One of the most maddening things about my battle with kidney disease is that my doctor hasn't been able to 100 percent, beyond-a-shadow-of-a-doubt give an official diagnosis. For now, she's calling this:
Mesangial Proliferative Glomerulonephritis.
The medical dictionary defines this as: "Glomerulonephritis characterized clinically by the nephrotic syndrome and histologically by diffuse glomerular increases in endocapillary and mesangial cells and in mesangial matrix."
Ummmm.......huh?
It's probably easier to think about it this way:
This disease is an autoimmune disorder, but its trigger is unknown. My autoimmune system isn't recognizing my kidneys as MINE, and are thereby attacking them. The result is that my kidneys aren't filtering properly.
All of my tests (and my biopsy) have pointed toward either lupus nephritis or IgA nephropathy as an official diagnosis, but because of how my tissue samples were incorrectly stained, we can't know for sure. Well, at least until another biopsy, and let's hope that doesn't happen soon.
Does this help explain what's going on?
Didn't think so....
Clear as mud, and maddening!
ReplyDeleteHey! Darcy's kidneys,listen up. You guys are on the same team! Stop screwing things up, ok?
There, I hope they are listening.
Love Ya!
Nell
This diagnosis sounds so much classier than iGA, which to me will always be a grocery store. Way to step it up!
ReplyDeleteCindy