[girimajiananth]

Originally Posted by carboy

Jaundice is not a disease. It's a symptom of a disease - and the disease is usually cirrhosis - caused by hepatitis, alcoholism etc. Even in our childhood, when we were told we have jaundice, we actually had cirrhosis/hepatitis.

Cirrhosis is not always caused by alcohol . In my father's case it was non alcoholic liver cirrhosis. We are strict vegetarians and no one in family consumes alcohol .

Some portal veins were blocked in the liver (thrombosis of portal veins , I am not a doctor so kindly forgive me if my understanding of medical terms is not right )

Allopathy doctors say it could have been caused by excess eating of beetle nut , stress , heridity etc. Disease or not , my father suffered a lot and now he is back on track . Thats all matters to me .

(are we going off topic on this ? , I dont want to receive more infractions , mods please do the needful )

[discoverwild]

Thanks, GTO, TheDoctor & Giri.

Having been the victim of wrong medication which has left me slightly better than a vegetable from being an athlete, I am always wary of allopathy and its side effects. Time and again, irrespective of the city and the hospital, I am reminded of this every time. Hospitals these days are just commercial centers doing business. No offence to anyone in particular, but have lost a cousin's husband to over-enthusiasm (her child was born fatherless), almost had an angioplasty done on my father (he was just over-emotional on his grandson being put in a hostel), lost my father's best friend (he died in an accident, but was kept in the hospital for over a month fitted with machines, never opened his eyes even once), my grandparents suffered similarly too.

All these in renowned hospitals in Coimbatore and Bangalore. So more than the disease or discomfort, I am more wary of hospitals and doctors.

Over the past week, he has been undergoing medication and a strict diet. He has been treated 3 days by an Ayurvedic practitioner, who does acupuncture as well. He slept better for the last 2 days and just a few minutes earlier wanted the exercycle, so he could get a mild workout. There is no accumulation of fluid or any kind of swelling. His blood pressure came down from 150/110 to 117/79 yesterday.

Being diabetic, my father was on insulin injections for over 4 years, but a healthy diet and some jamun fruits (naaval) on a regular basis has seen him beat it. He is on no medication for diabetes and his levels are absolutely normal for the past 5 months.

Will take a blood test on Monday and confirm levels again.

[GTO]

Papa left for his heavenly abode earlier in January. Just thought I'd update this thread with some tips that we've picked up along the way, in case it's of help to anyone. After all, dialysis is a common treatment today.

- A dialysis patient is between a rock & a hard place. Continuous dialysis isn't easy, but avoiding dialysis is the end of the road. Dialysis is life support for those with kidney failure. Never forget this and approach it with the right attitude. Dad used to think of dialysis as his mandatory "gym workout".

- Dad completed 3.xx successful years on dialysis. He was mobile till the very end. In the last 4 months, we did 2 road-trips and he was a part of all social events (marriages etc.). This is over and above the weekly family outings (dinners, movies etc.). Dialysis helped him lead a normal lifestyle.

- Support from family & friends is everything. Spend all the time you can with a family member on dialysis. Make them feel normal and ensure that they take part in each & every activity that the family does together. A positive frame of mind is essential.

- Travel isn't a problem as most Indian towns have dialysis centers that welcome outstation patients. For instance, Nasik has a Wockhardt Hospital with a dialysis center. There are options for those on holiday in Goa too.

- Home dialysis is a great option for those looking at absolute convenience. No travel, no time in the waiting room and the advantage of home food & family around. Schedule as per your convenience (Dad preferred morning dialysis only). We had a machine from Apex set up at home. Their service quality is exemplary.

- For any dialysis patient, the less the water intake, the better. It's a habit formed slowly & steadily with time.

- VERY important to monitor blood pressure & sugar levels on a daily basis. Also, it's necessary to check iron & hemoglobin levels on a monthly basis (Dad took injections for the same).

- From time to time, the patient might want to "bunk" dialysis. Bunking isn't an option though. Instead, on that particular day, simply reduce the dialysis duration (say, 2 hours instead of the usual 4).

