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Open Your Minds #36: Coping With Kidney Disease (by Opri, aged 12) (Last in this series) by Karen Lynn Vidra, The Texas Tornado
Wednesday, February 5, 2003
A young boy with chronic kidney disease tells how life is like for him. (He has had two kidney transplants and may eventually face a third if his kidneys fail again.)
My name is Opri (said like "Opry"), and I am a twelve-year-old boy who happens to have chronic kidney disease.
When I was born, my one kidney was malformed, and the other one was not much better. I had to have a kidney transplant when I was a baby because without it I could die.
All seemed good for me, but I had to be on medication to help keep my kidneys working properly (and for my body to keep from rejecting my kidney), and I also, for a time, had to be on dialysis (artificial means of keeping the kidneys flushed from waste products; too much waste products could prove to be harmful to my kidneys; and they were already in bad shape). I had this done three times a week at the hospital, and each time I had it done, I would be incredibly tired.
Needless to say, I couldn't play sports because there was a chance someone could hit me in my transplanted kidneys; and then I would have big-time problems, and I could possibly bleed to death. So I spent my days playing with my younger sister, Jacqueline.
All seemed well until I was about six; my kidneys started acting up again, and I became sicker and sicker. I couldn't void right, and I would get these awful stomach and back pains; and I also became full of fluids. I was starting to have problems with my kidneys; and I again had to go to my kidney specialist, to see if he could find out what was going on. He did. My kidneys were starting to fail; and again I was put on a transplant waiting list.
Time was of the essence. I was a very sick little boy; and without the kidney transplant, I would, more than likely, die within a year or two.
At age 9, I had my second kidney transplant; but I had complications; and I nearly died twice while on the operating table; but somehow, they saved my life, and I came through the risky surgery. But I had a very long recovery period, and most of that year was spent either at the hospital, or at home when I WASN'T sick.
I was again on dialysis treatments for a time; but afterwards I could do most anything a normal boy could do (except play contact-type sports; that is still off limits for me today).
I am still on the anti-rejection medications for my kidneys (I will be on these for life), and I still have to go to Dr. Peepers every month, to see how my kidneys are doing; and so far, everything is doing great. But I am smaller than most kids my age (at the age of 12 I look more like a 6-year-old), and I am very skinny for my age. I can't gain much in the way of weight, no matter how hard I try (or how much I eat). I also have fat cheeks because I was on steroid medication for a very long time; and that has caused my face to look like a chipmunk. It is so embarrassing to have kids call me "Chipmunk Cheeks"!
I often wish I had been born healthy because I have been through a LOT, and my body looks like a war-zone, due to all the scars (which is why you WON'T catch me wearing short sleeve shirts or shorts!). I also have needle marks up and down my arms, and I also have these fat chipmunk cheeks I just told you about. But despite of all that I have been through, believe it or not, there are many people who have it far worse than even ME, and I guess I can count my blessings; as I still have my life; and I have had a successful transplant; and because of it, I can live life fairly normally, and I can do most things kids my age can do. So I guess that I don't have it so bad. Plus I can see and think and talk and walk. And I am not retarded. So I am blessed in THAT way.
But I wouldn't wish what I have gone through in the past on ANYONE; it is NOT fun being sick or facing risky operations, and not knowing if you are going to make it or not!
*Author's Note: I will probably continue this series at a later date, but for now, I will end this series. I will continue to write of my characters, and I will continue with the Pearson clan. So don't count this series out JUST yet..only for the time being! I have other ideas that I will share with you; so stay tuned for those!)
This was a beautiful heartbreaking piece, i'm about to cry my best friend is a transplant recipent, kidneys and pancreas and may be having trouble with the kidneys so please keep her inyour prayers, sorry to hear the series will be ended for awhile I will certaintly miss it, but I look forward to getting to know the Pearsons!
God Bless
~Michelle~
NOOOOOOOO...don't end, don't end! this is a wonderful series...i've enjoyed meeting all of the characters and learning about how they cope with different diseases and disabilities. don't stay away long, karen...this is a needed series, and should be read by all medical professionals and children (and their parents) who have these conditions. WELL DONE--*standing ovation!* (((HUGS))) and love, karla. :( *shedding a tear*
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