There are people who choose to follow a low salt and sodium diet to eat healthier and live a better quality of life. Others follow a low sodium diet because they suffer from high blood pressure or a chronic illness, such as kidney disease. For me, it was literally a choice between life or death.
In January of 2015, my life changed forever. Less than a week after returning from a wonderful three week vacation in Hawaii for the Christmas holidays, I collapsed in my home because I was experiencing organ failure. I was rushed to DeKalb Medical Center (www.dekalbmedical.org) in Decatur, Georgia near death. A team of medical professionals had been alerted by my physician and were waiting at the Emergency Room entrance. Immediate actions were undertaken to save my life. Somehow, I had developed an infection that became septic, which had seriously impacted my kidneys. When I was admitted into the hospital, my kidneys were operating at less than eight percent capacity, requiring me to undergo immediate dialysis.
Since my kidneys weren’t functioning properly, my body began to swell with excess fluids. I had to undergo dialysis at least four to five times a week, and I barely recognized myself. Meanwhile, I was placed on intravenous tubes to allow antibiotics to fight the sepsis. This was my life for the nearly three months that I spent in the hospital on dialysis. Since the sepsis killed the bone in my right hip, it was removed and a temporary piece was implanted until I was well enough to undergo hip replacement surgery. When my kidneys finally began functioning, I was transferred to a nursing home/rehabilitation facility to begin the slow recovery process.
Due to the infection, I have permanently lost feeling in my feet and legs. I also have a chronic kidney condition or mild kidney disease. This has meant a significant change in my diet. No more Coca Colas, liquor, and Chinese, Vietnamese, and Thai foods. Or any food that contains significant amounts of sodium. Being grateful that I survived an illness that kills nearly 50 percent of the people whom it impacts, I decided to prepare great tasting foods that are low in sodium, find low sodium products that enhance the taste of foods, identify restaurants that can meet my dietary requirements, and resume traveling to beautiful destinations worldwide and remain faithful to my dietary regimen.
Most importantly, I want to help you to live and enjoy life too. That’s what this blog is all about. Meanwhile, I am very grateful to the physicians, nurses, and medical personnel at DeKalb Medical Center who saved my life. Please allow me to give a special shout out to my fantastic doctors. who are listed below. If it weren’t for them, I would not be here today!
- Hanif Boghani, MD – Atlanta Kidney Care Benjamin Epstein, MD
- Hospital Affiliation: DeKalb Medical Hospital Affiliation: Piedmont Healthcare
- Aaron Alizadeh, MD Corie N. Tewari, MD
- Hospital Affiliation: DeKalb Medical Hospital Affiliation: DeKalb Medical
- Hospital Affiliation: Northside Hospital
- Robin Henry Dretler, MD
- Hospital Affiliation: DeKalb Medical