HalfPintOG said:
I'm a 71-year-old woman, and this will be lengthy; sorry. I can't think of another way to begin except at the start. Maybe have some popcorn and an energy drink. For more than 25 years, I ran a successful business, worked out religiously, and at 5'2", my weight never went above 110#. My first kidney stone arrived when I was six. I passed it on the drive to the ER, screaming the whole way. Roughly three months afterward, another one came. I stayed home for that one because I knew the routine, but the doctor chose to do an ultrasound since multiple kidney infections had occurred during that year. The scan revealed numerous stones; several were sizable, and the largest—the queen—measured 9MM. It was too large to pass safely. I was taken in to have them blasted, a procedure expected to last about 40 minutes to an hour. After 2 1/2 hours, my husband asked to be told what was happening. He was put in touch with the surgeon, who reported complications. Veins and arteries had grown around and attached to my kidney, strangling it. She thought this had likely existed since birth. They worked to peel away as much as possible. The large stone couldn't be reached since my liver was enlarged to such a degree.
I quit all coffee and caffeine. The kidney infections kept coming. A different doctor found that my kidney wasn't draining fully and that my ureter was partly blocked. Another operation placed a temporary stent. It stayed in for 6 weeks, then came out. Infections returned. A nephrostomy bag was placed. It required replacement every 3 months. I had it for more than a year. A 14" blood clot also formed in my left thigh. I spent 2 weeks in the hospital receiving IV blood thinners. Amputation was called the best option. My husband spent the whole next day calling around and located a doctor who told him to bring me straight to a hospital in another city. They Roto-Rootered it out, put in a permanent stent, and I was on Coumadin for a year. I still have my leg. Returning to the kidney: while my nephrostomy bag was being changed, I caught a nasty bacterium called pseudomonas. I went back into the hospital for 10 days with a 24-hour IV drip. After that, I continued the IV drip at home for another 10 days, one hour per day. My strength keeps fading, and I simply want it to be over. I still had the nephrostomy bag when I got Covid.
Fluid collected around my heart. A neuro stress test was done, and my reaction was the worst they'd ever witnessed. Anyone who has had that test knows it can't be halted; it must finish on its own. My heart entered a fib, I sweated heavily, and I nearly seized. After it cleared my system, my doctor said he was taking me to surgery and would place a stent if one was needed. I begged him to let me die. I couldn't endure more. Then I was asleep. My heart was fine after all. It had only been shielding itself from everything my body has endured.
I went to someone willing to attempt ureter repair. Scar tissue was blocking much of it. He told me I had one chance; if it failed, the kidney would need removal because it was causing more harm than GOOD. It worked. He examined the kidney stone and explained that the liver had prevented access, so now that had to be dealt with. He described the 9 mm stone as a bomb waiting to explode. My diagnosis is stage 4 non-alcoholic fibrosis. I'm one step from cirrhosis. They've drawn 18 bottles of blood and run every test imaginable. The exact cause remains unidentified, though it appears to be some form of immuno disease. Great. As we all know, there isn't much to be done about that. At the end of July, I need a liver ultrasound and biopsy. So here I am: 100 pounds overweight, weak—severe; I wish a stronger word than severe existed for my weakness.
PTSD is also part of this, along with a fear regarding open places; my balance is poor, I become dizzy and begin to black out, so I use a walker. I attempt chair aerobics and some gardening, but exhaustion hits quickly. If a day is good, I'll spend the next two sleeping. On the subject of sleep: sleep apnea has been with me since age 21, unrelated to weight since I was very thin then. For 20 years I've used a Sleep Apnea machine. It makes no difference; I wake as if I haven't slept for days. Whatever I try, my energy level won't return. I began tizepatide around eight months ago, I believe, and have dropped 65 pounds. I feel no different. My sleep amount hasn't changed. Now at 15 units, I'm constantly hungry. I don't want to regain the weight I lost. Two weeks ago I started MotsC at 5 mg once a week. Nothing has changed. I wondered about stacking it with some Reta; I've read and studied a lot, but my husband believes it's too risky. What I know is that I can't continue like this. Conventional medicine has given me no help. Had my husband not been proactive, today I'd be sitting here with a nephrostomy bag full of bacteria, just one leg, and at least 125 pounds overweight. I only need to get back on my feet, and I believe peptides might help me do that, but I don't know what to take. Any help would be greatly, greatly appreciated.
