Some days, it feels like this most recent "fight" began just yesterday, with the details so clear in my mind. Other days, it feels like this change in my life happened long ago.
My life had been pretty routine. I was working about 3 days a week, taking care of my sweet girl who turned a year old this past February and was enjoying being a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend etc. Then there came a day when things began to change. Not all at once of course, but subtle changes in each day. Although they were subtle, I quickly realized how your comfortable, routine life can change in an instant. Is it really all that bad for things to change? Or is it needed to wake you up and cherish the more important things in life?
These changes began this past March. I noticed swelling in my left foot and ankle on Thursday the 20th. I tried to think if I had twisted my ankle or hurt myself recently? I had been attending Zumba classes at church and working out a lot. I really couldn’t pinpoint a time of injury. So what was going on? Throughout that weekend I noticed the swelling creeping up my legs. I say legs now as the swelling is now taking over both my legs. That weekend at work, my nurse friends and I were trying to diagnose! (just as we had the joint pain back in December) One evening at work, my pants felt particularly tight! This was unusual because I had recently lost 20lbs and was the lightest I had been in years! All of my work scrubs had been loose and baggy until this point. I went into the bathroom and noticed deep crease marks all aver my thighs, hips, pelvis and shins. Ok, I thought. This is a bit more than a simple workout injury.
Throughout my work weekend we continued to try diagnosing. And then it began, “wow Rach, you don’t look so good!”, “are you feeling ok?” I have such wonderfully caring yet blunt co-workers! I love them!
That Monday I decided I needed to quit procrastinating, trying to figure things out on my own and call the doctor. I called my PCP (Primary Care Physician) Thankfully she was able to get me in 2 days later, which does not happen in her office! She ordered labs, checked me over, and asked me questions about what was going on. She was baffled. She really couldn’t give me any answers as to what exactly was going on. She ordered Lasix 40mg to take daily (a water pill to help reduce the swelling. Oh, and of course make me pee more than I was already peeing, great!:) I was hesitant to take the meds. I had been on a “health kick” for months and was learning about natural health and just didn’t want that in my body. But then the discomfort began to get more extreme. I was thanking the Lord for the Lasix because my legs felt like they had an extra 50lb attached to them! Little did I know this was only minor swelling compared to what was to come.
I went and had my labs drawn. CBC, CMP, Urinalysis (basic labs). Because of the nosy nurse I am, I of course had to look up my results at work the next day! My urine showed very high protein, serum proteins were of course low and my BUN and SED rate were elevated. (BUN is mainly an indicator for how the kidneys are working, along with monitoring some other things in the body, SED rate is an indicator of inflammation)
Ok, what was causing me to dump all this protein? That day (Friday) I got a call from my PCP, yes, she called me personally. I was impressed. She went over my labs, (little did she know I already known the results. But I didn't let on) She stated that I had Nephrotic Syndrome, but was not sure what the cause was.
What is Nephrotic syndrome?
Nephrotic syndrome is a sign that your kidneys are not working right. You have nephrotic syndrome if you have high levels of protein in your urine, low levels of protein in the blood, and high cholesterol. Nephrotic syndrome is not a disease. It is a warning that something is damaging your kidneys. Without treatment, that problem could cause kidney failure. So it’s important to get treatment right away.
What causes Nephrotic syndrome?
There are tiny blood vessels in the kidneys that filter waste and extra water from the blood. When these filters are damaged, you get nephrotic syndrome. Protein helps move water from the tissues into the blood. Healthy kidneys keep the right amount of protein in the blood. Damaged kidneys let protein slip from the blood into the urine. Without enough protein in the blood, fluid builds up in the tissues. This can cause swelling.
Many things can cause this blood vessel damage, including diabetes, lupus, infection, certain cancers, and some medicines. Sometimes doctors don't know what causes it.
SOURCE: http://www.webmd.com/a-to-z-guides/nephrotic-syndrome-topic-overview
My doc told me she called a nephrologist (kidney specialist) and gave him a heads up on my condition. She told me they would be contacting me to set up an appointment next week because this was a bit more than she could handle. Because it was Friday, I knew they most likely would not be calling me until Monday. So I was going to have to wait another weekend.
That weekend of “waiting”, I was glad to have multiple events going on so that I could keep my mind off things. So I thought. My body began acting up in more ways than just the swelling in by legs. It was beginning to be very hard to keep my mind wandering off. I was very thankful to have my family encouraging me that God was in control and I didn't need to be!
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