About Lupus:
SLE
SLE, or Systemic Lupus Erythematosus, is is an autoimmune disease in which one’s immune system becomes over active and starts attacking healthy parts of the body. There are events called flares where the immune system goes into overdrive and begins such attacks. Often joints are attacked (like in rheumatoid arthritis). Kidneys are also a frequent target for attack; something like 50% of all lupus patients eventually develop kidney disease. There is no cure, but there are drugs that can retard or even temporarily stop continuing damage until the next flare. For most people, the anti-rejection drugs given after a transplant will work to reduce or prevent further lupus activity.
Lupus Nephritis
Lupus nephritis is an inflammation of the kidneys caused by Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). With lupus nephritis, your kidneys cannot function properly to remove waste from your blood and control the amount of fluids in your body. Kidney disease caused by lupus may get worse over time and could lead to kidney (renal) failure. Absent dialysis or transplant, kidney failure is fatal.
A healthy kidney is necessary to live.
Your kidneys remove wastes and extra fluid from your body. Your kidneys also remove acid that is produced by the cells of your body and maintain a healthy balance of water, salts, and minerals—such as sodium, calcium, phosphorus, and potassium—in your blood.
What does kidney failure look and feel like?
Dialysis.
Jules must undergo dialysis 3 times a week. Dialysis is a kind of life support. Without dialysis, those whose kidneys have failed will quickly die. That’s why people undergo the treatment. They wait for years undergoing the treatment while awaiting a transplant.
Each time she goes to dialysis, it’s a sort of gamble as to how it will affect her. She could pass out if her blood pressure goes too low during treatment, she could also be nauseated and vomit or have muscle cramps that get worse and worse during the 4 hour treatment. It makes her life miserable because she never knows what dialysis will do to her that day. It also limits certain day to day activities, simple things like taking a shower become complicated endeavors. With the constant disruptions of both time and energy it becomes impossible to hold a normal job or enjoy activities she once loved like riding horses or going to concerts.
Skin problems.
Kidney failure also causes skin rashes and itchiness.
Edema.
As one’s kidneys move toward failure, there are a variety of effects. These can included edema which is swelling of feet, legs, hands, neck, face, or internally due to the failure of the kidneys’ ability to regulate the level of fluids in the body. Not only is this uncomfortable but severe edema around the lungs or heart can kill.
Eyesight issues.
Kidney failure can also affect one’s eyes and sight.
Brain Impairment
As the level of toxic substances in the blood rises your brain functioning may become impaired. Many people lose the ability to focus, suffer short term memory loss or at worst become incoherent.
Need for a transplant.
Dialysis can reduce many of the symptoms and effects of kidney failure, but only a kidney transplant can erase them fully. Even with dialysis, just one missed session can lead to a serious setback.
Treatment Options:
Most people who have kidney failure see the best results if they get a transplant.
Jules’ had her PICC line implanted surgically (3 times-long story…) so that she may undergo hemodialysis
The alternative treatments are dialysis or transplants. There are two kinds of dialysis: hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis. In hemodialysis, one usually goes to a dialysis center three days per week for a four hour treatment during which blood is removed from the body, cleaned by a machine of impurities and then put back into the body. This process takes more than just impurities from the patient. Often, it leaves the patient exhausted, nauseated, dizzy or with muscle cramps. For many patients, dialysis days are basically lost for any other purpose.
Peritoneal dialysis works differently. In this process a tube (or catheter) is surgically implanted into the abdomen and it is used to pump fluid into the open space there (called the peritoneum). The fluid draws the impurities from the blood and then it is pumped out of the abdomen after about 2 hours. For most people, this process is done at night while they are sleeping. They get about 4 treatments during an average night. This leaves the patient with his or her days free, but it also means one has a catheter protruding from the abdomen and, since it has to be done daily, it prevents most travel. It also prevents swimming or even taking baths.
A kidney transplant is the best solution. On average, people live many years longer with a transplant than on dialysis. A person who has had a transplant must take medicines daily to prevent rejection of the kidney, but otherwise they can live a normal life. So a transplant gives better outcomes and a much better lifestyle.
A kidney from a live donor has much better results than one from a deceased donor. On average, people who get donations from a live donor will not need another transplant for about, on average, five years longer than those who get a kidney from a deceased donor.
IF YOU WOULD CONSIDER BEING JULES’ LIVING DONOR,
Please visit http://www.pslmc.com/signmeup to fill out a survey to start the evaluation process. Link will open One Medical Passport. Click green “Register button. Create your account. Continue. Choose Presbyterian/St. Luke’s as Medical Facility. Enter JULIA ARONSON as Named Recipient.
You may also call the PSL Transplant Center at (720) 754-2155 or (800) 758-1005, Option 3.