- Weakness is inevitable post-dialysis. It is important for the dialysis patient to rest for a couple of hours. Food before / after dialysis is recommended. They shouldn't do dialysis on an empty stomach.

- Older patients on dialysis will be more prone to sickness. High levels of hygiene (home, food etc.) are recommended.

- If you're young, consider a kidney transplant instead of dialysis. However, older / weaker patients might not be able to sustain an organ transplant.

[JoseVijay]

GTO, sorry to hear this bad news about your Dad. May his soul rest in Peace.

Dialysis is not a cure, but it is only an instrument to increase the life span of people suffering from Kidney failure. I lost my Grand ma in the month of January, 2013. She was on dialysis for 6 months before she gave up. I have witnessed the pain she underwent when the process took place. God, that's terrible I must say. Even my mother has been advised to go for Dialysis in the month of June, 2013. Her creatinine levels have touched 6.6. Keeping in mind the pain and suffering that my grand ma underwent, Mum decided against Dialysis. She was ready to face any eventuality. Since then, her creatinine levels have been fluctuating between 2.1 to 4.6.

[JayPrashanth]

Originally Posted by GTO

Papa left for his heavenly abode earlier in January. Just thought I'd update this thread with some tips that we've picked up along the way, in case it's of help to anyone. After all, dialysis is a common treatment today.

My prayers with your dad and you.

Cheers,

Jay

[ecosport rules]

Originally Posted by GTO

Papa left for his heavenly abode earlier in January.

- If you're young, consider a kidney transplant instead of dialysis. However, older / weaker patients might not be able to sustain an organ transplant.

Dear GTO,

I am very sorry for your loss.My prayers are with papa and you.
Hope the other family members are holding up good.
May he find peace in his heavenly abode.

My first cousin who is around 36 years now had IgA nephropathy (autoimmune disease-the body destroys the kidney assuming it is foreign).

He was on dialysis initially and was transplanted with his mother's kidney three years back.
He is doing ok for now, but due to the autoimmune nature the transplant might not last long.

Dr.Kumar.

[honeybee]

My mother was hospitalised at the end of last year for diabetes related complications. While searching for ways to cure her I came across SDF Holistic Medicine treatment centres. They claim to treat such patients so that dialysis may not be required.

Since my mother's complications were not immediately curable by them they advised to wait for a few days. And my mother passed away last week so never had a chance to try out the treatment.

One thing that did impress - the doctor at the centre who went through the reports of my mom's was a real and knowledgeable doctor. She understood the condition and frankly told me what could be done and what could not.

She also said the creatinine levels of my mother, around 1.8, were not at all alarming and they had treated patients with levels as high as 8.

I don't want to start a debate between the various pathies. However it might be a good idea to try this route. The medicines are claimed to have no side effects since they are herbal.

[ad3952n]

Originally Posted by GTO

Papa left for his heavenly abode earlier in January.

Dear GTO, My deepest and heart felt Condolence to you sir. I got to know about your loss today morning and I can understand the feeling. No matter what the age of a loved one is but departing of the loved one makes all of us share common sentiments. May his life in heaven be as beautiful as he lived with you all.

AD

[graaja]

Originally Posted by GTO

Papa left for his heavenly abode earlier in January.

Very sorry to hear about your loss GTO. My prayers are with you and your family. May his soul rest in peace.

[audioholic]

Originally Posted by GTO

Papa left for his heavenly abode earlier in January. Just thought I'd update this thread with some tips that we've picked up along the way, in case it's of help to anyone. After all, dialysis is a common treatment today.

Sincere condolences GTO. When I saw the thread for the first time today, I wanted to share our experience with kidney disease but when I came to see the last page I saw this. May he rest in peace.

I lost my dear uncle two years back due to kidney disease which later led to a series of complications whose cause we are unsure of. He was in his 40s. He was a vegetarian and a non alcoholic. Around three years back, ie one year prior to his death, a blood test revealed elevated levels of Creatinine. On consulting a senior nephrologist, he diagnosed it as kidney infection and loss of kidney function to around 55%.

