DIARY OF A KIDNEY LOVER

This was meant to be a quick entry to share the trends – some alarming, some inspiring – I’ve been noticing lately.  Somehow it grew.  First of all, kidney disease is a worldwide problem.  It’s getting a lot of press these days, particularly in Australia, where the number of people admitted to the hospital for dialysis treatments has jumped by more than 70% in the last decade.  This may be because they have a tendency to dialyze patients very early – a practice they appear to be re-evaluating given the high cost and questionable health benefits.  But it is also an indicator that the Australian population, like ours, is getting older and more importantly, getting fatter.  You can check out the whole article here. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/08/18/2986720.htm?section=justin

And fat naturally brings me to food.  I’ve just read a really interesting post explaining why fructose in drinks and foods is so bad for us.  I want to talk more to Dr. Yu about this, because it’s fairly technical, but it appears that fructose could greatly increase the risk of high blood pressure, diabetes and kidney disease.  At the same time I was reading this, I saw a Tweet touting the miracles of chocolate.  An American Heart Association journal stated that moderate chocolate consumption is linked to lower risks of heart failure in older and middle-aged women.  Of course, the article stressed that the benefits must be weighed against the negatives – excess calories and fat.  Right!  So when my Mom offered me some chocolates yesterday, needless to say, I passed.

Now on to the inspiring.  You probably heard that Grizz Chapman from 30 Rock had a kidney transplant recently – fantastic news!  Transplant stories just make me feel good and I have heard so many lately.  On Twitter, I came upon The Match Story, an upcoming book about one of only 2 face transplants ever.  The Match Story website has a fascinating video about a Boston Med episode based on the story (see it at http://thematchstory.com/) and the Match Story Facebook page is lovingly hosted by the wife of the man whose face was used in this amazing transplant.  Now I really want to explore the facts and history of kidney transplants with one of the USC experts I met recently and I will be reporting what I discover, either here or in our Q & A blogs.  Stay tuned!

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DIARY OF A KIDNEY LOVER

This is the diary entry I didn’t want to write because I have to tell you that my Uncle Bob passed away a few weeks ago.  I have been thinking about this a lot, trying to figure out how to start this blog, how to include all the things I want to say.  I even tried writing some of this in a handmade journal in a Starbuck’s, without edits or stalling, just words and scribbles and arrows.  It helped a little, but in the end, it was time to go and the entry was not complete.  And when I left, I thought I saw my uncle sitting at a table outside.  The mind sometimes sees what it wants to see.  On the walk home, I saw three very real and very tiny lizards cross my path, felt the sun on my back and thought how beautiful the planet is.  And I thought about all the days that had led up to that one.  My uncle, a long-time diabetic and more recent kidney disease patient, had been admitted to the hospital following a stroke and heart attack – pretty typical ailments for someone afflicted with kidney disease.  Seven weeks of up and down days followed.  This, too, was probably pretty typical.  Everyone thought he was finally getting better until a series of infections took over his body.

On that walk, I didn’t want to think too much about the physical part of his illness.  I figured there would be time for that later.  I decided simply to remember my uncle.  I dug deep and realized that he and my aunt had taught me two of my most important lessons.  They made a good team, you see; she was everyone’s favorite nursery school teacher and he was a policeman with the city of LA.  Uncle Bob could be fun and he could be stern, obviously a good disciplinarian, which brings me back to my lessons.  First, don’t be a tattletale.  People don’t like tattletales and ultimately, they stop listening to your stories.  Second, don’t throw a metal toy gun at anyone’s head.  Yes, my cousin Matt made me so mad that I threw a little gun at him.  Thankfully, he was a moving target and the gun must have just grazed him, but it made him bleed.  I still remember the faces of my aunt and uncle, near tears with concern for their son.  They were gentle with me though, determined to get through.  And they taught me in the kindest way possible – through the visible love they demonstrated that day – that violence is never the answer.

I think I will end it here.  August 10 was my Uncle Bob’s birthday.  He would have been 64 today.  What an example he has been in my life!

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