Solitary Kidney

Your kidneys perform many functions to keep you alive. They
1.filter wastes and extra fluid from your blood
2.keep the proper balance of minerals like sodium, phosphorus, calcium, and potassium in your blood
3.help maintain a healthy blood pressure
4.make hormones that keep your blood and bones healthy

Most people have two kidneys, one on each side of the spinal column in the back just below the rib cage. Each kidney is about the size of a fist and contains about 1 million nephrons. The nephrons are microscopic filtering baskets that transfer wastes from the blood to the collecting tubules of the urinary system.

A person may have only one kidney for one of three main reasons.

A person may be born with only one kidney, a condition known as renal agenesis. Renal dysplasia, another birth defect, makes one kidney unable to function. Many people with renal agenesis or renal dysplasia lead normal, healthy lives and only discover that they have one kidney—or one working kidney—when they have an x ray, sonogram, or surgery for some unrelated condition.

Some people must have one kidney removed to treat cancer or other diseases or injuries. The operation to remove a kidney is called a nephrectomy.

A growing number of people are donating a kidney to be transplanted into a family member or friend whose kidneys have failed.

Possible effects of solitary kidney:
If having a single kidney does affect your health, the changes are likely to be so small and happen so slowly that you won’t notice them. Over long periods of time, however, these gradual changes may require specific measures or treatments. Changes that may result from a single kidney include the following:

High blood pressure:
Kidneys help maintain a healthy blood pressure by regulating how much fluid flows through the bloodstream and by making a hormone called renin that works with other hormones to expand or contract blood vessels. Many people who lose or donate a kidney are found to have slightly higher blood pressure after several years.

Proteinuria:
Excessive protein in the urine, a condition known as proteinuria, can be a sign of kidney damage. People are often found to have higher-than-normal levels of protein in their urine after they have lived with one kidney for several years.

Reduced GFR:
The glomerular filtration rate (GFR) shows how efficiently your kidneys are removing wastes from your bloodstream. People have a reduced GFR if they have only one kidney.

You can have high blood pressure, proteinuria, and reduced GFR and still feel fine. As long as these conditions are under control, they will probably not affect your health or longevity. Schedule regular checkups with your doctor to monitor these conditions.

Protecting Kidneys:

Monitoring
Your doctor should monitor your kidney function by checking your blood pressure and testing your urine and blood once a year.

Normal blood pressure is considered to be 120/80 or lower. You have high blood pressure if it is over 140/90. People with kidney disease or one kidney should keep their blood pressure below 130/80. Controlling blood pressure is especially important because high blood pressure can damage kidneys.

Your doctor may use a strip of special paper dipped into a little cup of your urine to test for protein. The color of the dipstick indicates the presence or absence of protein. A more sensitive test for proteinuria involves laboratory measurement and calculation of the protein-to-creatinine ratio. A high protein-to-creatinine ratio in urine (greater than 30 milligrams of albumin per 1 gram of creatinine) shows that kidneys are leaking protein that should be kept in the blood.

Measuring GFR used to require an injection of a contrast medium like iothalamate into the bloodstream followed by a 24-hour urine collection to see how much of the medium is filtered through the kidneys in that time. In recent years, however, scientists have discovered that they can estimate a person’s GFR based on the amount of creatinine in a small blood sample. The new GFR calculation uses the patient’s creatinine measurement along with weight, age, and values assigned for sex and race. Some medical laboratories may calculate GFR at the same time they measure and report creatinine values. If your GFR stays consistently below 60, you are considered to have chronic kidney disease.

Controlling Blood Pressure:

If your blood pressure is above normal, you should work with your doctor to keep it below 130/80. Great care should be taken in selecting blood pressure medicines for people with a solitary kidney. Angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors and angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs) are two classes of blood pressure medicine that protect kidney function and reduce proteinuria. But these medicines may be harmful to someone with renal artery stenosis (RAS), which is the narrowing of the arteries that enter the kidneys. Diuretics can help control blood pressure by removing excess fluid in the body. Controlling your blood pressure may require a combination of two or more medicines, plus changes in diet and activity level.
Eating Sensibly

Having a single kidney does not mean that you have to follow a special diet. You simply need to make healthy choices, including fruits, vegetables, grains, and low-fat dairy foods. Limit your daily salt (sodium) intake to 2,000 milligrams or less if you already have high blood pressure. Reading nutrition labels on packaged foods to learn how much sodium is in one serving and keeping a sodium diary can help. Limit alcohol and caffeine intake as well.

