Take Care of Your Kidneys

Take Care of Your Kidneys –

If you are going to drown your Hepatitis C or cirrhosis sorrows – do it with water. Kidney disease is not as silent as liver disease, but it sure will sneak up on you if you’re not taking precautions. If you were holding your breath out of fear, you can let it out now. Your kidneys do NOT get damaged quite like the liver if you take care of your kidneys. This post celebrates with Wisdom for World Kidney Day.

I feel pretty certain about this blog, being born with only 1 kidney. (they call me 1 kidney Karen) I have known since my teen years that my left one never developed. It loomed HUGE in my mind during Hepatitis C treatment. It grew into GINORMOUS with hepatocellular carcinoma. All for nothing.

If you’re not careful, fear can weigh you down. Instead of fret, help your kidneys. It’s simple. Really. I’ve done it all my life and continue to while on immunosuppression therapy post liver transplant.

How You Can Help Your Kidneys

Labs – Get your creatinine and bun blood levels done. Ask your doctor to check your “baseline” kidney function. Then file it away for future reference. If you follow the next steps, your kidneys will be healthier.

H2O – Drinking water is probably one of the single most important things you can do. It helps your body flush out toxins, excess sodium, and can lower your risk of kidney disease. If you have ascites or kidney stones, talk to your doctor about how much water you should drink. An easy estimate is 64 oz a day for most folks. Slow down on darker drinks like cola, coffee, dark teas. I love my morning coffee, and chase it with water all day.

Sugar – Back away from the sugar. You didn’t want to hear that. I didn’t want to say it. I love sugar and eat a healthy balance of it daily. (balance is key) It’s the diabetes that can snag you and drag your kidney down. Most kidney disease is caused by insulin problems from diabetes. We can’t play with that.

Movement – Get up and get around every single day. Even with stiffness from Hepatitis C treatment, or joint pain, or fatigue – keep moving. Keeping your weight low, and your circulation high is great for your overall health. It can reduce the risk of kidney disease.

Blood Pressure – We think about heart disease and kidney disease together. A heart attack or stroke can lead directly to kidney damage. By lowering your sodium (good for liver) you are less likely to have heart problems. This is a win win. Invest in a blood pressure cuff for your home to take it daily.

Medications – This is where I am super careful. Because of the immunosuppression, I don’t take a single other med that can harm my kidney. Over the counter stuff should be run by your doctor if you have any doubts. This includes vitamins and herbs.

All of these tips are super do-able. Some of it has to do with habit. For example, if you’re used to simple sugars, you may have to get used to getting sugar in your system slowly, by eating grains.

A healthy diet is really at the center of everything we do for our body. If you haven’t got The Liver Loving Diet yet, now is a good time. At $4.99, it’s cheaper than a cup of coffee or a bag of donuts. It can save your life. Wishing you all the best and hoping you gain confidence in living with Hepatitis C or cirrhosis while you take care of your kidneys. Xo Karen