I have had a very distracting week. I am learning more about promoting this blog and my Health Coaching services. There is so much to learn, but it is going well. Plus, all of this Covid stuff going on is a distraction as well. I get my first dose of the vaccine this Saturday and it can not come fast enough.
Lose Weight With Melissa is my next subscription plan. You may have seen Meals With Melissa and Crafting With Melissa. These subscriptions are affordable but are not one on one coaching. Each one has it’s own specifics as to what you are purchasing. If you are interested but need to ask questions, please feel free to do so. I aim to please my customers even if I fumble through at first, since I am learning as I go.
You pay for your subscription via Paypal using the button below. If you would rather I send you an invoice I will, just message me.
What will you receive?
I will offer you support on your weight loss journey. I too am on a journey to weight loss. Being over 50 and having CKD makes this journey all that more difficult. Each day, at the end of my exercise day, I will email to all subscribers what I ate the previous day with nutrition specs for calories, protein and carbs. I follow a lower carb diet, and enough protein. I will share how I track my specs and the apps I use. I will share my step count, and how I exercise in a day. I may share videos I like, equipment I like, etc. How many calories I burned according to my Fitbit and whether I lost, gained or stayed the same. So far I have been able to lose 15 pounds and keep it off, even through the holidays. I will share my tips for eating a lower carb diet with CKD, eating out, how I figure out how much protein I need. You can email me questions each day, share your progress and what has worked for you, etc. I may also share recipes too. All this for only 10 dollars a month. Each subscriber gets their own individual email. When your 30 day subscription is up you can simply renew or not. Your subscription will begin within 48 hours of your payment being received. You can always switch to one on one coaching if you need more intensive weight loss assistance.
Check out my new Mailchimp newsletter sign up form below. All Mailchimp subscribers will get my brand new Smoothie Popsicle Recipe for free. Then weekly you will receive my newsletter.
Happy Mindful Monday! It was a whopper of a weekend and I am happy to not have to work again until Friday. My facility has been basically Covid free for a whole year, and then it happened. Yep, a Covid outbreak. I tested negative both days as we now can’t even enter the building without a negative test, but I had to take care of Covid patients. I had on the full space suit and followed all sanitizing above and beyond, so I feel confident I will be OK. But, that little voice in my head makes me overthink. Since I already have CKD, albeit stable for 4 years, Covid makes me nervous. My husband and daughter are now on stay at home policy as much as possible as a safety precaution. Keep me in your thoughts. I was asked to sit on the board of a local organization. I have never done this before, and tonight is our first Zoom meeting. So, I am a little nervous but excited for this new and wonderful experience.
I have talked about Sodium a lot on this blog. But, I was reading an article that I found very interesting. When you consume too much salt it increases the Protein in your urine which can cause kidney function decline. I then read another article that stated that even if serum Sodium levels were normal, but at the high end of normal, there seemed to be a correlation between that and decrease in kidney function. This is obviously in relation to people who already have CKD. You can read those articles below, and there is a video. I couldn’t find exactly what I was looking for, ie why sodium causes protein to increase in the urine, but it must have something to do with chemical reactions and how the kidneys process sodium and protein. Be aware that your body needs Sodium to survive. Do not go completely salt free and always speak to your doctor when making any dietary changes especially if you have a medical condition, take medications, exercise at high levels, or sweat a lot. Part of Mindful Eating is knowing what you are consuming and how it may harm/help your body, The body is a complicated machine.
Now, what if you don’t have CKD? I think everyone in the public hopefully should know by now that too much Sodium, or salt, increases the risk for several diseases such as High Blood Pressure, Heart Disease and even Kidney Disease. I have noticed since I started the Lower Carb Diet to lose some weight, that I am experiencing some possible urinary retention. A lot of lower carb food options, may have higher sodium levels. I don’t think I was really considering that, or paying close enough attention to it. So, I put a Sodium tracker on my phone to help me keep track. I was consuming way more than the 2G Sodium diet I had been following. 2G is equivalent to 2,000 mg. The standard amount recommended for anyone is 2400 mg per day, and that is equal to only 1 tsp of table salt. Wow! Did you know that? Some people with the above mentioned Chronic Diseases may be limited to 1800 mg per day.
