How do you cope with ADPKD?I have a friend who was recently diagnosed with Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney Disease. She is in her early twenties and currently very shocked, as she had no idea anything like that was going on until she went for a routine examination for something else.
Do any other people, especially the young, suffer from this condition? How do you manage it in everyday life, and how do you feel about the future?
Thanks from myself and my friend for any guidance.
Posted by Doc
My friend's dad died of PKD when he was young, and he has about a 50% chance of having it. Under different circumstances, I would have recommended your friend do what my friend is doing - don't get tested at all, at least not early. But now that she knows she has it, she has to cope with a lot of stuff. She may want to go on antidepressants at some point to help out. The initial shock of knowing you're going to die a lot earlier than you thought is worse than it actually gets, though. Once she gets through this time, you can try to talk to her about the different treatments available, possibilities for transplants and dialysis, and the advancements in medical research. It's similar to a cancer diagnosis in a lot of respects. Get through the first few weeks, then reassure her that it's not the end of the world.
If all else fails, she can spiral into a drug addiction. I hear that helps some people.
Orignal From: Kidney Disease: How do you cope with ADPKD?
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