Kidney vs Heart

Image courtesy of chfc.uk-wuerzburg.de

Well, thank you everybody. This site has reached 1000+ hits. Furthermore, your comments and prayer pledges in Facebook is giving us more strength and faith in what we are facing. There are boulders and hills to be trounced and we’ll take them as they come. 

I am scheduled for an angiogram on Monday. So I’ll be admitted tomorrow. But I’m having second thoughts because my cardiologist said that I might also need angioplasty. An angiogram we can afford. The latter will deplete the funds reserved for the transplant. If we could afford both, there’s no question, I will do both. But it is not the case. I will have to discuss this with my cardio. And maybe need to convince him to choose the transplant too over angioplasty.

How am I going to argue my case?

1. The mortality rate of persons on dialysis is higher than that of heart attacks. Therefore I am more likely to die of kidney disease than heart disease.
2. Right now, my body lost it’s ability to cleanse itself. In between dialysis sessions, harmful toxins circulate in my bloodstream. Due to this, other organs are affected too. The transplant will bring back the ability of the body to achieve ideal chemical balance. Usually, when this happens, other organs improve in their individual functions too.
3. CKD/ESRD is irreversible. There is no cure. Dialysis is not a cure. The machine/filters only replaces the function of the kidneys. Coronary artery disease may be managed by medication. 
4. My 2D-Echo results are not that bad. I am asymptomatic. No angina. No tightening. No palpitations or abnormal rhythm. 
5. I have lived an active life. Surely there have been other transplant recipients who were less active than me. Or who had less ideal results than I do.

So how do you think I’ll fare? Are my points valid enough to convince my cardiologist that it would be right to choose the transplant over the angioplasty? My nephrologist assured me that my 2D-Echo results will not disqualify me for a transplant. Wish me luck.

This will be a short post. The machine alarm keeps sounding and I am told by the nurse to recline all the way. It’s difficult typing from a supine position.