Salt is in everything that is packaged, mostly as a preservative and for flavor. Salt can be addicting, watch the video below to learn why. I bet you may have even noticed this phenomenon but didn’t realize it. Salt amount per serving is required to be on all foods that require a label. Note, that the Sodium amount listed on a label is for one portion. So if one portion is 240 mg per portion, and you consume 4 portions you are eating 960 mg of sodium for that one food item. Portion sizes matter! You need to become a nutrition label reading wizard. You also need to pay attention to what your body is telling you as I mentioned above with my urinary retention. I also will get headaches if I have consumed too much sodium, but not been able to stay well hydrated. This happens a lot when I work because I can not drink enough at work. That is one reason I only work 2 days a week. If I pay attention to what I eat at work this can be alleviated. Convenience foods are very high in sodium! Learning to cook at home, meal plan and prep are vital to staying healthy with any Chronic Disease. You can sign up for my monthly subscription, Meals with Melissa, to get a weekly meal plan with grocery list and recipes. These meal plans are my weekly family meal plan, but I share how I alter the meals for myself. I also include general nutrition with the recipes, including ones important to CKD. It is only 10 dollars a month. Coming this week I am introducing losing weight with Melissa. This is another subscription where I share how I am safely losing weight, and still protecting my kidney and maintaining good health. I also offer a free Kidney Class as an AKF Kidney Coach. This is their class and I just facilitate it. You can learn about that here. You can use the contact form at the bottom of this post to message me, or leave me a comment.
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Happy Saturday! This is a new feature for this blog. Each Saturday I will open up the chance for social media sharing. Please read entirely before you participate.
Each week I will use a different social media platform that I have an account with. This week it is Pinterest. You will see a Pinterest link of mine below. You must share this link to one of your public Pinterest boards. Then, in the comments you must share your profile account link, or the link to the board you shared my link to. I will then verify that you did share my link. Along with your profile, or board link, in the comments post a Pinterest link to a pin you would like me to share. I do not care what it is as long as it is not violent, sexual, or something considered unsafe. You will be able to click on my profile to verify I shared your Pin. I do have to work this weekend, so I will Pin when I am at home. Please be assured anyone who reads the directions, and follows them your pin will be shared. Please do not remove my pins after you participate. I do not do that, and I would appreciate others not doing that either. My comments are set to administration approval, so don’t be upset if you don’t see it on this blog right away. I have to approve them all because I get so much stupid spam. You can post right up until Sunday at midnight. Any after that will not be included in this week’s Social Saturday. You may only post one time per weekend.
That can be a reference for so many things, lol. I really am on a quest to learn how to better use technology for this blog. I have bluetooth earbuds now, a stand to hold my phone for video, and I have Zoom along with my Google Suite tools at my fingertips. There are now 3 ways that people can follow me, 2 of which will contain my weekly newsletter. The first is the one that has always been here. If you look on the right hand side of the blog you will see a big box that says follow this blog via email. If you click that you will get all of my new blog posts right to your email, but you will not get my newsletter. To receive my newsletter you have to use one of the other two ways. You can join my Health Buddy Melissa Gsuite group to chat and get my weekly newsletter. You can find my group by searching for Health Buddy Melissa in Google Groups and requesting an invite, or you can click my link below to go to the group. The other way to get my newsletter is to sign up for it with MailChimp. This is new to me and I just signed up, so I am hoping the integrated signup box below will work. It is all connected and confirmed, so I hope it will. My newsletter will contain reviews of my week and any special promotions or coupons I may be running, plus surveys, tips, news, etc. So, be sure and sign up! If I have not figured out how to make it integrate I believe you can search for me on MailChimp.
