September 17, 2017. Walking into my 59-year-old uncle’s apartment, I could tell he was eager to fill me in on his latest news. Unfortunately, it went like this, “My doctor gave me 2 years to live.” Okay, 3 seconds to process that… I put up my hands, like wiping away his words from the air.
“No, no, no,” I said, “I’ll do some research and get you all fixed up.” I then sat on the couch next to him and asked for details about what his doctor said.
One of his kidneys was dying, he said.
His GFR was 18.
That’s Stage 4 CKD. Just a drop of 4 points and he would need a kidney transplant or dialysis.
Without hesitation, I said, “You can have one of my kidneys.” We talked blood type, and I later mentioned it to my husband.
He told me to find a different solution, out of fear for my health.
I immediately went to work researching foods to combat my uncle’s diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, kidney disease, and obesity. Certain foods are okay for one disease but not always okay for another. I had 2 weeks before I would see him again.
Side note: I hadn’t seen my uncle in over 25 years. We just reconnected in July 2017, or I would’ve helped him sooner.
After 2 days of teaching my uncle about his disease and showing him the best way for him to eat, I started him off with a basic one-day meal plan.
Click here for the 1-Day Meal Plan.
Then, I drove 5 hours back to my house, praying that I could overcome such a big challenge. His metabolic panel was scheduled for 4 days from then. I waited patiently.
Finally, I got the call! After only 4 days of eating right, his GFR rose to…
GFR 37 !
BOOM. He is out of the weeds, already, right into Stage 3b! This was an extremely hopeful outcome and gave us the positive push we needed. To enter into the next phase, exercise, and getting him moving.
My uncle followed the 1-day plan religiously for 3 weeks! I was so proud of how he started taking responsibility for his own health. Now, it’s time to find a workout routine he would like and stick to. My uncle had a stroke 7 years before and was now unable to walk long distances. Extreme cardio and weight lifting are not suggested for people with CKD, because these workouts raise your creatinine levels. Creatinine is a waste byproduct released by your muscles. People with CKD have a hard time releasing these toxins from their bodies.
Just giving uncle the 1-day meal plan above was the first step. He followed the plan for 3 weeks until I brought him to my house. Having him here I was able to introduce him to zucchinis, squashes, asparagus, eggplant, and kale. I got a little carried away. Uncle felt he was overeating. That’s how I discovered an organic whole food supplement with 32 superfood extracts.
Following are some properties of these pills:
- Concentrated Superfood Formula
- Farm Fresh Nutrition
- 32 Organic Super Foods
- Rich Source of Phytonutrients
- Alkalizing Super Greens
- Non-GMO
- Gluten-Free
- 100% Vegan
- Dietary Supplement
Contains: Wheat Grass, Spirulina, Aloe Vera, Barley Grass, Green Tea, Kale, Alfalfa, Mixed Berries, Sprouts, Fruits, Vegetables and Probiotics.
I wish I could’ve found him a hobby. But he says partying is his hobby. Uncle also said that a therapist wasn’t necessary because he wasn’t depressed. Well, I let that slide because he has a tremendous amount of friends and family that call him. Letting him vent and express himself. I was able to get him into physical therapy for stroke recovery, with a little prompting from the doctor, so that made me happy!
I had started taking collagen for my own joint pains, so I thought ok, maybe this could help uncle’s back and leg pain. I put one scoop in his morning coffee. His GFR fell to 31. Well, I knew what was wrong, collagen contains animal protein. That’s when I googled Punarnava powder. It is known to work well with Ashwagandha, which I had already put uncle on. I mentioned all of this to his doctor for safety.
Uncle’s next metabolic panel was scheduled for Thursday, so for a day and a half, I cut his protein in half. He was getting around 20 grams and no animal meat.
After waiting 10 days for the results in the mail, the phone rang. I thought perhaps the nurse was just calling to find out about the uncle’s metabolic panel experience. Then she says “… and we got the results… creatinine 1.59 from a 2.22 last time.” I’m in silent shock. “And GFR 48!!” Stage 3a. Uncle had improved his GFR by 30 points in 4 months!! I started to cry and I thanked her profusely. Uncle was in the middle of doing his 3 miles on the recumbent bike. I said, “You ready to hear this?” I could see his body stiffen. “Yes.”
GFR 48 !!
We cried and hugged.
I want everyone dealing with this disease to be able to hug a family member with this joy. CKD is not a death sentence or an uncontrollable disease.
