Wilkie Wages War: Creatinine readings 2005

Environmental Health Network leader Barbara Wilkie discovered in July 2005 that her chemical injury/multiple chemical sensitivities had suddenly manifested as stage 4 (later stage 5) kidney disease (kidney failure). Despite dire warnings of death within a year, she eschewed dialysis and Western Medicine drugs and took a route of alternative medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine, and strict dietary changes. She lived well for six years, far beyond the doctors’ predictions.  Barb died at home, surrounded by friends and family, on May 31, 2011.

During this time, Barb documented her journey. From diagnosis through June 2008, she created one huge website page packed with details, plus some side documents on diet and other topics.  We have divided these works into smaller pieces, by date or topic, to make it easier to read and find things.  For dates after June 2008, we have letters, online posts, and other documents.

Barb intended her work to be read and used. We hope this presentation will help you do just that.

Wilkie Wages War on Kidney Disease
(aka Renal Disease or Failure)

OR, AS I SEE IT: Life with yet another facet of living with MCS.
I want to live life while dying.

Creatinine readings 2005

July 20 — 3.2 . . . I had already planned to return to veggies the day before
this blood test was taken, hence I ate a lot of tomatoes, celery, watermelon.
Little did I know I was consuming large quantities of potassium. BAD!

July 22 — 2.8 . . . when I learned on Thursday to stop tomatoes, dairy, etc.,
I did and so Friday’s retake showed a drop of 12.5 percent. Nice.

Aug. 9 — 2.6

Aug. 31 — 2.5 . . . so far looking good . . .

Oct. 25 — 2.9 . . . bummer! But, I stupidly took a hike and forgot my water bottle less than
24 hours before the blood test. Did lack of hydration affect the creatinine reading? Or,
has it been up since the pesticiding of utility poles — without warning! — on our block
and in front of our home? Don’t know. Didn’t have a blood test in September.
Now I wish I had before Sept. 27, and then one after. That would have been worth doing
and given a better clue as to full adverse effects suffered due to pesticiding utility poles.
There was no doubt that my respiratory system was tanked because of the pesticides on
our block and in front of our house. In supposedly “pesticide-free” Berkeley, no less.
Why no warning??????? And, I couldn’t get anyone in Berkeley to give a damn. Had
to turn to Alameda County for information.

Dec. 8 — 3.1 . . . Well, damn! But then, I was still following the diet given me by
the nephrologist in July, not eating more than 8 oz. of meat a day. With heartfelt
thanks to Betty Bridges, I have since read Coping with Kidney Disease: A 12-Step
Treatment Program to Help You Avoid Dialysis Mackenzie Walser, Betsy Thorpe;
ISBN: 0-471-54336-5; 240 pages; April 2004; US $16.95.
http://www.copingwithkidneydisease.com/
[Note 8/2/11: This website no longer exists. You can find more information here, and the book here.]

A very low protein diet is the recommended trick, along with taking essential amino acid
supplements. We’ll see. I’ll keep you posted for as long as possible.

Dec. 14 — 3.0 . . . A tiny improvement but that improves my
outlook a lot! A whole lot!!

Had a wonderful time with the entire family gathering at youngest daughter’s. All six grandkids
together again, with parents and grandparents. We’ve a tremendous family. We are blessed.