Thanks. Actually, my dad also had one kidney! I don’t know if it was a tumor, we just know he had one. He was born that way, as far as I know, because they didn’t figure this out untit late in life. But I don’t know it gave him any problems. He was always able to pass his army PT tests and never had issues with it. Lung cancer was what got him.
2 Likes
My mom’s dad died of lung cancer at the ripe old age of 42. I have outlived my own grandfather, she told me last year. My nephrologist said that people have two kidneys totalling about 20cm of kidney. We need 14cm, essentially, and to have 30% in reserve in case of issues like infections, dehydration damage or damage from high blood pressure. So, your dad and I got no reserve. We got what we got, the single 14cm biggie.
High blood pressure kills the tiny vessels in the kidneys, causing degradation over time. They do not grow back efficiently. So, the best I can do is try to manage my blood pressure and keep as much kidney function as I can, which will eventually degrade. Another nephrologist I know told me, “Most people don’t outlive their kidneys.” Meaning the kidney is not usually the organ that fails causing death. So that was a ray of hope. I guess.
This whole conversation sucks.
3 Likes
Sorry! I didn’t mean to start a sucky conversation.
I suspect, given what you say, that my dad would have had serious kidney problems had he not died at 60 of lung cancer, then. That doesn’t mean something can’t be done to help. I think they have a better idea of how to deal with these issues now than they used to, so I think you’ll be okay and you’re kidney will be good for a long time to come!
4 Likes
This topic was automatically closed after 5 days. New replies are no longer allowed.
