Donors
I've just found out that my mother and sister are blood group A+. I think this means that they are not suitable kidney donor candidates as I am O+ and unable to receive blood from any other blood group. On the other hand my blood type is able to donate to anyone ("universal donor"). That's nice to know. My wife is also O+ but I don't know if she is genetically compatible (I've read that there are two specific genes associated with organ rejection and that the ideal scenario is that both are compatible).
I think not having my family as potential donors is a good thing as it removes from my mind that "last resort escape clause". Now I know I have to get better (which I think I'm doing in any case - in one week the test will confirm).
Blood Pressure and health
I've been amazed that my blood pressure seems to be maintaining itself at an acceptable level (around 130/80) without any drug help. I think the radical diet change is what brought it down.
In general I've been feeling exceptionally well. I really feel that finding out about the kidney problem was the shock I needed to turn my life around and become the spiritual, healthful, person I've always desired to be. This morning I could even dicern the outline of my abdominal muscles (another one-time of goal of mine that I've never really done anything about). In fact maybe I've never felt better!
Unified Theory of Everything
With all the information I've collected I'm starting to form a theory of my illness along the lines of:
1. Psycological problems causing allergic reaction to certain foods (probably dairy).
2. Allergic reaction causing damage to kidneys (probably through an immune response).
3. Kidney damage raising blood pressure.
The kidney stones fit nicely into this hypothesis (body not processing calcium correctly (found in dairy products), resulting in stones).
All of this is complete unscientific of course and just a layman's interpretation of the facts based on limited understanding.
Just thought you might like a more "medical' explanation of the cause of kidney stones:
ReplyDeletehttp://www.webmd.com/kidney-stones/kidney-stones-cause
Kidney Stones - Cause
Kidney stones may form when the normal balance of water, salts, minerals, and other substances found in urine changes. How this balance changes determines the type of kidney stone you have. Most kidney stones are calcium-type-they form when the calcium levels in your urine change.
Factors that change your urine balance include:
Not drinking enough water. Try to drink enough water to keep your urine clear (about 8 to 10 glasses of water a day). When you don't drink enough water, the salts, minerals, and other substances in the urine can stick together and form a stone. This is the most common cause of kidney stones.
Medical conditions. Many medical conditions can affect the normal balance and cause stones to form. Gout is one example. Also, people who have inflammatory bowel disease or who have had surgery on their intestines may not absorb fat from their intestines in a normal way. This changes the way the intestines process calcium and other minerals, and it may lead to kidney stones.
More commonly, kidney stones can run in families, as they often occur in family members over several generations.
In rare cases, a person forms kidney stones because the parathyroid glandsproduce too much of a hormone, which leads to higher calcium levels and possibly calcium kidney stones.