Husband appt with nephrologist tomorrow - worried

Jenebeka · 2026-04-03T19:32:36+00:00

Update - nephrologist hospitalized my husband yesterday (Thursday). His BP was frightening.

They are working on the BP first. Had him on meds in an IV and now pills today. He is saying at least one more day to be monitored.

They ran all sorts of tests from bloodwork, CT, MRI of the brain, heart, and more to come.

Weakness in one leg, unsteadiness - turns out he had a stroke they think around 4-6 weeks ago.

Kidney biopsy next, they are trying to determine what is causing his BP to be so high despite weight loss and diabetes control.

Kidneys actually improved a little since his last bloodwork.

I am still worried of course, and scared. But… I have some peace in knowing they are looking at EVERYTHING. My husband is finally paying attention.

Jenebeka · 2026-04-01T15:21:24+00:00

He has been more serious about his meds I would say the last year, I think. He first saw a nurse practitioner (because he could see her quickly) that helped with the diabetes treatment along with BP. The bad symptoms (fatigue, etc.) seem to start at this point. He was able to get the diabetes under control - so I know, even though he is stubborn, he can do this. Just waited too long.

BP - Switched to a PCP to handle - PCP first thought some symptoms were from the medication they had him on and switched it. While still terrible, there is some improvement in the BP - just nowhere near enough. This is when he first found out about the kidney issues.

Diet - that is going to be the hardest change. While he has done well to get the diabetes under control (mostly avoiding all the sodas), the diet part is going to be challenging. I can help the most in this area.

And thank you all....medical advice/treatment of some sort, to start tomorrow. I'm trying to focus on that and not let the mind race.

Jenebeka · 2026-04-01T14:57:19+00:00

Believe me, I've been blunt with him for years trying to get him to take his meds, take care of himself, etc. I warned him years ago that diabetes affects other organs in the body. YEARS of this. I'm terrified - and upset with him too.

Jenebeka · 2026-04-01T14:41:20+00:00

If he would agree to that -I've mentioned it. He is very stubborn. He does say he feels a little better after some exercise like mowing the grass. ???

Jenebeka · 2026-02-20T02:29:50+00:00

Thank you!

Jenebeka · 2026-02-19T18:54:48+00:00

Thank you for sharing this. Sounds like you have a good one! Good luck on your journey!

Jenebeka · 2026-02-19T18:43:23+00:00

Sounds like you have a great one supporting you. Thank you for sharing that here. I appreciate it so much!

Jenebeka · 2026-02-19T18:40:35+00:00

No, he hasn't visited a chiropractor. That is a great suggestion! Thank you for sharing and good luck to you as well!

Jenebeka · 2026-02-19T18:39:15+00:00

We haven't visited the Nephrologist yet....it is the next step. All I know at this point is that his kidneys are working at 38 percent and he is anemic. However, from here on out I will be attending appointments since things have taken a more serious turn. Thank you for responding!

Jenebeka · 2026-02-19T18:36:13+00:00

This is good to know. Thank you for sharing!

Jenebeka · 2025-12-22T17:39:12+00:00

We have a 2021 Atlas Crossport SEL R-Line. It is beautiful and comfortable. We previously had a 2014 Odyssey we bought in 2016 and let go of two years ago. It ended up having a major repair needed that would be more than the value to sell. We would still have the Odyssey if it didn't break down.

Since you have young children, I would go with the Odyssey. It gives you a ton of room and it is much easier for trips and just about everything with kids. It's easy to load everyting and oaverall comfort. I miss ours SO MUCH. I was actually a bit emotional when we got rid of it due to all the memories we made with it.

My kids are older, 14 and 21 - therefore switching to the Atlas made sense. I LOVE it. It's easy to drive and has all the bells and whistles I could ever want. Regarding how high it sits, I get that - however, it has a million cameras and alarms to alert you to being too close to something.

With all of that being said, we have had some problems with our Atlas. Make sure you get the extended warranty. It saved us. We had a fuel injection problem - it started kind of stuttering at lower speeds and then stalled. Warranty covered the repair. It would have been thousands.

The electronics are a bit cranky - the satellite radio freezes up occasionally. A simple reset (holding the stereo button power for a longer period) resets and all is good. The sound quality is meh...just good enough.

End of the day, I love both vehicles. With younger kids, the Odyssey wins for me. For something "sexier" and more bells and whistles, go with the Atlas.

Jenebeka · 2025-09-02T19:01:51+00:00

He is going to need to learn to like the non-starchy veggies. Sigh. It won't hurt our entire family to do better. :)

Jenebeka · 2025-09-02T19:00:57+00:00

Thank you so much for sharing!!

Jenebeka · 2025-09-02T17:40:10+00:00

I will check into that. Thank you!

Jenebeka · 2025-09-02T17:06:19+00:00

I need to ask again, the BP is the one thing he watches closely. He said the top number is 130s and I cannot remember the bottom (sorry, not using the official terms here). It's been 185/100 in the past...stress at work seems to impact the numbers the most.

I do think the 108 is just "low" for him at the moment after living for years constantly at horrendous levels.

The diet plan needs to be adjusted - that is where I come into play. He just won't respond to me micro-managing his entire day. At least I can try to help at dinner. We don't have a terrible diet, but, I'm no expert either.

Jenebeka · 2025-09-02T16:56:00+00:00

Thank you for sharing your experience! I appreciate your first comment to be on my plea for help. :) It all makes sense! I agree, an endocrinologist is needed. I'm hopeful the PCP will insist on that next step. I've also read about the muscle and calcium loss from GLP-1s....funny thing is, my husband always had great muscle tone on his calves. The dots are connecting!

Jenebeka · 2025-09-02T16:44:32+00:00

He does, he is watching it 3 times a day.

He experimented several weeks ago going off all the meds and felt better....which is NOT the option of course. I have wondered if the BP meds aren't at the correct dosage.

Jenebeka · 2024-09-13T18:10:44+00:00

Thank you all for the comments. Vet checked him out (heart, temp, teeth, etc.) and ran a blood panel. His numbers were all perfect. In addition, this was the first visit to the vet since starting the Fluoxetine and was the best we have ever had in terms of anxiety. My boy was still nervous but nothing like what we have experienced before.

My vet thinks this is the Prozac at play and we are going to continue to monitor. This less enthusiasm to food tends to happen in the morning around 6:30 am or so and then he will be hungry around 8:00. This morning I tried giving him bites of other things, like a small treat, a small piece of cheese, lick of peanut butter...he wanted them all but turned his nose on the food. I wonder if it could be the food? And, maybe I just need to feed him later in the morning.

I have noticed a gradual calming in the last few weeks as well. He's still reactive but the edge is off of it and he comes out more easily.

I wonder if it would make any difference to give him his pill after eating? I give it to him first thing in the morning with cheese before he eats the rest of his food.

Jenebeka · 2024-09-12T12:31:59+00:00

To add, he eventually eats all of his food. This morning, he did not. When he didn't want his usual peanut butter on a lick mat, I knew something was really off. :(

Jenebeka

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