its not due to hereditary, since no one else in my family has kidney problems. Something has happened to me over time to make it this way. It could be the use of medications, illness, or just my own body not having good cells.
Warning there are a few "gross" photos which I am documenting for prosperity. LOL
So the docs do not really know how it happened. Right now I am being treated with a series of meds that are being prescribed. I need an organizer to keep track of everything I have to take and when to take them. It sucks because I have never been good about taking medications and now I have too to attempt to live a healthly life. Until I commit myself to another kidney biopsy, medication is the only treatment they can give me. It won't happen again unless my health takes a huge nose dive according to my monthly blood and urine labs I now have to do.
The biggest thing that has made me upset about this whole situation is that I am currently losing my hair. During the second weekend in October I was taking a shower and a handful of hair came out while I was washing my hair. I have always loved wearing short hair, but I was not emotionally ready to be losing my own hair much less I was never warned about the possibility. This is from taking one of my medications Myfortic which kidney transplant patients take so their body does not reject the new kidneys. I am not in need of a transplant yet and hope I never have undergo that surgery. But the medicine is necessary so that my own body quits attacking my own kidneys.
So now we are trying to come up with a system to get me better. One of the options of dealing with the protein loss in my urine was to start limiting the amount of protein I take in. The way of doing this was to attempt to go into a Vegetarian lifestyle ultimately leading to a Vegan lifesytle.
Now protein is protein, but with eating this way, I am able to eat alot of food with the fruits, vegetables, grains, etc compared to animal protein. So of course I am willing to try anything about now. I will most likely never be a political person when it comes to being Vegetarian, Vegan, or Omnivore. I will most likely still defend those around me's right to eat meat. I miss meat!.. I have eaten it here and there and with some things I felt fine (sushi) and then there are other meats I have eaten and then thought, WTF (chicken). So I am currently keeping a food log and felt it would be more fun to blog it instead.
So that is who I am and why I am here. I hope you have fun reading about my life and I have living it.
Blessed Be,
Crystal
