Part I: April First, I Get a New Kidney, No Foolin'
The long-term use of lithium for bipolar disorder caused irreversible kidney damage to a Patch contributor.
Today, my new T-shirt arrived in the mail. “Ask me why I have three kidneys,” it reads. I ordered it online and plan to wear it when I return home from my Einstein Hospital stay after I receive a new kidney later this week from my daughter Sarah. They leave the old kidneys in. I lost vital kidney function after taking the medication lithium for nearly 17 years for manic depression, also known as bipolar disorder. It kept my moods stable and allowed me to live a vibrant, productive life. When I first went on lithium at age 38, I was aware of this major risk. But every drug carries risks, even aspirin. I did well on the drug—raising my two children as a single parent, working as a writer and copy editor for the Doylestown-based Intelligencer…
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Ruth Z. Deming
8:18 am on Wednesday, April 6, 2011
thanks for your lovely note, mrs dungan. you certainly have a wonderful son. he also shared that you run a support group yourself and you're right that this would be of great help to me. my family and friends have been super, esp. by providing me with delicious healthy foods. altho i'm doing quite well it'll still be a while until i feel like my old self but that time is certainly approaching. more ›