That was my first Quest for the day. My second is Quest Tortilla Chips. I love these chips! I initially found them at Target, quite by accident and figured I would try them. I was not optimistic I would like them, as someone with a severe love of potato chips. But, I do love them! The taco flavor is the only flavor I have tried. I do have them on Amazon monthly delivery now because my daughter and husband like them as well. If you are following a lower carb diet like me, these are a great option. I use them in taco salad instead of taco shells, or keto varieties of shells. Depending on how much protein I have had in that day I may just have these and no meat in my taco salad. They are high in protein, and low in carbs. You can see the nutrition label below and the ingredient list. I do not find any words containing phos in the ingredients and my two sources for finding out phosphorus in foods did not have them listed. However, normal corn tortilla chips have over 250 mg of phosphorus per serving. One other thing about these chips to be aware of if you have CKD is they do have 14% of the daily required calcium in one serving. Keep that in mind when you are meal planning. That is actually why I love meal planning. I can be sure I am not overloading myself with food items I really need to watch out for.
Speaking of lower carb diets I swear I will get my Losing Weight with Melissa subscription plan out next week. It has been crazy here and it has messed up my blogging plans. If you read here often, you know I work as a nurse, and I have CKD. My work has for a whole year been able to basically keep Covid away from our residents. We are one week away from getting the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine and I found out yesterday that several of my residents have tested positive. I was not really surprised, but saddened. Thank goodness they are all doing well at this point. But, it does raise concerns for my own health and just makes me more diligent in trying to avoid getting it. I am not sure if I was directly exposed, but I think I may have been. I have now put restrictions on visitations for my daughter and myself for the next two weeks. My husband already works from home, and will need to proceed cautiously with any out of the home visits. They are also testing every day now so I will now if I test positive or not. For right now I feel fine, though I am tired, but that could be from emotions and stress. We check our temps everyday and have for a year. I also disinfect everyday and my car after I work. We also open our bedroom window at night, even if it is chilly, and the other windows when it is warm enough to increase ventilation. It has been a very cold winter here in Florida which just adds insult to injury. Stay safe and well, everyone!
OMG, I almost felt like Frosty the Snowman for a minute! It is still chilly here in Florida, which I am getting really bored with. If you have been following along then you know I homeschool my daughter and she is starting an untraditional Nutrition course designed by me. Yesterday, was the first day and we did inventory to see what we had and what we needed. She also had to decide on a healthy meal that she would prepare for the upcoming week. She chose Chicken Cesar Salad, which could also count as this week’s 5 dollar dinner because everything comes right in the kit. At Aldi the kit was 2.99 and you could get two servings out of that, and if you really tried three. That is a great deal. I said everything was in there, but there is no chicken. We had one piece of chicken leftover and we threw it in there. A nice healthy filling dinner for my fast food, junk food, processed food loving teen. Not a bad start. If you have CKD go light on the Cesar dressing, I only used about a tbsp. Creamier dressings, as you will see in the video below have more calories, phosphorus and other additives than a clear dressing. You don’t get a lot of cheese with these salad kits, so that shouldn’t be an issue especially if you are sharing it with another person. Also a note about Mrs. Dash and other low sodium seasoning mixes, they are generally high in Potassium, so be sure and read the label for Nutrition info and ingredients. My menu plan is all set for the next week and if you would like to get my menu plan, grocery list with basic prices, and two recipes a week, then check out my new subscription plan Meals with Melissa. You get all of that, plus I will message you twice a week to see how it is going, what you might need help with and what kinds of meals you would like in the future. I also add general Nutrition info to each recipe. All that for only 10 dollars a month!
This is not what I intended to post about today, but I did not have time to research what I was going to write about. The three in the video are kind of boring, but they did put together an awesome meal for people with Heart Disease, Diabetes or CKD. A couple things I would note, I am not a Dietitian, but I have been counting my protein long enough to know their chicken breast was not 3 ounces. While they did say a portion should be 3 ounces, that one was not. Cut it in half, and always weigh your meat if you are unsure. Basil is very strong in flavor, and to me they put way too much. But, if you like zing in your food Basil will get you there. I like to use Red Wine Vinegar as it tastes like salt but contains no salt. I loved the Alfredo Sauce they made, and I can’t wait to try that. I do not care for traditional Alfredo Sauce, and it isn’t really good for people with CKD anyways.
