It all started a week before my birthday in March 2016. I was at my not-so-routine (since I hadn’t been seen in a while) doctor’s appointment when the doctor asked me to go back to the lab for another round of blood and urine tests. I didn’t think much about it, I thought one of the lab technicians had screwed up one of my tests. Well, they didn’t because I got a call from my doctor’s office the next week telling me to come in that day. That caught me off guard and now I started to worry a little.
So I left work early that day to see my doctor. She explained that my tests had revealed that I was showing signs of kidney failure. I must have had a confused look on my face because she stopped trying to explain with all that medical jargon and took it down to layman’s terms. She said that my kidneys were not functioning properly any longer. I found myself tuning her out as I felt all these different emotions that seemed to come out of nowhere. I was sad. I was angry. I was hurt. I started to feel my stress and anxiety levels rise. It was difficult for me to grasp everything she was describing to me. At the end of our conversation, she referred me to a Nephrologist. Mind you, I have never heard of this type of doctor before so I was a little apprehensive.
FYI….a nephrologist is a medical professional who diagnoses, treats and manages acute and chronic kidney problems and diseases, among other things.
As I drove home on automatic, I couldn’t help but wonder what had caused this. I started going through my memory bank trying to figure out how this could have happened. I always made sure to drink plenty of water. At least 4 times a day you could see me carrying my giant cup to the cafeteria to fill it up with ice and water. I made sure to “try” (haha) to eat healthy. I had stopped eating a lot of fried foods, and started eating a little more fruits and veggies than I normally ate. I even stopped making it a habit to run to the vending machine for midafternoon snacks. Turns out, that wasn’t the problem at all.
After a few more tests, the Nephrologist determined that my kidneys were close to failure. He explained that soon I would have to go on dialysis or get a kidney transplant or both. I asked him how this could have happened and he asked me, “Did you know you had high blood pressure?” I admitted I did but I had left it untreated for a few years. “Well,” he informed me, “your kidneys are failing due to high blood pressure and stress”.
I never realized that you could harm your kidneys by not keeping your blood pressure in check. I definitely didn’t know that stress had anything to do with it.
During that time I was under a lot of stress. The company I work for had been doing a lot of layoffs and it had hit my department a few times. By this time it had dwindled down to a handful of us and I felt like there was a lot of backstabbing going on with people trying to keep their jobs. I was stressing and dodging knives trying to keep mine.
High blood pressure is also call hypertension. They say high blood pressure may be caused by a number of things. The 7 most common ways you may develop high blood pressure:
- Hypertension runs in the family
- High levels of stress
- Smoking
- Heavy drinking
- Obesity
- Unhealthy diet
- Being Black
The National Kidney Foundation reports that:
High blood pressure is the 2nd most leading cause of kidney failure after diabetes.
- High blood pressure can constrict and narrow the blood vessels in your kidneys. This can reduce the blood flow and cause the kidneys not to work properly.
- High blood pressure can also damage the filters in the kidneys, making it difficult to remove all waste and extra fluid from the body.
- Extra fluid in the blood vessels can raise your blood pressure even more, causing more damage which can lead to kidney failure.
Stress can also cause kidney damage. The kidneys are responsible for filtering blood and are easy targets for problems against blood circulation and blood vessels.
- Stress can put extra strain on the kidneys.
- Long-term stress can cause the body to perform poorly, including the kidneys.
- Stress and uncontrolled reactions to stress can also lead to kidney damage.
High blood pressure and stress can put a lot of strain and burden on your kidneys. If you continue to allow them to go untreated this will cause your kidneys to eventually fail.
To sum it up my kidney failure was a result of untreated high blood pressure and uncontrolled stress.
Happy Birthday to me.
My unsolicited advice is if you have high blood pressure or suspect that you do, I urge you to get it checked out by a doctor. It would be beneficial to you to see your doctor regularly and take the medication prescribed to you. I assure you, you don’t want to go through what I have been through.
As for your stress, we are all bound to find ourselves in stressful situations during our lifetime. The way to reduce it is how you deal with it. Here are a few helpful tips to use to help overcome tensions, worries or anxieties that you may face on a daily basis:
- Awareness.
Being mindful of the present. Letting go of the past to focus on the now. This is something I have always had an issue with. It was (and sometimes still is) hard for me to let go of the past. Thinking about things that have already happened but in my mind I’m stressing about “Why didn’t I handle it this way?. - Getting enough sleep.
Yes, I happen to be a night owl (been working on that). - Regular exercise.
I’m getting at least 30 minutes a day…that helps. - Relaxation techniques.
I started doing yoga just for light exercising now I also find it relaxing. - Take care of you.
I’m still learning that sometimes I do need to put me first.
Here’s a poem that I sometimes find helpful, by Leo Babauta from his website Zen Habits called Breathe.
“If you feel overwhelmed, breathe. It will calm you and release the tensions.
If you are worried about something coming up, or caught up in something that already happened, breathe. It will bring you back to the present.
If you are moving too fast, breathe. It will remind you to slow down and enjoy life more.
Breathe, and enjoy each moment of this life. They’re too fleeting and few to waste.“
Please continue with me as I take you through the journey of my kidney world. I would love it if you would comment and let me know how you deal with stressors in you world. Also, if you know someone who you think may like or find this useful…Please share!
#Stress #CKD #Kidneys #ChronicKidneyDisease #HighBloodPressure
I enjoyed reading your story. A true testimony can help someone else who is dealing with health issues.
Thank you very much. Your comment means a lot to me. Please continue to keep watch, there is more to come!
My sister, I love you and thank you for sharing your story.. After, reading your story I am reminded of the experiences that you shared during your stressful times at your employment. I am very proud of you sister dear and mom would be too. I can’t wait to read what you write next. Smooches
Thank you sister for your wonderful comment. I’m glad you were there to help me through those stressful years. Keep watch for updates. Feel free to share and comment anytime!
Your story will help others, I look forward to seeing what else you are going to share. Keep praying and trusting God every day
Thank you for you comment. I really appreciate that you will continue to read more of my blogs. Feel free to comment anytime!
Thank you Wanda for sharing your story. Too many people don’t realize how stress affects our overall health and well-being. We as black people don’t pay attention to our blood pressure either that’s why it’s known as the silent killer. Hopefully people who will read your blog and keep in mind about how important it is to make doctor appointments and actually keep them. As always you will remain in my prayers.
Thank you for your comment. What you said is absolutely correct and that is exactly the point I am trying to convey. Feel free to continue to expound on my blogs and thank you for your prayers.