Hence he advised my uncle to undergo a treatment which consisted of an IV based medicine administered every month. I am not sure what it is as he did not reveal much details about it. Initially the SC level was around the 6 mark.

After that, here was the brief series of events:

• He used to visit the hospital once a month for whatever the IV injection was
  
• Serum creatinine levels slowly started going downward
  
• The treatment had quite a few side effects like body ache, unstable blood glucose levels
  
• The treatment took six months and the serum creatinine levels came down to 1.1 or so, which was near normal I think
  
• Treatment was stopped but at that point of time his condition was very bad as he had a lot of body ache, tiredness, frustration
  
• The doctor was also positive about things having become normal
  
• Later, he required admission to hospital due to flutcuations in his lipid profile, since he had less sodium, and a host of other problems
  
• He lost hearing ability which was a little weak before
  
• He then developed pancreatic TB which I am not sure if its a side effect
  
• That then led to him going to ICU and his condition worsened by the day
  
• The kidney function was totally lost and dialysis was started
  
• He then developed breathing trouble which required life support system
  
• Before they could put him on ventilator, he died of brain hemmorage

We were left clueless about the turn of events. Also, I think opting for dialysis right in the beginning would have kept him strong till date, since I know another relative living on dialysis from more than six years twice a week. Since we were quite disturbed by the loss, we did not take the case for further analysis. Not sure what the real problem was, or if the treatment was not advisable, or it was some drug trial. Since the loss is irreplaceable, and priceless, we didnt want to take up matters legally also. But I would tell anyone to stay away from a similar treatment.

[lancer_rit]

Dear Rush,
my heartfelt condolences on the passing of your father. May his soul rest in peace, and God give you and your family strength to bear your irreplaceable loss. My beloved mother had passed away about 2 years back after a constant fight with ILD over 3+ years, and I can identify with your loss.
Great point on family supporting the patient and including him/her in all occasions and family events. We did the same, and the mental comfort that this gives the ailing is very important also in the treatment process.

[vinay kamath]

Originally Posted by lancer_rit

Dear Rush,
my heartfelt condolences on the passing of your father. May his soul rest in peace, and God give you and your family strength to bear your irreplaceable loss. My beloved mother had passed away about 2 years back after a constant fight with ILD over 3+ years, and I can identify with your loss.
Great point on family supporting the patient and including him/her in all occasions and family events. We did the same, and the mental comfort that this gives the ailing is very important also in the treatment process.

My heartfelt condolences GTO..

May your Father's Soul Rest in Peace..

[rajamuneeb]

Originally Posted by GTO

Papa left for his heavenly abode earlier in january

Please accept my heartfelt condolence. May he rest in peace and may Almighty gives you and your family the strength to overcome your grief. Amen.

[CliffHanger]

Guys,

Prevention is better than cure.

Eating healthy and staying healthy is very very important.

- Always have home cooked food. Avoid eating out, as much as possible. With the current inflation levels, even the best of restaurants don't guarantee you unadulterated food. Also they are taste conscious, so the food you eat almost always has overdose of sugar, salt and oil.

- Excessive salt intake can lead to kidney failure. So avoid pickles, papads, etc that have high salt content. In general keep your salt intake through foods, low.

- Drink plenty of water. It helps kidneys to function properly.

- Excessive regularly. Concentrate on workouts, such as abdomen crunches, that gives movement to your stomach.

If Kidney related diseases run into your family, you need to be all the more careful as they are fairly hereditary. All the points above, will help to keep you healthy and avoid any kidney related ailments.

[girishglg]

Dear GTO,

My heartfelt condolences to you on losing your dad. From the experiences that I heard from my closest friend's dad who succumbed to a kidney failure a couple of years ago, fully understand the issues both physical and mental that one undergoes with this treatment and completely second every point mentioned in your previous thread.