Hello, again, and Happy Wednesday! Of all the things I will discuss in the AKF Kidney Class, this is the one thing that gets under my skin. I don’t wholly agree with the premise that the kidneys can not heal. Read the slide, it is a short one, and then read my thoughts below.
You see they repeatedly make the point that CKD can not be reversed and there is no cure, and they won’t get better. Why does that bother me? First off, when you take away someone’s hope for a possible recovery they will just give up and not try as hard as they may if they had some hope. Now, I don’t believe in false hope, either, but why does everything have to wait for dialysis and you probably won’t get better. There are cases of kidneys healing, not a lot, but they exist. It is rare, I will admit, but what did the people with healing kidneys do differently? Was it diet, lifestyle, exercise, risk management to prevent further injury to the kidneys? I see all of the time on Facebook a topic about the things that injure the kidneys and people just scoff at it, despite it being true. Then, I see whacked-out quick-fix schemes for the kidneys that people sign up for in droves. The truth is somewhere in all of that minutia. There is no quick fix to heal CKD. If it can be healed or improved, it is through hard work and dedication through education, advocacy, better food choices and I am talking about the hard stuff like giving up added sugar, an exercise regime that is safe and healthy for CKD, weight management, no smoking, no alcohol, no HFCS, more organic and affordable food options, make the food industry stop poisoning people, only taking medications that don’t harm the kidneys, and I could go on, but I won’t.
I have said this before, and I will say it a million more times if I need to, do not let anyone steal your hope. Talk to your doctor, and your health team, and insist they teach you, and you be willing to learn to make the changes they recommend that can lead to an improved CKD. Be an advocate for yourself, and for others to prevent CKD in future generations.
It is very true as we age, the kidneys, just like any other human body part naturally will have some decline, that doesn’t mean we have to be relegated to chronic illness and suffering.
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I live and I thrive with CKD. So can you!
I am an American Kidney Fund Coach. I have been given the OK to share their education slides on this blog. I give my thoughts, opinions, and experiences independent of their information. They in no way are saying my opinions are facts. Please, always research the information you read on the internet. There are good sources and bad sources of information.
Living Life With CKD 