My Story

The Reason For Change:

I have a rare kidney disease called Cystinuria. The disease causes me to form kidney stones on a regular basis. In fact, I just had surgery in February to remove two kidney stones. One was 2.9cm X 2.7cm X 2.5cm and the one below it was 1.3cm X 1.2cm. The surgery is called a percutaneous nephrolithotomy. They made an incision in my back and into my kidney,shattered the stones into smaller pieces with a laser and pulled out the fragments. I had a tube coming out my back for 5 days after surgery to ensure my kidney was functioning properly as well as a stent from my kidney to my bladder for almost 3 weeks. It was one of the most life changing events I've faced. I knew then I had to change or this would be an annual surgery for me.  

What The Change Entails:

Weight Loss 

First, I'm overweight. Anyone who is over weight faces health challenges whether we notice them or not. Our bodies are not meant to carry extra weight. I am just under 5'4 and weigh 174lbs. I should be around 145lbs. I am hoping over the next year to get to that weight and maintain it. For once, it is not a race. I know that I didn't put the weight on overnight and it won't come off in my sleep either. Running So this past week I started running. I've always wanted to be a runner but never had the drive. To encourage myself, I started reading motivational weight loss blogs. I found that a lot of people lost weight by running and gained a passion for it. The only thing I had passion for was cheese. ;) I also bought new Nike Free Flex running shoes. I LOOOVE THEM!! And I couldn't forget pepper spray! Safety first! Finally, I downloaded a running app. There are tons out there but I found that runkeeper works the best for me. :) Within 3 days, I was excited to keep running. I checked to make sure I didn't have a fever because this was not like me in the least bit. Turns out, I might be onto something great. I'll keep updating the blog to show where I am in my journey.

No Meat/Dairy

Aside from being overweight, I needed to change my diet for more than just weight loss purposes. Eating animal proteins is a big no no for me with Cystinuria. So, I have given up meat and am working towards becoming vegan. This has been the absolute hardest for me. I am a self proclaimed Carnivore. I am a girl who would eat the whole steak and then whatever was left over from my hubby. Now, I'm faced with watching people around me eat meat that I can no longer have. I have never been a smoker but I think this is the equivalent of quitting. Seriously, I have eaten meat and dairy my whole life. Now, they have been placed on the "Can't Have" list. I do however, have an amazing support group of friends who have helped me through this transition. Because of them, I'm starting to see my "Can't Have" list as a "Don't Want" list. Changing the way I look at it has been challenging but rewarding at the same time. Watching documentaries has also helped. I have watched Vegucated and Forks Over Knives. Both had amazing insight on what dangers lie within the meat and dairy industries. It is very eye opening.

Low Sodium 

I also have to keep my sodium to a minimum. It is preferred that I keep it down to 2000mg per day. The best thing I can do to reach this goal is to cut out processed foods as much as possible. I have also cut out fast food and soda because they have so much sodium/sugar in them. Reducing the sodium helps prevent stones as well. So, it's good for my hear and my kidneys. It's a win win but also a very daunting task at times.

Alkaline Time 

Eating and drinking Alkaline products keeps my kidneys from forming stones. The more acidic foods I eat, the higher my risk becomes for stones to form and grow. Maintaining a PH level of 7.5-8.0 is my goal. It's like giving my kidneys a vacation where they can throw in the towel. It's an all day every day effort to maintain a balanced PH. Everything we place in our bodies can effect our PH level.

Water Water and MORE WATER 

 I do my best to drink 4 liters of water a day as well as some throughout the night. I used to drink diet coke all day like it was going out of style. Now, I only take a coupe sips here and there if I'm really craving it. I add lemon to my water as well (this helps alkaline the urine). Some days I feel like lemons are going to star growing out of my ears! It's part of the "cure" for Cystinuria. Water helps the kidneys flush out the extra cystine that loves to hangout.

Why I Shared My Story:

All these changes are challenging and seem bigger than me at times. I know that I CAN accomplish them all. I hope that people can see the numerous lifestyle changes I am working through and they can be encouraged to work on something they have been putting off for years. Even though someone might not have a health reason behind them to push them through it, maybe just seeing that others face hard obstacles as well will be even a little bit of encouragement. I take everything one day at a time. I'm not perfect and it sure isn't easy but I do know it will be worth it.