I will be back tomorrow. Have a great evening! Drop me a comment if you think you will try their Alfredo Sauce.
I am looking at adding a Facebook Instant Messenger Chat box, so be sure and watch for that if you would like to chat with me. I do have a chat box on this blog, but it is not convenient and I don’t find it works well.
If you would like to learn more about me, and my Health Coach services, use the contact form at the end of this post to message me.
Before I begin this post be aware as I always state my post is information to help you become more knowledgeable about protecting your kidneys from disease, or progression of disease if you already have kidney disease. I am not telling people to stop taking prescribed medication, or medication ordered by your doctor. However, being knowledgeable and having good communication with your doctor is of utmost importance. You will find reading information below, and a video to help explain this topic even further.
Over the Counter medications of certain kinds can actually harm your kidneys. I feel like many people don’t know this, or maybe feel like because it is available at the store it is safe. I know for me, before I was diagnosed I had very frequent headaches and awful muscle pains mostly at night causing me to lose sleep. I took Ibuprofen often and even though I knew there was a risk, I didn’t know I had kidney disease, and I needed to sleep, This use of Ibuprofen may have helped to further damage my kidneys especially since I used it long term. My doctors knew I was taking it, though, as needed for pain. But, they never really ask how often as needed is now do they? There are also prescription medications that can harm the kidneys. I would recommend you always have a basic urine test, and blood work done before starting any new medication, but especially if you have kidney disease.
These are the most common medications that can cause kidney damage.
1- NSAIDS: these are over the counter medications used for fever and pain and include Naproxen, Advil, Ibuprofen, Aspirin- see note, and many others. Research any medications before you take them to see if they qualify as a NSAID. Tylenol, which can also harm the liver in high doses if used too often, or too much can also possibly harm the kidneys. Always check with your doctor as to appropriate dose and how often. A lot of other medications contain Tylenol also called MPAP, Acetominophen and other generic names in combination. Excedrin Migraine is one that has Aspirin, Acetominophen and Caffeine. Be a smart consumer and research all of the active ingredients which will be on the label. In the article below you will see that a baby Aspirin which is usually 81 mg per dose, and usually prescribed for Heart Disease is going to be safe, but still discuss with your doctor. I have not found any narcotic medications that are safe for the kidney disease patient. With all of that said everyone deserves to be pain free, and have their pain concerns addressed. Discuss with your doctor to find a pain curative for you. For pain, and I am stage 3, the only thing my Nephrologist has okayed for me to take is Tylenol, or a baby Aspirin. I do use peppermint oil in a carrier oil, and Bengay for pain. Bengay does contain Aspirin so clear it with your doctor first. Drink lots of water, unless you are on fluid restrictions in which case you should be being monitored by your doctor if you need something for pain other than they say is safe.
2- Cold, allergy and flu medications: A lot of these contain Tylenol or other NSAID. I already discussed those. But, they also contain medications that can make you very drowsy causing you to not drink enough and cause dehydration, or increase blood pressure. Both of these things can damage the kidneys especially if you have high blood pressure. This can be very dangerous. My family knows that if I am sick to make sure I am awake and drinking a full cup of water every hour, especially if I have taken medication. If I absolutely have to take Nyquil because nothing else will work I take a half or quarter of the dose, and make my doctor aware. If I have a cold or allergies my doctor said I can take Claritin also known as Loratadine, Benadryl also known as Diphenhydramine, or Coricidin HBP for severe illness. Claritin should not make you drowsy but both Benadryl and Coricidin HBP may make you very drowsy or even not be able to stay awake. If you are taking any others than the ones I mentioned that are safe talk to your doctor to see if you can switch to a more kidney friendly one. Also, they often are combined with other drugs so always read the labels and active ingredients.
