Reply #15: The medical community isn't proactive enough. [View All]

[delightfulstar]

You'd think they would realize that these patients have suppressed immune systems - it's the nature of the disease.

My mom has ESRF, and there were all kinds of red flags popping up years ago that her doctor should have caught - high potassium, high calcium, elevated BP, elevated sugar. She was otherwise in good health, but had two ticking time bombs in her, in the form of failing kidneys, and didn't know it. She became seriously ill in 2006, and had we not put two and two together, she wouldn't be with us at all. When she started to retain fluid, they didn't look at dietary issues or adjusting her meds - they just threw her into another treatment, which brought her to four a week. She is 84, and they're reluctant to let her get a transplant, even though she would probably live 5-10 years with it, given her genetics. Though she hasn't driven since having cataract surgery, she still lives independently, and has no intention of doing otherwise until she absolutely has to. She's a fighter, and an inspiration to me.