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The Journey of Accepting My New Diet and Finding Out Chipotle Has Way Too Much Sodium

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The Journey of Accepting My New Diet and Finding Out Chipotle Has Way Too Much Sodium

One of the biggest parts of being diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease is having to change the way I eat and figuring out my new diet. As a disclaimer, this post will be about my personal journey with food, diet, and CKD. Please do your own research when it comes to what you can and can not eat if you also have been diagnosed with it. I have found that different people can eat different things based on their numbers, what their doctors have said, and their own health history.

Figuring Out My New Diet

When I first knew that my eGFR numbers meant I had kidney disease, I started researching what that mean for my diet. I knew I would have to make some changes. There were the big ones such as no more dark sodas, which meant saying goodbye to my beloved Diet Dr. Pepper, and eating lower sodium foods. I wasn’t one to put extra salt on most of my foods but I knew I would have to change some of my eating habits.

I also know I couldn’t change everything at once. I knew that it would take some time so I slowly started the journey of figuring out my new diet. At first, I dropped things that were obvious no-nos such as hotdogs, and anything pre-packaged and processed. That seemed to be the easier part.

I also started reading labels. How much sodium was in my cereal? In a bagel? In my meal at Chipotle? And that was eye opening. Chipotle has so much sodium in it. When I was looking for information on it, I found Reddit posts about how much sodium they put in most of their foods. I realized that Chipotle, my previous comfort food, was no longer going to be an option for me on my new diet.

Cutting Back On Soda

Oh man, this is going to be hard. It’s definitely a journey. And will take time to get to where I need to be.

Next, I started cutting back on the soda. I then got to where I had cut out the dark sodas 100% and I started ordering Spite and 7up but I am not that huge of a fan of those drinks expect maybe on an airplane. So after a few weeks I realized I needed to stick to mostly water.

As I started reading more labels, looking up more foods, and trying to figure out what I can actually eat, I have found myself feeling pretty sad about it at times. Going out to eat is one of my favorite things to do however, going out to eat and trying to eat this way is so very difficult.

Remembering Why I Now Have to Eat This Way

The one thing that I know will help me the most on this journey and sticking with my new diet is knowing that if I eat well, my kidneys will have a better chance, and that means I will have a better chance of living a longer life. It also is a good way to drop some of my bad eating habits, lose weight, and just become a healthier person.

I also know that I am still learning and figuring out new ways to eat. That I might make some mistakes, but it is all apart of the journey. I will have to give up things I never thought I could, and that can be empowering.

Yes, Chipotle has too much sodium, and I have to stay away from things everyone else around me won’t have to, but I will be able to figure out the best way forward with my eating.

My Emotional Journey of Being Diagnosed With Chronic Kidney Disease

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I am 45 years old and this year I was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease.

Finding Out About My Kidneys

In May of this year, I went in for my annual doctor’s appointment. I will admit, I didn’t really want to go but I did. And I am so glad I did. I had some blood work done, and it came back with come concerning results.

I was referred to several different specialists, including a urologist. One of the concerns was my creatinine levels and my eGFR number. For my age and gender, the average for those numbers is a creatinine level of .5-1.1, and an eGFR of 99. My numbers were a creatinine level of 1.7, and an eGFR of 34. This was not good news.

I looked back at my older labs and was a little shocked to see that my numbers had been normal in 2019, but started to fall in 2020. But I never really paid close attention to them and they weren’t “bad” enough for the doctor to be concerned. They were now what is concerned Kidney Disease 3b. I have learned from spending time in Facebook groups for people with CKD that most people don’t get diagnosed until 3a or 3b.

How I Was Diagnosed With Chronic Kidney Disease

I am not totally sure why this. But it seems to be what happens.

So although I hadn’t been officially diagnosed yet, I knew what was going on. I just didn’t know why. Kidney disease wasn’t something I ever thought about. It didn’t seem to run in our family.

I was sent to have an ultrasound on my kidneys, and then a CT scan. I also went to my first urologist appointment. It was there they explained that their job was to figure out if my bladder was the reason for the decrease in my kidney function. She said one of the things could be a blockage in my bladder.

Ureteral Obstruction

Due to the results of the CT scan, I was scheduled for an exploratory surgery where they would be able to see what was going on with my bladder and if there was a blockage. I had this in August and it was explained to me that if they did find a blockage they would insert two stents to help temporarily correct things. But they wouldn’t know until after the surgery started.

So the first thing I asked when I woke up was, “Do I have stents…?” And the answer was yes. That meant that they did in fact find a blockage, which was good news because it meant that we probably found a cause for the reduced kidney function.

I have what is called a ureteral obstruction on both sides, but one is worse than the other. The tubes, called ureters, carry the urine from the kidneys to the bladder. Picture a straw that has a kink in it, the liquid doesn’t flow like it should and so the urine is backing up within the kidneys causing the decrease in function.

Surgery to Fix It

I will be having surgery next month to fix it. They will cut out the obstructed area of the tube and reattach it, almost like what do if you have a hole in a hose and need to repair it. This will hopefully stop the problems I am having with losing kidney function.

Once that is done, I can truly focus on the reality of now having kidney disease. Unfortunately just because they can fix the obstruction doesn’t mean my kidneys will go back to normal. Now, my eGFR can go up a little bit and I can hopefully stay in that range for decades. My doctor has hope that I can stay away from stage 5.

It’s humbling to know that I have something going on that could be terminal. But, I also know that I can most likely live a long life even with kidney disease. I have had to change my diet a bit which is hard, and I am not quite where I want to be yet. That is a journey in and of itself.

Meeting With the Nephrologist

I did meet with a nephrologist and have been officially diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. That was super helpful and was able to ask some questions and get a lot of information. And going to see him really helped me understand how real this all was.

I don’t know what the future holds and just trying to take it day by day and appointment by appointment. Seeing so many different doctors, having so much blood being taken, and even having multiple surgeries is all really new to me. I sometimes have to take a deep breath, say some prayers, and hope for the very best.