3- Heartburn or nausea: When I was first diagnosed I had nausea so bad I could not eat anything and could only drink ice water. Initially, because my GP did not suspect kidney disease as I had no reason to suspect it in her mind, she ordered Prilosec for me. It probably caused my kidney damage to worsen, at least in the short term, until we learned what really was wrong and the medicine was stopped. Proton Pump Inhibitors are damaging to the kidneys. Zantac, Prilosec, Tagamet and others are all nephrotoxic. You should request your doctor to prescribe you a non PPI to control your GERD, heartburn or nausea related to those ailments. The only heartburn my doctor has said is safe is Pepcid also called Famotadine. Be careful if you are taking Tums in large amounts as they contain high doses of Calcium. Maalox, and others like Maalox are another type of heartburn medicine that is high in Aluminum and sometimes Magnesium, both which can be harmful to kidneys in high amounts, or if you already have disease especially if you don’t know you have kidney disease as is often the case for most people.
4- Antibiotics: Penicillin and derivatives of Penicillin, Aminoglycoside antibiotics and others may cause harm to the kidneys. When I was 21 I had strep throat confirmed by throat culture. At that time I was working 12 hour night shifts at my local hospital. I was prescribed Penicillin and sent on my way. After a few days of taking it I woke up with swollen eyes and a rash covering my whole body with sticky fluid. Of course, being young, half asleep and not thinking clearly I figured I had an allergic reaction took Benadryl and went back to bed. While the Benadryl stopped the reaction I now wonder if they reaction may have damaged my kidneys. Of course being young and dumb, and the rash went away I did not report this to my doctor which I didn’t even really have one at 21. This would be my biggest thing to tell people. Always discuss antibiotics with your doctor if you have kidney disease. I had to take one recently and Doxycycline was allowed. Be sure to tell the pharmacist you have kidney disease so they can teach you how to take the medication properly to avoid further damage. If you take a medicine but don’t have kidney disease take note if you notice you are not urinating as much as you normally do and let your doctor know.
5- Drugs that treat Cancer are sometimes harmful to the kidneys. Obviously if you have Cancer you will want to seek treatment. Always discuss with your doctor monitoring your labs, and urine to be sure your kidneys are functioning well.
6- IV Contrast Dyes: These are typically used during certain tests or procedures. Again, always discuss with your doctor to be sure it is safe for you to have the procedure if you have kidney disease, and what to do to prevent kidney damage from occurring. Typically after such a procedure you will be instructed to drink lots of water to help clear the dye from the kidneys.
A special note, which will be covered more in one of the links below, if you are taking high blood pressure medications and you become sick with a cold, flu, diarrhea or nausea you will want to let your doctor know. If you are not taking in enough fluids, and become dehydrated there is a very good chance your blood pressure may go down even if you have high blood pressure. Your doctor may ask you to monitor your blood pressure and possibly hold your medication it is below a certain number until you can resume normal eating and drinking. Do not make these decisions on your own, it can be very dangerous.
A lot of vitamins, supplements and other so called natural remedies have never been studied in people with kidney disease. Always use caution and ask your doctor to advise prior to taking. Your doctor should always know any medications, herbs, supplements, vitamins etc that you are taking, whether they advised you to or not. Illicit or illegal drugs, especially Cocaine and Methamphetamines are also very harmful to drugs. Seek help to stop taking these asap. Alcohol is also toxic to the kidneys, and smoking may cause narrowing of the blood vessels which can lead to kidney damage.
Unless you live under a rock you know we are in a Pandemic. There is also two new vaccines that are becoming available to the public to help combat Covid 19. Before I go any further I am not telling anyone to take, or not take the vaccine. What I am suggesting is that you learn as much as you can before you make a decision to, or not to, take it and discuss with your doctor. If you do not have a doctor ask questions at the vaccine site before you get it. If you have any kind of a reaction after the vaccine be sure to report it to the place you received the vaccine, and be sure to get the second dose.
