Matty Needs a Kidney

 Hello! It's been nearly 6 months since my last update. Like many of you, I went into 2026 with a positive mindset - new year, new opportunities, focus on the positives. Well, the universe had different plans.  I started off the year (literally the first week of January) in the hospital. On January 7th, I went into the ER to get a blood transfusion. This was nothing new to me, as my hemoglobin numbers tend to be low thanks to my condition. While there, I noticed my upper left groin began to swell. I felt a stinging pain every 5-10 minutes. I told the nurses, who gave me some pain meds. They were NOT working. They then told the doctor on call. Without even looking at it, he suggested pain management and that it was not a big deal. After some back and forth, I finally pulled off the blanket, lifted up my shorts, and he could see how swollen my groin had become, along with some bruising. "Oh! You need an ultrasound!" Yeah, no shit, doc. Eventually, I got an ultrasound, and t...

 Hello! It's been a hot minute since I've posted an update for you all. The truth is, it's been hard to find the positive lately. It's been a tough few months, but I'm happy to report there is some positive news.  We can start with the crappy news, so we can end on a positive note.  As you know, I've been dealing with all kinds of side effects from the kidney disease and dialysis. There's the calciphylaxis that created discoloration and sores around my ankles - luckily, with medication treatment during dialysis, the sores have healed, but unfortunately, I still have discoloration. I will follow up with the dermatologist soon. Next, my optic nerves had been swollen, and they did a spinal tap to measure the pressure of everything. It was extremely unpleasant, and it told us what we already knew: that the pressure was high. There were some adjustments made to my blood pressure medication, and it's brought down the pressure a little, which is good. There is...

 Hello! I'm back with some updates on my kidney journey. I've had some ups and downs since the last update, but I'm happy to share it's been mostly ups!  Last I left you, I was in the process of getting a lumbar puncture scheduled (spinal tap). It finally got scheduled, and the morning of, as I checked in, I got a message in my portal that the appointment was canceled. I was pissed. I immediately asked for assistance, and the lady called the department and found out it was canceled by mistake. My aunt was my ride, and we drove 30 minutes one way for this damn appointment. Luckily, it got resolved. After waiting two hours after check-in, they finally took me back. They gave me some numbing medicine in preparation for the needle to go in my lower back. That was fine. However, once they started collecting the fluid, my nerves throughout my pelvis nad legs were agitated. It was painful, and the only way I can describe it is as painful electric shocks sporadically traveling ...

 Hello! Welcome to my blog about living with kidney disease, and my hope is to find a transplant donor soon. It's been filled with ups and downs, and I'm just trying to hang on during this crazy ride.  Some Updates If you're all caught up to this point, you know that along with going to dialysis three times a week, I'm also dealing with several side effects of kidney disease. I've continued treatments for the spots and lesions around my ankles. It's still painful and annoying, but I've had some relief. As for my eye situation, unfortunately, not much has changed. I was told I need a lumbar puncture (spinal tap) so they can measure the pressure in my head to see if that's the cause of the swelling of my optic nerve. I was told I need it done ASAP and that the order would be sent in. Spoiler, it's been damn near 6 weeks and come to find out the doctor's office never submitted the authorization paperwork, so I am stuck waiting again. Yay, American H...

 Hi friends! Thank you for coming back to read my blog about my journey with kidney disease and (hopefully) my transplant process. My name is Matt (or Matty) and the past few weeks have been a lot, so let me fill you in.  More Side Effects If you've read my previous entry, you heard about my biopsy on my ankle to get treatment. The biopsy came back inconclusive (because of course it fuckin did), but my dermatologist was confident it was his initial diagnosis. Essentially, I have a buildup of calcium in my blood vessels, leading to the red and purple dots. Some of these areas have flared up and caused lesions. It's very painful, but thankfully, treatments have started, which include an injection while I'm on dialysis. I've only had a couple of treatments thus far, but I'm hopeful it'll start to bring me some relief. In addition, I had an MRI recently to determine why my optic nerve may be swollen. This has caused a random blurry spot in my eye that comes and goes...

Quick Recap. Hello again! It's Matt Sotelo, sharing about my kidney journey. If you're caught up, you know I'm currently on dialysis as a result of Chronic Kidney Disease. I spent 21 days of December 2024 in the hospital until they could find me a space at an outpatient center. It was a hard experience to go through, and I'm still very much working on improving my physical and mental health from the experience. Luckily, I have folks like you in my corner sending positive vibes and prayers, along with thoughtful check-ins. I'm truly humbled and grateful.  Some Challenges. A few weeks ago, I had a minor case of shingles. Something I've always heard from docs, family, and friends is, "You're too young to be sick!" I think most people are just unsure of what to say. Hearing it doesn't help the situation, and it serves as a reminder to me that this shit sucks, but even more so because I appear as an outlier. Well, when I got diagnosed with shingles,...