by Steven Moss

Created on: May 07, 2009

Polycystic kidney disease is a condition afflicting hundreds of thousands of Americans. The nature of the disease is discussed quite effectively in the adjacent articles. There are many individuals with PKD that do not know they have it nor manifest any symptoms as a result. For countless others the diagnosis may come as a surprise as it did in my case.

I was diagnosed at the age of 32. I am married and my children were only 2 and 4 years of age at the time. I presented with chronic bilateral flank pain, hematuria, and infection of unknown origin. The most troubling symptom was sudden significant weight loss. I dropped a startling 37 pounds in about 2 months. I was a vigorous 6'1", 200 pound man with an athletic build.

The first thing I did after having my renal ultrasound was to go home and research PKD. The outlook was grim. I researched medical documents, reviewed the PKD Foundation website, and several other renal and nephrology research organizations to find very consistent and depressing information. There is no treatment. There is no cure. I looked for research groups seeking test subjects to no avail. I had been suffering for several months with progressively worsening symptoms and chronic flank pain that made sitting or lying down painful. I slept in small increments because the pain would wake me after only about 2 hours. The pain was associated with eating, moving, sitting, standing, breathing, overall living. At that point the pain was so constant that I had already gotten all of my affairs in order.

After months of having no energy, no appetite, and unable to even engage my children, something had to give. I had recurring kidney stones in my left kidney, and my right kidney was covered in cysts. I was on a regimen of antibiotics and pain pills. I had explored a number of alternative medicine philosophies and my wife and I began studying herbs that we might be able to self-medicate. That proved to be more daunting that we could manage at home. I flippantly suggested trying acupuncture and my wife quickly pursued it. Fortunately, we found a fantastic clinic only an hour away.

There is more to it than just acupuncture. Chinese medicine uses acupuncture, herbal formulas, and Energetics for treatment. I was skeptical so I was glad to be surprised. I went in for my initial visit 6 months after my diagnosis. By the time I attempted to lie down for sleep that evening, I noticed that the pain had abated. The pain never returned. Over the next few months I regained vitality, appetite, and weight and felt much better.

Living with PKD requires monitoring your intake. I am always conscious of my sodium and potassium intake. More importantly it is about what I keep out of my system. I completely avoid any products with high-fructose corn syrup, hyper-processed foods like microwave meals and hot dogs and the like, and I completely avoid alcohol. I strive to consume healthy foods. The key is my herbal formula. It is composed of a blend of herbs, mixed specifically for my body, which is soaked in water for several hours and then brewed like a tea. I drink about a quart every day throughout the day. I receive acupuncture once a month at this point for maintenance and to determine when to adjust my formula.

This treatment will not cure my condition. I have to be clear about that. What this treatment does for me is keep my disease more in the shadows than right out in a controlling position of my life. I am able to focus on things other than how I feel that day and whether or not I can play with my children or work productively. Ultimately, I have found treatment that allows me to live my life.

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