The “stay hydrated” meme of 2014 is literally the only reason I didn’t have to have a kidney transplant last year. Seriously.
So when I had the ovarian tumor, it got very large. It pressed on my kidneys and caused fluid to build up on them. It also caused the main arteries supplying them to be partially compressed. Both conditions were severe enough in me that my kidneys absolutely should’ve failed, and it wouldn’t have been reversible. The care team was stunned that they were still working actually. They were injured but totally functional.
The stay hydrated meme reminded me to drink water. And I never gave up the habit. I’ve been a compulsive over-hydrater since. And that’s the only explanation anyone can think of for why my kidneys didn’t fail. Kidneys work best when they’re able to work nonstop, and the fluid on the kidneys would’ve possibly been less caustic because I was always so hydrated.
So yeah, if it weren’t for a tumblr meme, I’d have needed a new kidney by summer 2017.