This Sounds Fishy

One question I get a lot is: What kind of medications are you on?

And I think they're asking because of the kidney disease and not something else ("...wow, you're weird, are you taking anything for that?")

My nephrologist has me taking:

1. Lisinopril (blood pressure)
2. Spironolactone (diuretic)
3. Fish Oil. Lots and lots of fish oil.

It's the fish oil that people always find surprising. We've all heard about the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, but lesser known is that fish oil has been shown to slow the progression of IgA nephropathy -- the type of disease I have. This was proven in a Mayo Clinic study in the 1990s and again in a 2004 study. The catch? Patients need to take a very high dose -- at least six grams a day. (The Foundation for IgA nephropathy has a thorough post that provides more information on this topic.)

Some nephrologists recommend fish oil for their patients. Some don't. When my doctor presented this option to me, we decided that it can't hurt to try. We opted for fish oil instead of other, harsher options -- like prednisone or an immunosuppressant drug.

My next appointment is Sept. 24, and I'm curious to know if we'll stay the course or if we'll try something new.

But for now, I faithfully take my fish oil.

And I just keep swimming.    

A Lasting Memory

Old friends. New friends. A very personal cause.

I participated in my second National Kidney Foundation of Michigan kidney walk last weekend in Ann Arbor. There were eight of us on the "Giffy's Kidneys" team, including the wonderful Pauline, who is also living with kidney disease. We raised $780, but that wasn't the highlight of the day.

The 1.2 mile walking path through the Concordia University campus led us to a gorgeous overlook, captured in the image below.

How could I ever -- for one second -- get down when I'm surrounded by friends and scenery like this?

Holy **** I Ran a 5K!

I did it!!! I was able to run a 5K!

Rob and Denise joined me today to run this race -- and when I say "joined" I mean: coached, pushed, cajoled, encouraged, cheered and got me to the finish line in under 44 minutes. Denise did everything possible to give me confidence while Rob went into full coach mode and pushed me really hard the last mile. I think I needed these contrasting styles today. (And I definitely needed more cowbell.)

I can't believe how difficult this run was for me, and I am so grateful that they were willing to help me accomplish my goal.

A few highlights:

• This was the longest distance I've run since being diagnosed with kidney disease.
• I only stopped to walk three times.
• I had a piece of my Dad with me; I wore a pair of his socks. I have no doubt that he helped give me the strength I needed.
• The course had several small inclines that mentally kicked my butt.
• I saw my friends Pat and Denny before the race, as Pat ran the 5-mile race at 8 a.m. It was GREAT to see them!
• I always like seeing the finish line, but this time it was even sweeter because my Mom was standing there waiting for us and cheering like crazy. Love you Mom!
• I slept for three hours when I got home. Tired, but happy. 

Big Weekend Just Got Bigger

I now have a second reason to look forward to the weekend of Sept. 8-9:  my friend Trish has put together a Giffy's Kidneys team for the Ann Arbor Kidney Walk! The walk is on Sunday, Sept. 9 at 1 p.m. You can donate on line or join the team and walk with me. :)

So that's the 5K run on Saturday and then the Kidney Walk on Sunday. The fact that I have enough energy to do both of these things -- in the same weekend -- is very encouraging.

I feel renewed.

"We turn not older with years but newer every day." - Emily Dickinson

   

Giffy by the Numbers

Here are a few interesting numbers from the last week:

14: Minutes I'm now able to run without stopping. My latest workout was 2 minutes walking/14 minutes running/2 minutes walking/14 minutes running/2 minutes walking.

2:  Number of siblings who are running with me in the Allegiance Race to Health 5K run on Sept. 8.

120:  My average systolic blood pressure last week -- exactly the number my doctor wants me to maintain.

3:  Number of times I forgot to take my meds this week. OOPS! This will definitely be an area of emphasis for the coming week.    

Why I Laugh

From Davita.com:

"In late 2006, The International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine reported that people with severe diseases, such as chronic kidney disease, have better survival chances if they have a sense of humor and can laugh easily. The study was performed by scientists from the Nor­we­gian University of Sci­ence and St. Olav’s Hos­pi­tal in Trond­heim, Nor­way, on people with end stage renal disease who were on dialysis. According to the results, people who scored higher on having a sense of humor increased their odds for survival by about 31 percent."

On Track

About a month ago, I announced that I would be training for a 5K run. Such a public declaration was a bit bold, considering that at the time I was only able to run two minutes without stopping. I've only posted once since then, so if you're thinking that I'm avoiding the topic because I'm not training, you would be..........WRONG!

I am now up to eight minutes of sustained running. My current program is a 2-minute walk followed by an 8-minute run -- repeated 3 times. It's slow and ugly, but it's working! I do this on Wed/Fri/Sun.

The 5K run is Saturday, Sept. 8, so I have another month to prepare. Race information is here in case anyone wants to run with me or come and watch. So far I think I have one fellow runner who will be by my side, my sister Denise. She has qualified for the Boston Marathon before -- so she's a real runner -- but how cool that she's willing to plod along with me for a few miles!