Bill
Bill has high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes. He also had colon cancer in 2006. He finds it reassuring to have his kidneys monitored as part of his 6-monthly diabetes check-ups but would like to have more information. His most recent test suggested that his kidney function has decreased and he is currently waiting for results from a repeat test.
Bill has been living with Type 2 diabetes for 15 years. During the first few years he managed to control his blood sugar through diet only. However, around 10 years ago he developed Polymyalgia, a condition that causes pain, stiffness and inflammation in the muscles around the shoulders, neck and hip. His GP prescribed steroids but warned him that they would affect his blood sugar control and he would need additional medication. The polymyalgia gradually improved but ever since, Bill has had to take metformin and glicazide to manage his diabetes. He feels frustrated that his GP surgery no longer provides him with testing strips so he can test his blood sugar at home between check-ups. When he starts to feel unwell, he can’t tell whether this is because his sugars are running high or low, so he often has a sugary snack as a precaution without knowing if that is the right thing to do. He would like to lose some weight, but finds it difficult to diet with his diabetes and has not had any advice from a dietician.
Bill also takes allopurinol to prevent gout, atorvastatin to lower his cholesterol and lisinopril for high blood pressure. Taking the medication is straightforward but he has experienced some side effects in the past. Over twenty years ago, when William first started taking allopurinol, he developed stiffness in his legs and started taking an additional supplement to alleviate his joint pain. However, after 18 months on the supplement, he developed kidney stones. He was in a lot of pain but managed to pass the kidney stones in his urine and they were sent off for analysis. He was referred for a kidney scan and the consultant told him that the stones were caused by a built up of uric acid in his kidneys and he should stop taking the supplement. He has not had any pain or symptoms from his kidneys since. However, as someone with diabetes, he knew that he had a greater risk than the average person to develop kidney complications at some point. One of his brothers had kidney failure and needed dialysis at a young age, so Bill is glad that he is being monitored regularly.
Bill attends six-monthly check-ups for his diabetes to have his blood sugar, blood pressure and kidney function tested. Around 12 years ago, the GP told him that his kidney function was on the borderline’ but when Bill asked about his test results at subsequent appointments he was told everything was fine. Then, just a few weeks ago, he was told that the results from his most recent routine check-up suggested that his kidney function was decreased and the GP asked him to come back and repeat the test repeated. He is still waiting for the results of the repeat test.
Bill feels a bit concerned about what is going on with his kidneys at the moment, partly to do with the family history of kidney problems in a couple of his brothers. He would like to be told a bit more and found it helpful that his GP recently sent him an information leaflet explaining in more detail how the kidneys work and what can affect them. He feels confident to ask questions of health professionals, and likes to know how his blood sugar, blood pressure and cholesterol are doing, but it can be hard to remember asking everything you want to know during a consultation. In 2006, Bill had an operation for colon cancer. It took 18 months for him to get a specialist referral after he first consulted his GP for his symptoms, but he persevered because he knew something was not right, and that the symptoms he experienced matched those of his older brother, who had developed colon cancer before him.
Bill thinks that people with a mild decrease in kidney function should be informed by their GP about their condition. He strongly believes in taking responsibility for his own health and would like to know more information about the severity of his kidney problem and whether there is anything else he can do to help himself.
Bill doesn’t feel particularly affected by his various health conditions and feels well most of the time. He has a fairly busy schedule, looking after his older siblings and going out socialising on the weekends. He likes to keep fit by going for walks in the nearby parks. He does not smoke, drinks only occasionally and tries to eat a healthy diet, but would find it helpful to have more support with how best to lose weight.