Quote Originally Posted by drz View Post
Kidney test results are influenced by things like of level hydration. Often changes in their function are gradual so trends are important but there can be sudden changes that impair or damage them so careful medical follow up is strongly recommended to try preserve kidney function. People have lost their kidneys in a few days without any awareness till it is too late. Often the body can recover somewhat from serious damage or attacks on kidneys but it may be slow and gradual process.

You can get dipsticks to check on your kidneys at home on a frequent basis plus regular lab work that your doctors order.

My GPA diagnosis was confirmed by a kidney diagnosis.


Thanks for the response, drz! I just got home from Rheumatology. Good and bad came out of it. The good thing is that my numbers look better than usual. The bad part is, with all that and feeling fine, the disease is still somewhat active. She increased my Azathioprine to 150 mg daily from 100. I had to get a steroid injection in my left knee. Even though it didn't hurt as much as last week, she could still see the swelling. Then for the kidneys... based on my good numbers, things look like they'll stay the same without a biopsy. BUT... like you said before, if they keep bouncing around like being on a trampoline, they kidney biopsy will still be on the table. I'm not afraid of the results. I'm afraid of the procedure. Last time I did that in 2014, as soon as the needle went in my back, out of no where a major sneeze came one, frightening me and the kidney doctor! LOL That paralyzed my mind moving forward. We still don't know if what's happening is new damage or old damage, so the only way to know is to do that biopsy to be sure. Thank you so much for your input earlier. At least I wasn't scared walking in there today like last time.