Gout 2....Jim 0

As Jim's kidneys deteriorate, he seems to be getting gout more often. He's been really good about not eating red meat, but his kidneys just don't seem to be able to process as well causing severe gout flare ups. It happened not only once, but twice this week. We have started a routine which includes:

Step 1.... getting the cane or the walker out. The pain in either his foot, toe or knee is so excruciating he can barely walk.

Step 2...try to find bing cherries as quickly as possible. That's not always easy this time of year....FYI you can find at Schnucks for $7.99 a lb...ugh. If we can't find bing cherries, marichino cherries will do.

Step 3...water, water, water....drink lots of water.

Step 4...stop taking allopurinal and start taking colchicine every couple hours (along with pain meds of course!!)

Usually within 24 hours he seems to get better and the pain starts to subside. Jim's comment yesterday was..."if I'm going to keep getting gout, I might as well eat steak again".

If anyone has any other gout cures or remedies....we are always willing to try anything.

My thoughts....I'm thinking Jim's going to have to get a transplant or else start dialysis sooner than we had expected. I continue to work on my blood pressure in hopes of being a donor. We both go back to the doctor in January, so in the meantime, I'm hoping that we can make it through December with no more gout attacks and enjoy the holidays. 2012 should be very interesting.

Jim Made the List!!!

Jim just got exciting news today from Mitch his transplant coordinator. He has officially been placed on the UNOS Kidney Transplant list. He has passed all the criteria needed to be placed on the list. What this means is that if a deceased donor matches Jim's blood tissue/type, he will be a candidate for a transplant. While there are thousands on the list, it is encouraging to know he may at some point be recognized as a potential recipient and just being on the list seems positive. I have read some articles that sometimes 6-12 months is the average waiting time. Hopefully this will hold true......especially, now that I am having trouble with my blood pressure and will not be able to be a living donor unless I can lower my blood pressure with being on just one b/p medication. Hopefully we have time to work through this before Jim would have to start dialysis.

Today he was told.....

1.  For starters he will have to keep his cell phone with him at all times. (Not easy for Jim....never seems to carry it with him or turn it on). Years ago, they would give you a beeper to carry with you, but now in the age of cell phones, this is their primary means to get a hold of you if and when a kidney is available.

2.  He will have to go for blood work once a month. This is to keep his bloodwork information up-to-date should a potential kidney be available.

More information is coming to him in the mail. Thanks for all your love, support and prayers.


My thoughts....I am excited to hear this new information especially now that I see Jim getting more and more fatigued with just daily living. A new kidney would certainly make him feel so much better and some day again he may even be able to enjoy a good steak!!!

Another Day of Testing.....

Today Jim had more testing for his kidney evaluation. He had previously done all this last August with the exception of the stress test. His day started out with a Dobutamine Stress Test. This particular type of stress test is done on patients not able to exercise. A drug called Dobutamine is used to make your heart beat harder and faster as if you were exercising. Images will help determine if there is an area of your heart muscle that is not receiving enough blood. It lasted about an hour and went well.

He then preceded to the lab to have 27 viles of blood drawn (sounds like enough blood to feed all of the Twilight characters). He also had a chest x-ray, EKG and dental panorex x-rays done.

Now we wait to hear from Mitch, his transplant coordinator as to what his next steps are. Hopefully he will be put on the transplant list right away.


My blood pressure update....I continue to change my medications in hopes of lowering my blood pressure. I am watching closely what I'm eating, I have starting walking a mile a day and hoping this will help.

Bump in the Road....

I received a phone call from Jean in the transplant unit who reviewed my paperwork that I submitted. They are still concerned with my blood pressure being too high to be a donor. I have tried for the past 6 months to be on only 1 blood pressure med (doctors orders) but my blood pressure still is too high. She advised that diet and exercise would help lower my blood pressure, so now I am attempting to do both (diet & exercise) in hopes this will aid in lowering my b/p. I am going to continue to work with my doctor on trying additional meds. Keep your fingers crossed and prayers coming (and hopefully the cravings I'm having for Oreos will pass).

In the meantime, there is no further testing I can do. If I am not able to be a donor, we're back at square one. If anyone is interested in being a donor...contact Jim's kidney transplant team at Barnes Hospital at 1-800-633-9906 (option 2).

Jim is still scheduled to continue his testing. He is scheduled for a stress test and other tests on November 16th. Once his testing is complete, hopefully he will be put on the UNOS transplant list and the wait for a donor begins.

My thoughts
Everyone should sign their drivers license to be an organ donor. Something so simple could save the lives of so many people. Just recently we lost a couple of friends of ours unexpectedly. I can't help but think what happened to their kidney?? Could it have been used to help Jim or someone else. It is something we don't think about until we need it....