I was shocked at work when several of my coworkers, like most of them, are saying they are refusing the new Pfizer vaccine that our place of business is offering us in a week and a half. Their reasoning made no sense to me and did not have any sound reasoning other than fear I guess. I have CKD, stage 3, and I also have allergies with a pretty severe allergy to Penicillin. I of course will tell them that when I get the vaccine. I will also request to be monitored for 30 minutes after, which my husband can technically do as he is a first responder, and I will also take a Benadryl. Since I am a nurse, and my husband is a first responder our risk of getting Covid may be higher than others. Also, since I already only have 1 good kidney and Covid attacks the kidneys, not getting the vaccine is a bigger risk in my opinion. From the information I can find I don’t find that any CKD, dialysis or kidney transplant patients were part of any of the clinical trials. Be sure and talk to your doctor about getting the vaccine and consider getting it at the doctor’s office or somewhere where there is lifesaving equipment should it be needed. If I get Covid and it kills my other kidney that means death, or dialysis for the rest of my life. I am not OK with that. So, yes I am taking the vaccine. My husband already got his first dose of the Moderna vaccine. My job is doing Pfizer. Now I mention that because you may be wondering what is in the vaccine that may cause a reaction. Below, you will find a link that tells you everything in each vaccine, it is the image under my title image. It is a pretty short list, however, the Pfizer vaccine does list some phosphates which of course are limited intake with kidney disease. Also these two new vaccines use new technology that does not give you a live vaccine, but rather a piece of the genetic code which causes the body to respond. These two are the only two options I will accept. I do not want the ones that are made the old way. But, they aren’t even ready yet, so I am jumping the gun.
Why get the vaccine? Well for one thing if we don’t reach herd immunity via vaccine that means a lot more people will have to become ill, and possibly die by getting the disease and getting natural immunity. We will have to wear masks forever, social distance and it will effect the economy for sure, until we reach herd immunity, either via vaccine or sickness. I am quite tired of life not being normal. I assume most people are. I don’t mind wearing a mask, however, and I think this should just be normal practice during the flu season. We have had no cases of normal Flu at my job, and I contribute that to mask wearing, and proper sanitizing of commonly touched items.
That does not mean I don’t have concerns. I have already stated some of them. There is also the concern of the possible long term effects of which we have no way of knowing yet, from the vaccine. However, I do know the long term effects of Covid on my body which could possibly be death or dialysis for the rest of my life.
Happy Sunday. My Buffalo Bills won yesterday. It has been 25 years since they won a playoff game. So exciting! Anyway, one of the reasons I started this blog is because I have had symptoms of Kidney Disease but didn’t know it, until my left kidney completely failed 4 years ago. The doctors have still not given me a reason for my kidney issue, other than it is probably genetic, as I do not have High Blood Pressure or Diabetes. I can tell you lifestyle probably played a big part, as I did not know I had possible Kidney Disease.