Avoid high-protein diets. Protein breaks down into the waste materials that the kidneys must remove, so excessive protein puts an extra burden on the kidneys. Eating moderate amounts of protein is still important for proper nutrition. A dietitian can help you find the right amount of protein in your diet.

Avoiding Injury:

Some doctors may advise patients with a solitary kidney to avoid contact sports like boxing, football, and hockey. One study indicated that motor vehicle collisions and bike riding accidents were more likely than sports injuries to seriously damage the kidneys. In recent years, athletes with a single working kidney have participated in sports competition at the highest levels. Having a solitary kidney should not automatically disqualify you from sports participation. Children should be encouraged to engage in some form of physical activity, even if contact sports are ruled out. Protective gear such as padded vests worn under a uniform can make limited contact sports like basketball or soccer safe. Doctors, parents, and patients should consider the risks of any activity and decide whether the benefits outweigh those risks.

Reference: HealthOnclick

Knowledge and Persistence leads to success
I have always been fascinated by the question ,why some people can and others can’t? I spent years trying to figure this out. At first it was mainly for myself. I remember growing up with little confidence and under the impression that others were more capable than I was. The fact was that this impression was true. It was true because i believed it.

Refused massage due to POSSIBILITY of pregnancy!?!?!?

Over all the whole ordeal wasted a lot of my time, and was completely emotional and disappointing.

I waited in two waiting rooms, changed into the robe and was taken to the massage room. I was asked about injuries or pregnancy. Laughing I said if I was, I would only be two days pregnant. I had ovulated two days before and my husband and I had been trying almost two years. I was told about a possible correlation between massage during early pregnancy and miscarriage and was GIVEN A CHOICE to proceed or not.

I decided to proceed, the reason I booked the massage was to help with the stress of infertility. I was told to dis-robe, and lay on the massage table and she would be back. I did, and waited another 10 minutes naked on the warm massage bed, with relaxing music and aromatherapy. She then came back to tell me she had bad news. Her manager said they couldn’t massage me due to the risk of the possibility that I might be pregnant!

Can they do this? Isn’t this discrimination? If this is their policy, it would mean almost all women could only have massage done one week out of the month because even women on birth control have a possibility of being pregnant! This is ridiculous! Shouldn’t I have been told about this BEFORE I booked the appointment? Before I was made to undress? Shouldn’t there be a waiver I can sign, shouldn’t it be my choice? I was told I would need a doctors note to get a massage! I am pretty sure my reproductive endocrinologist would have told me to avoid massage if he thought there was any risk.

Come to think of it, I was refused a dental cleaning due to the “possibility” of being pregnant last year. I found a new dentist who said it’s actually better for pregnant women to have their teeth cleaned due to pregnancy periodontis. I can’t keep being refused services like this just because I am TTC! It’s been almost two years, I need to lead a normal life too. So I should have to go two years without dental cleanings and massage? What’s next? You can’t be seen because you “might” have cancer? Because you “might” have an allergic reaction?

Even if someone were to sue a massuese for miscarriage, there is no way they could win. It would be impossible to prove the reason for the miscarriage. The vast majority of miscarriages are thought to be caused by a chromosome defect.

Is infertility the new discrimination?
Even if it’s not illegal, it is certainly not right!

Answer
Ok, first off, I would like to say whoever fed this line of S&*t to you, does not know what they are talking about! I am a certified massage therapist, and that is the craziest thing I have ever heard! Actually, pregnancy massage is one of the most enjoyable types of massage for me, acting as a massage therapist. I have massaged women who are 9 months pregnant! If you know what you are doing, and know the certain body areas that must not be massaged while pregnant, there should be no cause for concern. So please do not feel that you must eliminate massage out of your life while expecting!!

Hope this helps!!