Weakness can be hypokalemia in PKD

Last week I received a text from my cousin who also has PKD. She complained to feel weak and easily fatigued. She was tired physically and emotionally because of what she is feeling. I advised her to have a blood workup to include serum potassium.

Her serum creatinine was not that high and everything seem normal except for her serum potassium which was quite low along with her hemoglobin.

Weakness and fatigue are the most common symptoms of hypokalemia or low potassium but many PKD patients are unaware they may have these as manifestations of hypokalemia. Palpitations can accompany these symptoms (palpitations happened to me before when i had hypokalemia).

Well, PKD patients, in case you didn't know hypokalemia can be manifested as weakness, I am telling you now it can especially that the kidneys play a role in its excretion and acid-base balance is an important regulator. The key is to do regular monitoring of blood exam results including your potassium levels.

My cousin was already OK when I saw her this morning. She had been on oral potassium the past days and was smiling already. She also ate potassium-rich foods like banana. She is due for another doctor visit.

Time for Reminiscing Our LMI Days

Tomorrow all roads lead to my alma mater, LMI or Lady Mediatrix Institute, Candelaria, Quezon for the annual reunion of its graduates hosted by high school batch '61 and '86.

Activities will start in the morning with a motorcade and picture taking. Of course the highlight is the evening festivities with fellowship during dinner time and the traditional entertaining program.

It was just 21 years ago when our batch had its high school commencement exercises and it was 27 or 28 years ago when I first stepped into its walls arriving from Cebu.

I was not fluent in tagalog then and my classmates would pinch me to listen to me shout "aguy" or "agay". My teachers not knowing at that time that I came from Cebu (although I was born in Manila), were thinking I was disrespectful to them for I did not use "po" and "opo".

I will never forget LMI.

I credit LMI for "raising me" along with my family as a good Catholic. I will never forget my years as a Knight of the Altar, an altar boy waking up early in the morning to assist in the Holy Mass and play the guitar during weekday or Sunday masses. I will never forget being excused from class to practice with the choir and travel to various places. I will never forget my music mentor Sr. Elisa. She is indeed a great influence and she remains to be a "prayer warrior" of mine along with Sr. Rose and Sr.Celerina.

I will never forget my teachers-- some of them are my facebook friends even praying for me. (Ma'am Annabelle?)

I will never forget Maam Tessie Suayan and her support when we have this Science quiz bowls. (Hi Ma'am. We kicked some butts out there.) I was in good company with the likes of Nieva and Jean Macasaet, Eva Beredo (those are their maiden names), Roy Gerona, and the late Ranel Tibillo. In one of these quiz balls, I even went up against my future highschool classmate. Remember that Jen?

I will never forget Mrs. Tan, Mrs. Caneo, Sir Pagdanganan, Mrs. Mercado, Ma'am Baluyot, and many more.

I will never forget Mr. Reynaldo Tan. Who would have thought that he had a crush on Amy Perez then.

I will never forget the love chain booth, the horror booth, the Tan Miguel shirts, the Netchargers, the volleyball practices, the Ogie Alcasid and Dingdong Avanzado songs, the pormahan, tuksuhan and torpehan, the Baguio and Villa Escudero trips, my pass to the opponent during a Basketball game costing us a win, the COLC, the Wednesday masses, Msgr. Melicia, the Basketball court we helped build, the canteen people, the flag ceremony, panatang makabayan, the daily rosary, the Bible contests, the chorale group contests by year level, the Menudo dance craze, the breakdance, the loveteam duets, the CAT training, my schoolmates and most of all my classmates, batchmates, lifelong friends and (not just "pang-facebook").

Batchmates, I may not be able to join you there in our reunion but my thoughts are with you guys. Inggit nga ako sa December reunion nyo e. Hope you enjoy tomorrow's affair just like old times. See you kahit sa facebook.

Support the Run for PKD and Help Fund PKD Research

The running sport is enjoying its peak in popularity in the Philippines so that a Run for PKD like that in the US would have been nice to have here. Unfortunately, the PKD Foundation has no chapter in the Philippines yet. Awareness is really still poor unfortunately. I don't know of any online community of Filipinos with PKD and I would love to communicate also with Filipino PKD patients.

Consider yourselves lucky there in the United States. PKD groups are very active and fund-raising activities are done left and right. Therefore I am inviting other PKD patients and their friends and relatives to support the Run for PKD activities near you. 80% of every dollar raised goes to patient education and research.

To my friends and classmates in the Philippines who are now there in the United States, you may want to have a good exercise keeping up with your friends back home and help PKD patients like us.

For more information, go to the Run for PKD page.