I have had dry eyes for as long as I can remember. When I got my first job at 18, as soon as I had vision insurance I went to have my eyes examined. I was told I had Astigmatism and was given glasses that absolutely did not help my vision at all, and I quickly did not wear them. I have also suffered from headaches for most of my life. Either of these symptoms can be a warning sign for Kidney Disease, but was overlooked or even ignored. I have talked before about foamy bubbly urine for many years as well. This was often overlooked as being dehydrated. When you don’t have health insurance getting a diagnosis is difficult, but even with insurance I didn’t get a diagnosis. I am not faulting anyone, the point is only to raise awareness so others can seek information, knowledge and proper treatment for any symptoms they may be experiencing before their kidney fails. It is not just dry, gritty eyes that I experience, but also fluctuating vision where some days it is fine and others it is bad. This has never been explained. I see an eye doctor every other year, and am told I have normal aging eyes with no disease, and btw no Astigmatism either, which to my knowledge does not just go away, so that was probably a misdiagnosis all those years ago. I do wear readers for reading small print, and glasses for night driving. But, that is just normal aging of the eyes. I am tested every year for Diabetes, and I do not have it. So, the weird eye issues continue with no reason for them. I have also been tested for Sjogren’s which was also negative. As I researched for this post, I found a few articles from other countries how dry eyes and other eye symptoms could be a warning sign of Kidney Disease. Now that got my attention. With further reading I found that the eyes will accumulate excess Phosphorus and Calcium which can cause dry, gritty and fluctuating vision in the eyes. Bingo! That explains perfectly what I experience especially the fluctuating vision issue. So, now I have started paying more attention to my Phosphorus intake and how my eyes respond the next day. I am definitely noticing a correlation, that if I consume higher amounts of Phosphorus my vision is definitely fluctuated the next day. I feel like if anyone had even remotely researched the things I told them, even after diagnosis of CKD, this information could have been figured out a long time ago. I don’t find doctors really take the time to try to figure out why something is, but rather just to offer medications which are just bandaids for some issues. I am not knocking medication, I just think figuring out the actual cause, and the actual real fix makes better sense to me. Eye drops do help the dryness, but they do not help the fluctuating vision. Please note I am not suggesting anyone who has dry eyes has Kidney Disease. There are many reasons to have dry eyes, including medication, Diabetes, clogged tear ducts, etc. But, if you can not get a reason for dry eyes, or more importantly fluctuating vision you may need to dig a little further.
So, how have I figured out to treat my dry eyes, and fluctuating vision, the best that suits my needs?
1- I avoid higher phosphorus foods, and if I do eat them, like whole grain bread, I keep a food diary so I knowhow much I am consuming. I have not been advised by my doctor to limit Phosphorus intake, but I do try to stay within the recommended daily requirement of 700 to 900mg per day. Fast food, processed foods, and quick prepare foods have the highest phosphorus levels due to the additives in those foods.
2- I use preservative free eye drops once or twice a day. Be sure they are preservative free. You do not need a prescription for OTC eye drops. My eye doctor did give me some that were supposed to be better, but they were just more expensive, and did not work any better.
3- I do daily eye massage, and eye exercises to get the oils and fluids naturally flowing. You will find videos, and links below to help you learn how to do this. Be sure your hands are clean before touching your eyes. In addition to how the video explains eye massage I also rub the base of my eyelashes all the way across and several times a day I massage my tear ducts for a count of ten times. This helps increase my natural tears.
4- I see my eye doctor every other year, or if I have new concerns. While it is frustrating that I never get complete information and am told I have healthy eyes, it is imperative to keep up with prevention and care of the eyes. When you have Kidney Disease it can cause further damage to the eyes.
If you are experiencing strange eye symptoms that are unexplained, or undiagnosed, please seek the attention of a doctor. Request that a full set of bloodwork be done, and a urinalysis, even if you have to pay for it yourself. I believe most areas have a sliding scale facility somewhere where most people without insurance can access. If you need help with medical issues please reach out to your local public health department to see what may be available to you.
Since undertaking my own eye care routine I have less days of fluctuating vision, and rarely have headaches.
Happy Thursday! Did you see my new paid subscription yesterday, Meals with Melissa? If not you can read about Meals with Melissa, here. My meal plan for next week is complete, plus Valentine’s Day and the Super Bowl are in February. If you would like to see what I will be making, get the meal plan, and recipes, plus how I adapt them for my CKD stage 3, be sure and sign up for Meals with Melissa.
Today, I am introducing Crafting With Melissa. This is also a 30 day subscription plan, that you can renew, or not, at the end of the subscription. Crafting and having Hobbies is a great way to relieve stress and possibly even earn a little side money. At the very least you can make wonderful gifts and home decor. I personally painting, crocheting, glass etching, gardening, jewelry making and lots of others too. Read on to see what your subscription will get you.
