Ashleigh Sewell, as told to Kristin Canning

<p>I chalked it up to having been super dehydrated while Id been in Spain and went to the doctor for antibiotics. But after 10 days on meds, my symptoms hadnt cleared up. In fact, theyd gotten worse. </p>

<p>I not only had a fever, but had weird, shooting pain all down my back and legs. The symptoms escalated quickly, and soon I had trouble walking. My mom took me to the hospital, where I was put on an IV drip of more antibiotics. Luckily, that helped immensely, and my symptoms went away within 48 hours. </p>

<p>At first, the doctors thought Id had a severe UTI that my original meds hadnt been able to clear. They also suspected my pain may have been caused by <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a19975254/kidney-stones-symptoms/" id="e50b6698-fc02-373a-ae73-d805c21b7dcf">  kidney stones </a> . Further testing revealed that it had been a serious kidney infection, and since my reaction to it had been so intense, my doctors decided to look into a potential cause.</p>

<h1> After some ultrasounds, they discovered that I had cysts in both my kidneys.  </h1>

<p>Eventually, I was sent to a specialist where I was diagnosed with a genetic condition called polycystic kidney disease (PKD), which progressively impairs kidney function and can eventually lead to renal failure from an overgrowth of cysts, or fluid-filled sacs, in the kidneys. </p>

<p>My doctor informed me that theres no cure or way to completely prevent or slow down the growth of the cysts. Basically, all you can do is monitor your kidney function and make a few lifestyle changes, like <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/g19996713/drink-more-water-0/" id="00337984-3902-3a8a-a30c-a44466a8368d">  drinking more water </a> , to keep your kidneys as healthy as possible. Hearing this at 19 years old was terrifying.</p>

<h1> Renal failure is obviously no joke, and knowing that this would probably happen to me at some point in lifeand that there wasnt much of anything I could do about itleft me scared and defeated.  </h1>

<p>I remember walking out of the doctors office with my mom and trying not to look at her, because I knew I would cry if I did. But then we locked eyes and I burst into tears. It was such a big thing to take on as a young woman. </p>

<p>Over the next couple of years, I continued to have issues with frequent <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a19447706/kidney-infection-symptoms-in-women/" id="93e3030a-02d9-338e-aef0-b517a0f7738d">  kidney infections </a> (thats another symptom of the disease). With each infection came a lot of pain and discomfort. I got my kidney function tested every six months.</p>

<p>In 2014, I moved to South Africa with my now fianc, who was starting a job there. I couldnt work at the time because of my visa, and I was so afraid of getting another infection in a place where I wasnt familiar with the medical system and didnt have a job. Thats what initially motivated me to find out everything I could about improving my health. </p>

<h1> I knew I couldnt stop the progression of my disease, but I figured there had to be something I could do to improve my chances of living with it and stop the infections.  </h1>

<p>I was already focused on hydration but I started to get really into fitness and nutrition. I began eating a <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/life/a19898913/low-sodium-diet/" id="cf2f7882-3f78-362c-a12d-7f51a82613d0">  low-salt diet </a> , upping my veggie and <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/food/g28379546/high-fiber-snacks/" id="e5d8dd49-5e1d-32e7-a137-1b0d436d1072">  fiber intake </a> , cutting out fast food, and <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/food/a30210177/dry-january-sober-curiosity-trend/" id="489c053f-fa59-3c6c-a5c6-009f692933db">  limiting alcohol </a> to about every other weekendanything that would take some stress off my kidneys. I religiously drank three liters of water every day (yup, that means I had to pee once or twice an hour!), and worked out regularly.</p>

<p>I stopped getting infections as often, and now, as Ive kept up this lifestyle, its been five years since Ive had one. And Ive been able to maintain 60-percent kidney function for the last six years. You cant improve your number once it decreases, but maintaining has still been huge for me, especially considering how quickly it was declining before I started focusing on my health more. </p>

<p>It could be random, but I really believe that improving my diet and working out more have been the key to managing my disease. Seeing how much proper nutrition and fitness impacted my life is what inspired me to become a personal trainer in 2017.</p>

<h1> Now, polycystic kidney disease doesnt really impact my day-to-day life, but its always in the back of my mind.  </h1>

<p>I had a baby last November, and since PKD is hereditary, I looked into the risk of passing it on to my child. Theres a 50/50 chance. I found out about an IVF process in which you can have the gene that causes PKD removed from the embryo before its transplanted, so my fianc and I explored that option. </p>

<p>But my doctors werent able to locate the exact gene that was causing my mutation. They tried for six months, but its sort of like searching for a needle in a haystack. Eventually, we decided to conceive naturally and take the risk of passing it on, knowing that Ive been able to live a happy life with PKD myself. </p>

<p>During pregnancy ultrasounds, my doctors couldnt see any cysts on my sons developing kidneys, so were hopeful he doesnt have PKD. Hell continue to get checked, like I do yearly now.</p>

<h1> At the moment, Im talking with my doctors about a new treatment that may slow the growth of kidney cysts with long-term use.  </h1>

<p>The drug is called Tolvaptan, but since my kidney function hasnt decreased in so long, Im sort of on the fence about taking it. Right now, Im hoping I can maintain that 60 percent for a while before medical intervention, whether thats medication, dialysis, or a <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a29133425/sarah-hyland-kidney-transplant-anniversary-instagram/" id="90835c04-f436-3548-aaa2-970dbacffd6e">  transplant </a> .</p>

<p>I feel lucky that I found out I had PKD when I did so I could start prioritizing my health while I still have some control. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/B6r6UawHbql/" id="aaa90618-5ebd-3d2c-ad36-169b2c054953">  Talking about my struggles with it </a> , and the changes Ive made because of it, have allowed me to connect with other women who felt they were alone in the same battle.</p>

<p>In some ways, Im thankful for having had to deal with PKD. Its scary to live with, but its led me to help other people along their health journeys and start a very important one of my own.</p>

<p>Ashleigh now specializes in pre- and post-natal coaching and is on a mission to empower and motivate women to become the healthiest and fittest version of themselves. Soon, she'll be launching her first ebook, "The Push Programme," a 12-week fitness program for women who want to return to exercise safely and effectively following the birth of their babies. </p>

<p>If you're interested in learning more about Ashleigh's journey with PKD and her upcoming projects, you can find her on Instagram at <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ashleigh_elizabeth_fitness/" id="a0b23a9d-46ff-3c1a-aeb3-f79226b38810">  @ashleigh_elizabeth_fitness </a> .</p>

'My UTI Was Actually Polycystic Kidney Disease'

Back in 2009, I went on a 10-day vacation to Barcelona with my best girlfriends from school. I was 19, and being in this vibrant city with my girls, the trip was filled with drinking and partying. Right after I got back home to the UK, I started having <a href="https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a18714095/uti-symptoms-in-women/" id="394b5d6f-a8fe-3b78-a0b8-179268c3523d">  symptoms of what I thought was a UTI </a> .

'I Thought I Just Had A Bad UTI, When Really I Was Suffering From Polycystic Kidney Disease'

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Ashleigh Sewell, as told to Kristin Canning

Articles written by the author

'I Thought I Just Had A Bad UTI, When Really I Was Suffering From Polycystic Kidney Disease'