PKD looks good on you

That's what my husband said to me tonight. Not exactly the most romantic thing ever said, but I appreciated it just the same.

Here's why I liked that he said it. Since I was diagnosed, we have been trying as a family to eat more appropriate meals for somebody with PKD. For example, we do not eat fastfood anymore, as the sodium content in the food is just too high, not to mention that some of it hardly qualifies as food. I do have to admit, however, we were close to being fast food junkies.

I have cut out all caffeine and soda, as well as most chocolate, just because those things make my symptoms, particularly my pain, much worse. The earliest symptom I had, which I've mentioned before, was numb toes, probably caused by the kidneys pushing up against my spinal cord. Since cutting out caffeine, I no longer have that symptom. In fact, about a month after the diagnosis, I did drink a Dr. Pepper, thinking (hoping?)that maybe the stuff I had read about caffeine exacerbating the cysts wasn't true. Bam--almost right away, the numbness and pain was back. So no more caffeine for me, and I've since managed to cut out all sodas all together.

We also eat less pre-packaged food, again because of the sodium, and I am cooking much more fresh stuff. We're not gourment by any means, just stuff like chicken from the grill, simple salads, and colorful fruits and vegetables every meal. I even bought an eggplant yesterday. I haven't a clue how to make anything that remotely involves eggplant, but hey, the dietician at the conference said to eat the rainbow, and eggplant certainly is colorful! Besides, I have recipes.com to help me through it.

The result of this subtle yet definite shift in eating habits is that my husband has noticed a subtle yet very definite shift in my shape! Even in swimsuit season, he says he thinks I am looking better these days than I have in a long time. And that makes me feel good, not only because every woman likes to think she's attractive, but also because it means that I must be doing something right.

So, in some ways I can be grateful that I now have a reason to be the healthiest person I can be. Nothing like a life threatening disease to get you motivated to bypass MacDonalds!

And with all the rest of the stuff going on, it's nice to know that PKD looks good on me.

Thanks, DH.