1- At the beginning of your subscription, within 3 days of payment being received, you will receive 5 craft project for you to work on for the next 30 days. Your subscription will begin whenever you pay. It does not have to be on the first of the month.
2- Each project will tell you what you need to buy, places where you can buy the items, any special tools you will need, and instructions to complete each project. I will share picture directions along with text, or I might even try videos.
3- Then two times each week I will touch base with you to see how you are doing, and see what you may need help with. You may ask me questions at any time. I will work you through any difficulties you may be experiencing. Plus I will share with you how and where you can make extra money with your new hobby.
4- I will share my finished items either through pictures or possibly videos.
5- Most of these will be fairly easy and affordable. I will try to keep them to themed projects around holidays and seasons. Some projects will be outside of themes.
6- The price for this subscription is 10 dollars per month. You can pay with the Paypal button below, or you can use the contact form to message me and I will send you an invoice to your Paypal email account.
7- All emails are sent individually, not group. I respect everyone’s privacy, and do not want people soliciting others.
Come back next week for 3 more paid subscription options, Lose Weight with Melissa, Mindfulness with Melissa, and Health and Wellness Challenge.
This weekend I will be posting about dry eyes, and dry mouth in relation to CKD. I will share how I have been treating this with a very affordable and effective method.
Updated 12/10/2021: I have had a lot of interest in this plan, so I am going to make it more targeted and more clear as to what you will receive.
This is my first brand new paid content subscription plan. I will be rolling out a few others in the next few days. Please read and understand carefully before purchasing.
This is a 30-day plan. Your 30 days will begin when I send the first email, within 72 hours of payment. You will receive via email the following:
1- My monthly calendar of dinner meals. They will come in a rich text format. If you can not open it email me and I will send it another way. These meals are geared towards a family of 3 or 4, with no particular diet options. . I try very hard to make the meals as affordable and healthy as possible. We use leftovers a lot, and I recommend you do the same to save time and money. If you have a particular dietary need please contact me via the contact form at the end of this post to discuss a plan for special dietary needs.
2- The meal plan will be sent weekly on Wednesdays. So, if you purchase on a Saturday, the meal plan won’t arrive until Wednesday. If you order on a Wednesday, your plan won’t start until the following week, as I will need time to get all the information together for you. You will get four weeks of meal plans, but each meal plan is delivered every Wednesday for that week.
3- In that weekly email, with the mail plan, I will include general instructions on how to cook each meal with tips on variations. None of these meals will be complicated or time-consuming.
4- Each meal will include general nutrition data. These are general stats and I can’t guarantee specificity. I am not a Dietitian, the info I provide is based on websites, and apps that I use to calculate my nutrition data and are for informational purposes only.
5- Once a week, on Thursday. I will email you for support to any questions you may have, needs, etc. You can request meals or information you may like me to try or include in a meal plan.
6- Your email will be an individual email from me. I will not group emails so as to protect your privacy and keep others from soliciting from you.
7- You can start at any time in a month. Your subscription will begin when payment is received, on Wednesday after payment is received. A welcome email will let you know when your subscription begins and ends. As your subscription comes to an end I will send a reminder email 7 days in advance that you can renew if you wish to.
8- My Paypal account is now linked to the business email for this blog. The Paypal still says my husband’s name. To change it is a whole hassle, so for now, it is staying that way. He does not access the account, and never has, it is just how it was started over 15 years ago.
9- This is not one on one coaching, or in any way Nutritional advice. Therefore there is not an intake assessment or a meet and greet needed. You can always purchase one on one coaching if you would like more intense coaching with meals. For more intense coaching check out my new 30-day coaching plan, https://healthbuddymelissa.coach/2021/02/07/its-a-new-day-30-day-coaching-plan/
10- To purchase and start your subscription, just use the Paypal option at the very top of this post. You can always use the contact form below to message me for an invoice to be sent to you if you would rather not pay through the Paypal button above. Health Buddy Melissa email address is melissa@healthbuddymelissa.coach
Living Life With CKD 