Despite what you might think, MCD is not just an abbreviation of Mc Donald's (in this case, at least)
In February, while hospitalised with sepsis following my kidney biopsy, the result of it came back. After 3-5 years of dealing with severe headaches, hypertension and high blood pressure (among other symptoms), which had grown increasingly worse over the last 3 months, I was diagnosed with Minimal Change Disease or Minimal Change Glomerulopathy. MCD is an auto-immune disease that affects the kidneys' ability to filter urine. I was put on 75 mg of Prednisone (corticosteroids) along with other medications to lessen the side effects of Prednisone (and to lessen the symptoms of my MCD). After being on Prednisone for about 6 months, little effect of it had been observed by my doctors. They decided upon another kidney biopsy, as they had not completely ruled out another disease in their first biopsy; FSGS (they had simply hoped for it to be MCD as the alternative was much worse). Through the second biopsy, they concluded that it was, indeed, MCD (much to all of our relief) and that the medication simply was not working. In addition to being on 15 mg of Prednisone at this point, I was put on 5 mg of Advagraf, a drug usually used for transplant patients. My current treatment, thankfully, appears to be working.
Minimal Change Disease is not only diagnosed and "observed" through a kidney biopsy. I usually go in for blood work every two weeks or so and more often now that I am on Advagraf as well. Since MCD affects the kidneys' filtering abilities, it leads to the loss of protein through the urine. This loss is measured through urine samples. I started at an Albumin-Creatinine ratio of 2335,7, I am now at 367,6. I still have a long way to go, however, as said ratio is supposed to be below 30.
This about sums up my experience with MCD so far. At least, this is as short as I can make it. It has taken a toll on both my physical and mental health. I suppose this is a way for me to process all of this as well as give people the opportunity to know just a bit more about MCD. So, feel free to ask me anything! I am, quite literally, an open book. You can ask me anything from how I was before I started treatment vs. now, to which side effects my wonderful medications have to offer. The opportunities are endless and there are hardly any questions that are off-limit. So, knock yourselves out!
In February, while hospitalised with sepsis following my kidney biopsy, the result of it came back. After 3-5 years of dealing with severe headaches, hypertension and high blood pressure (among other symptoms), which had grown increasingly worse over the last 3 months, I was diagnosed with Minimal Change Disease or Minimal Change Glomerulopathy. MCD is an auto-immune disease that affects the kidneys' ability to filter urine. I was put on 75 mg of Prednisone (corticosteroids) along with other medications to lessen the side effects of Prednisone (and to lessen the symptoms of my MCD). After being on Prednisone for about 6 months, little effect of it had been observed by my doctors. They decided upon another kidney biopsy, as they had not completely ruled out another disease in their first biopsy; FSGS (they had simply hoped for it to be MCD as the alternative was much worse). Through the second biopsy, they concluded that it was, indeed, MCD (much to all of our relief) and that the medication simply was not working. In addition to being on 15 mg of Prednisone at this point, I was put on 5 mg of Advagraf, a drug usually used for transplant patients. My current treatment, thankfully, appears to be working.
Minimal Change Disease is not only diagnosed and "observed" through a kidney biopsy. I usually go in for blood work every two weeks or so and more often now that I am on Advagraf as well. Since MCD affects the kidneys' filtering abilities, it leads to the loss of protein through the urine. This loss is measured through urine samples. I started at an Albumin-Creatinine ratio of 2335,7, I am now at 367,6. I still have a long way to go, however, as said ratio is supposed to be below 30.
This about sums up my experience with MCD so far. At least, this is as short as I can make it. It has taken a toll on both my physical and mental health. I suppose this is a way for me to process all of this as well as give people the opportunity to know just a bit more about MCD. So, feel free to ask me anything! I am, quite literally, an open book. You can ask me anything from how I was before I started treatment vs. now, to which side effects my wonderful medications have to offer. The opportunities are endless and there are hardly any questions that are off-limit. So, knock yourselves out!
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