Low Sodium

[poliphilo]

Ailz's father has been told his kidneys are in a bad way and he needs to eat less salt. His response has been to give up crisps. Ailz went over there at lunchtime today on a mission to persuade him that a diet that's heavy on processed food, bacon, salami and strong cheese might need a little further pruning.

We were looking at low sodium diets on line. There's nothing arcane about them. Trust your commonsense and you won't go too far wrong. If it tastes salty it's got salt in it. QED. Cut out the worst offenders and you're left with fresh meat and fish, fresh vegetables, fresh fruit, pasta, yoghurt.  Not so bad, really.

But no, they couldn't possibly change the way they eat.  It is written in stone that there shall always be processed meats. Now lets talk about something else.

Today's menu chez viellards ennuyeux? Bacon for lunch, sausages for tea.

Comments

[baritonejeff.livejournal.com]

It is also written in stone that they who ignore failing kidneys shall partake greatly of the bounty that is dialysis, wherein well-meaning, but slightly imcompetent, strangers shall shove huge, painful needles into their arms. And lo the process shall be three times a week, each time of five hours duration, and shall continue for the rest of their days.

Once I was diagnosed with kidneys that were "in a bad way", I was able to forstall dialysis for five years by watching many things like a hawk; most importantly my diet.

At dialysis, I am surrounded mostly by people who STILL don't take this, or other "inconveniences", seriously. One of them died a couple of weeks ago. She was younger than I.

*slaps Ailz's father up side the head*

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Thank you for that. Ailz's father seems to be in complete denial as to the seriousness of his situation.

He's in his 80s of course- and I could understand it if he were saying, "Well, I've had a merry life and I've no intention of cutting down on the merriness in return for
surviving a few more years"- but that's not his attitude at all. He doesn't want to die- he's got a tenacious grip on life- but on the other hand he's not willing to make these quite small adjustments that might (a) extend his life and (b) make its quality better. Having eaten his meal of salty bacon he was complaining about a fearful headache- and when Ailz tried explaining there might be a link between the two he simply walked out the room.

[baritonejeff.livejournal.com]

Thats sad. It *is* a lot to take in. But it is his doctor's responsibility to adequately communicate the gravity of this to him in no uncertain terms. Unless I miss my guess, he is probably also at grave risk for either heart attack or stroke, or both. The main reason he has been instructed to curtail his salt intake must be blood pressure related. And high blood pressure is murder on the kidneys, in addition to the heart.

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

I think your diagnosis is correct. This latest problem with his kidneys comes on top of a long history of heart trouble.