What is an Ash Cath?

The first day I ever dialyzed, the needle that carried to blood back to my body somehow shifted and I was infiltrated. That means it went back in under my skin and not into a vein. That resulted in a fast trip to the hospital where they put in an Ash Catheter. I hated this thing because I couldn't raise my hands over my head. I couldn't wash my hair and I couldn't take a shower. The path of the catheter is into your chest, up through the jugular vein and into your heart. It is easy to get infected, so it must stay covered at all times and sterilized and cleaned before and after every treatment.

AV Fistula

An AV fistula-the second type of access I had. It's the same concept as the graft, but with my own veins. It worked well for 3 years before it clotted and stopped working. The bumps are aneurysms, from the veins being repeatedly used and stretching out of shape. It actually looked like I had two golf balls in my arm, but my vascular surgeon removed most of it for me.

Diabetes and Kidneys

When our bodies digest the protein we eat, the process creates waste products. In the kidneys, millions of tiny blood vessels (capillaries) with even tinier holes in them act as filters. As blood flows through the blood vessels, small molecules such as waste products squeeze through the holes. These waste products become part of the urine. Useful substances, such as protein and red blood cells, are too big to pass through the holes in the filter and stay in the blood.

Diabetes can damage this system. High levels of blood sugar make the kidneys filter too much blood. All this extra work is hard on the filters. After many years, they start to leak and useful protein is lost in the urine. Having small amounts of protein in the urine is called microalbuminuria.

When kidney disease is diagnosed early, during microalbuminuria, several treatments may keep kidney disease from getting worse. Having larger amounts of protein in the urine is called macroalbuminuria. When kidney disease is caught later during macroalbuminuria, end-stage renal disease, or ESRD, usually follows.

In time, the stress of overwork causes the kidneys to lose their filtering ability. Waste products then start to build up in the blood. Finally, the kidneys fail. This failure, ESRD, is very serious. A person with ESRD needs to have a kidney transplant or to have the blood filtered by machine (dialysis).

- See more at: http://www.diabetes.org/living-with-diabetes/complications/kidney-disease-nephropathy.html#sthash.JSznBYNn.dpuf

Don't Eat Your Vegetables!!

So in addition to the post a couple days ago, for those of us on blood thinners, leafy greens in large quantities (including plain ol lettuce) are out of the question. Grapefruit too. So no smoothie cleanses for us.

But Potassium is Good, Right?

High potassium, also known as hyperkalemia, is a condition that occurs when your blood contains too much potassium. According to the Mayo Clinic, a normal range for potassium is between 3.6 and 5.2 millimoles per liter of blood or milliequivalents per liter (mEq/L) (Mayo).

Potassium is a type of electrolyte (minerals that your body needs in order to function correctly). Potassium is specifically important to your nerves and muscles. All your muscles need potassium, including your heart.

The most common cause of high potassium is kidney failure. When your kidneys fail, they can’t perform their job of removing extra potassium from the body. This can lead to potassium build-up.

Another possible cause is heavy alcohol or drug use. If you are a heavy alcohol drinker or drug user, your muscles may begin to break down. This breakdown can release a high amount of potassium into your blood from within muscle cells.

You can also raise the levels of potassium in your body above the normal range by overusing potassium supplements or by taking chemotherapy drugs.

Certain kinds of trauma—like being burned—can raise your potassium levels as well.

The symptoms of high potassium depend on the level of the mineral in your blood. You may not experience any symptoms at all. If your potassium levels are high enough to cause symptoms, you may experience:

fatigue or weakness
a feeling of numbness or tingling
nausea or vomiting
problems breathing
palpitations or skipped heartbeats


In the extreme cases, high potassium can cause paralysis and heart problems. If your potassium levels are too high, your heartbeat can become irregular. If left untreated, high potassium levels can even cause your heart to stop.

Because of this, it’s important that you see your doctor promptly if you start experiencing any of these symptoms. Extremely high potassium levels will require you to be hospitalized until your levels are back to normal.

Doctors routinely perform blood tests during your annual checkup, or if you have recently started a new medication. Any abnormalities in your potassium levels would show up on these tests. Because of this, it’s likely that your doctor will catch high levels of potassium early on.

However, if you skip regular checkups, you may not be aware of high potassium levels until you start developing symptoms.

Usually, treatment for high potassium levels has two goals—to help your body get rid of the excess potassium and to stabilize your heart.

Medical Treatment

If you have high potassium due to kidney failure, hemodialysis is your best treatment option. Hemodialysis uses a machine to remove waste from your blood because your kidneys cannot filter your blood effectively.

Drugs may also be used to treat your high potassium levels. Gluconate might be given to reduce the effect that potassium has on your heart.

Your doctor might also prescribe diuretics (pills that cause you to urinate more) to help your kidneys get rid of excess potassium. In some cases, you might be given a resin by mouth. Resin binds with the potassium, allowing it to be removed from your body during your bowel movements.

At-Home Treatment

In addition to medical treatments, you can do to some things at home to help alleviate the symptoms of high potassium levels.

One of the easiest ways to naturally lower your potassium levels is to reduce the amount of potassium in your diet. This means limiting foods and supplements that are high in potassium. Some foods that are potassium-rich include:

bananas
nuts and beans
milk
apricots
salmon
Some salt substitutes are also high in potassium. When you buy a salt substitute, make sure to avoid any that list KCI (potassium chloride) as an ingredient. Foods that are high in additives—such as manufactured baked goods and sports drinks—are also usually high in potassium.

It may also help if you eat less red or processed meat. Try to drink more water and exercise regularly, too.

You may like to take herbs as a way to treat your ailments. However, there are a few herbs that you should not take when you have high potassium levels. Alfalfa, nettle, and dandelion can actually increase your potassium levels and should be avoided.

Nothing Like a Balanced Diet to Stay Healthy, Right?

Dieting while on a renal (kidney) diet is unreal! Everything you have been taught to eat is not good for you! Add bring on blood thinners and it makes you not even want to eat!

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