your story is really very very helpful. but i want your help in what to eat. can you please give your full diet plan???
I am approximiately 18 years old. I was diagnosed with Iga Nephropathy when I was 16, after renal biopsy. After that I have suffered three relapses. I need your help. Please help me. I think you have much more experience than me and I would be very thankful to you if you let have benefits from your experience.Thanks.

I applaud you for your courage and candor, Melissa. I never knew the extent of your health issues and am so struck by your strength in revealing it. Nevermind keeping your weight secret, what you've shared above is so much more personal than a number.

I'm certainly not one to give health advice, but in trying to take care of myself I've gained a little knowledge:

1. You can really substitute potato chips with carrots. It sounds crazy but it works on my cravings (or maybe I'm just part rabbit), especially when paired with a sandwich.

2. Make cooking fun. I recently started cooking again now that I live with my parents, and if I make grocery shopping and cooking things to look forward to, I'm more likely to do them. For me, this means allowing myself to grocery shop whenever I get the urge (see my last trip to Cub at 12:30 a.m.) and looking at my grocery shopping trips as time to be alone. Some people do yoga, I go grocery shopping to feel at peace. To each her own, yes? Then the cooking becomes a natural extension of the shopping, and by trying new recipes and searching online for healthy dishes, I feel a sense of accomplishment.

3. Water. I only drink water at work. I started by exchanging one cup of coffee for a glass of water every day. Now I'm one of those people who can't function without her morning glass of water. It sounds crazy, but you can trick your body and mind into craving it.

I wish you best of luck and, as always, look forward to reading more from you.

Thanks for sharing this, Melissa. Can I ask how they finally diagnosed it? I've had high blood pressure since I was in my mid-20s (when I was in much better shape!) and have been on a medication for it ever since. My new, wonderful doctor (yes, they do still exist) was shocked when I first went to her a year and a half ago and learned I'd never had a kidney ultrasound. She said something about having high blood pressure at a young age and how it can be linked to kidney problems. I had a kidney ultrasound and the results were normal. But I'm curious what kinds of symptoms you've had and how they finally diagnosed what you have.

-Lori C