Medical Management
There is no specific medicine to treat Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) but your doctor may prescribe medicines to help prevent and manage health problems related to CKD. Managing or preventing these health problems can stop kidney damage from getting worse.
Supportive care and treatment to manage symptoms, without doing dialysis or having a kidney transplant, is called medical management. It is important to understand that these are not treatments for kidney failure and will not keep you alive. These treatments will help you live as comfortably as possible until your body can no longer function.
Life expectancy
Unfortunately no one will be able to give you a definitive answer. It depends on many factors as each individual is different from the other. However, your doctor will be able to help you stay healthy and maintain your quality of life as long as possible.
How to be ready?
Talk to your doctor before you decide on medical management. Your doctor can help you learn what to expect.
There has to be a care plan that explains what treatments you do and do not want at the end of your life. Make sure this plan is in writing. Keep a copy of your plan at home, in an easy-to-find place, and discuss it with your family.
The goal would be to keep you comfortable and improve your quality of life.
I am not sure about Dialysis
If you are not sure whether to start dialysis, ask your doctor about trying dialysis for a set amount of time. This is called a time-limited trial.
You and your doctor will decide on a treatment plan and goals for the trial. At the end of the trial, decide with your doctor if dialysis helped you meet your goals and whether you want to continue.