J.G. was diagnosed with Stage IV CKD in April of 2024. “Initially, I was devastated and had no idea what to do!” she says. “I am an OR nurse and have seen so many ESRD patients, and it appeared to be a death sentence.”

She immediately stopped taking Protonix and NSAIDS (which she had taken for many years and were found to be the cause of her CKD), altered her diet, increased her fluid intake, and made the earliest appointment she could find with a nephrologist. 

“After speaking with him and his dietitian and educating myself on CKD,” she says, “I realized that it is not necessarily the death sentence I feared at the onset.”

CKD’s Impact

CKD has, however, had “a quite profound” impact on her physical, mental, and social health. She says she constantly watches what she eats, and when she does “cheat…every now and then,” she tries to balance that out in other areas. Eating out is another challenge. She quickly grew tired of having to ask “How do you prepare this?” and requesting no seasoning on her meals, but says she’s learned how to handle those situations.

Socially, she shares, “I initially wanted to isolate myself and wallow in my ‘woe is me’ attitude,” but to her surprise, she met someone new just two months after her diagnosis. “He has been more than supportive from our very first date, and nine months later, still is!” she says. “[He] has encouraged me in every way, been there for me, goes with me to every doctor’s appointment, and is my best cheerleader when I have good numbers.”

Her Advice to Fellow CKD Patients

J. shares that she wishes she had educated herself more on her health, and been more aware of her eGFR and creatinine levels. 

“The best advice I can give to others facing this journey,” she says, is “EDUCATE  yourself, know your numbers, and realize that, while in this journey together, we are all individual based on our own labs, and [we] need to let those labs and a trusted nephrologist lead us in what we eat, [how we] stay active, and how much fluid we consume.”

“Take charge of your own health,” she urges. “YOU can control the progression of this disease, and live many long and productive years!”