I’ve had Type 2 Diabetes for 21 years now, on insulin for about 18 months. I take 40 units of Lantus once a day and 10 units of Novolog 3 times a day. I am also on 500 mg Metformin.
I’ve had pyelonephritis (kidney infection) several times, the first hospitalization for it when I was 18-years old. There have been other stays in the hospital for IV antibiotics as well, but it’s been a few years.
During that interim, I was diagnosed with Stage 3 kidney disease. A visit to the nephrologist was awesome, his telling me to not worry too much about it as long as I kept my Blood Glucoses (BGs) under control.
Off and on, labs have shown no kidney stress at all, yet others would, once again, state the Stage 3 kidney disease. My last couple of years’ labs have been pretty good, so I had put the issue on the back burner.
Until today.
Back Pain
I’ve been having back pain, often a tell-tale sign of “pyelo” (a kidney infection), but was passing it off as… back pain! My urge to pee has been really weird and my not peeing often should have flagged what was happening sooner. It just has been so long since I’ve had any kidney issues, I missed the early signs.
Before I got these labs taken 2 days ago, I thought I’d kicked the pyelo on my own, without antibiotics. Now I am not so sure.
Lab Results
I got a call from the NP’s office that my kidney labs are way off and the upcoming surgery I am scheduled for on February 2 (to have my gallbladder removed… to be discussed separately) might have to be delayed. I go this morning to discuss my labs and have them repeated stat.
It’s scary, these kidney issues. I don’t want to have dialysis… Stage 4 of kidney disease.
I’ll update as I know more.
Navelgazing Writer 