Knee Update

It's been 7 weeks since Jim had his arthroscopic knee surgery. Once he got past the severe case of gout during the 1st week, it has been smooth sailing. He started physical therapy this past week and goes 3 times a week for the next 2 weeks. His movement and bending his knee wasn't quite what it should be, so hopefully the physical therapy will improve that.

He goes back to the doctor on November 3rd, and hopefully he will be able to go back to work. While it's been nice having him home these past several weeks (runs errands, cooks dinner, cleans), I'm thinking it's time for him to get back to work. May be hard now that duck season has started!!!

Kidney Update
Jim is scheduled for a stress test on November 16th.
I have completed and mailed in my donor paperwork and I am waiting to hear my next steps.
My blood pressure seems to be somewhat high, but I'm still working on that.

Get the Ball Rolling....

Today was Jim's 6 month visit to his kidney doctor. As usual we are always a little apprehensive as to what his blood work will show this time. While he still feels good, his kidney function is starting to deteriorate much faster. 6 months ago he had 24% function of his kidneys and now it is down to 16% function. In his doctor's words...."it's time to get the ball rolling".

The first step is to redo all the tests he had done last August. At this time, too, he is ready to be put on the kidney donor list for a non-living donor. While it typically takes 3-5 years for a donor of this type, you can see why it is much quicker with a living donor.

Having said that...it is time for me to begin my testing as well. One of the requirements as a donor is that you can only be on 1 blood pressure medicine. Since I have been on 2 blood pressure medicines for several years, I have been attempting for the last 6 months to change my medicine.  I am still working with my doctor to get this resolved.Once I start my testing, we'll be able to know better if I am truly a good candidate. As the doctor said, they will not do anything that would put me at risk.

Although Lindsay had been tested and proven to be a match, she may not be eligible as a donor. Typically they prefer the living donor to be at least 30. She may also be a carrier of PKD which would require additional genetic testing.

So as we wait for the mounds of paperwork to come in the mail to complete and numerous doctor appointments to be made, it appears that the ball is beginning to roll......



My thoughts.....While we hoped this day would never come, it is a reality now. As we get older, time seems to go by so quickly......hopefully this will too. 

Gout, Gout Go Away......

Come back another day....preferably not in the next 3 weeks!!!!

For those of you who don't know what gout is, it is uric acid which crystalize and get into joint areas (toe, knee, feet). It is a form of arthritis. Normally, uric acid dissolves in the blood. It passes through the kidneys and out of the body in urine. But uric acid can build up in the blood when:the kidneys do not get rid of enough uric acid.  What you eat also affects the gout. It was once known as the "rich man's" disease. Red meat, shell fish, sea food, green vegetables all have an affect. If you know Jim.....he has a love for red meat. While we have cut back tremendously, I'm thinking Jim may never be able to eat steak again.

The reason for my post is that today was a very bad gout day. Went to the doctor and 2 large vials of fluid were drained from Jim's swollen, pained knee. The fluid was sent to the labs immediately to make sure there was no infection. Results came back no infection so he was diagnosed with "acute" gout attack.

Was it a coincidence that we had steak 2 days ago? Is it a coincidence that Jim had shrimp a month ago and 2 days later had gout in his toe: I think not. As hard as it will be for Jim, we will not have any more red meat until July 1st. Hopefully then he will successfully be able to walk down the aisle at Jason's wedding (I already told him I'm not walking with him with a cane or walker) and also to be able to enjoy our vacation in Florida in June.

Keep your fingers crossed....and red meat away from Jim!!!!

My Thoughts....I'm thinking as Jim is slowly losing kidney function, they are not processing the uric acid as it should. Unfortunately, the gout will probably only get worse before it gets better because of this.

Progressing as Normal....

Today was Jim's 6 month visit to his kidney doctor. While this is always an apprehensive time, he did get good news that "everything is progressing as normal". In layman terms.....his kidney function is still slowly deteriorating, but at a normal rate. His Creatine level is 3.6 (normal is 0.70 - 1.30) and only slightly increased from his last visit which was 3.0 which is good. His Vitamin D is still low and the dr. was going to give him a prescription for that.

His BUN level was high at 78 (normal is between 8-25). BUN stands for Blood Urea Nitrogen. It is an indirect and rough measurement of renal (kidney) and liver function, measuring the amount of urea nitrogen in the blood. Since too much protein causes this to increase, the doctor suggested not eating so much red meat (yea...that will be easy for Jim). So more chicken and fish it is!!!

Overall Jim is feeling pretty good. Other than the fact he has a torn muscle in his right rib cage that happened at work last week, he seems good. He did have another flair up with gout a couple weeks ago and handled it like a trooper. We seem to know the right medications to take now to try to head it off when he feels it coming on.

His next appointment is in 6 months. Let's hope he stays healthy in the meantime. Prayers are welcomed.

My thoughts.... Today was good. I plan on moving forward with our vacation plans for this June heading to Florida to relax on the beach. Not knowing what the future will hold, these times are precious.