If you replied, “Happy, excited, relieved yet worried,” you’d be voicing the sentiments of Aurelious Muhammad of Atlanta, GA who was contacted in May by the Georgia Transplant Foundation (GTF) to inform him that they have accepted him for a kidney transplant.
The Georgia Transplant Foundation (GTF) was founded in 1992 by Tommy Smith, a kidney transplant recipient, to provide financial and educational assistance to those undergoing or waiting for a transplant.
Aurelious was diagnosed with both high blood pressure and diabetes in 1972. Although his doctor warned him about the risk of kidney failure, he found it hard to adhere to the stringent diet recommended for diabetics, and in 1999, he was forced to start dialysis. Although he's only had to take insulin injections once for a short period when his blood sugar count was extremely high, the dialysis treatments have drastically changed his life.
What Exactly is Diabetes?
Diabetes is one of the most common chronic conditions in the world, occurring when the body fails to process sugar correctly, according to Debra Manzella, R.N. There are two types:
- Type 1 diabetes results from the inability of the pancreas to produce insulin, a hormone needed to move the sugar we ingest from our blood into our cells where it serves as fuel;
- Type 2 diabetes when the pancreas produces adequate insulin but our cells become resistant to it.
Type 1 diabetes most often occurs before age 30, whereas Type 2 (often referred to as a lifestyle disease triggered by obesity, a lack of exercise, increased age, and to some degree, genetic predisposition) usually strikes adults after age 35. The National Institutes of Health state that 95 percent of all diabetes cases are Type 2. Aurelious is not an exception.
“Diabetes is a chronic illness with no cure, and it is progressive… Short-term and long-term complications, as well as co-existing diseases, are a constant threat for diabetics,” writes Manzella.
One of the most serious threats caused by excessive blood sugar is kidney damage. High blood pressure is often an indication of deteriorating kidney function and, paradoxically, it can hasten kidney damage. When the kidneys fail, dialysis (a three-to-four hour process that is generally repeated three times weekly to cleanse the blood once the kidneys are incapable of doing so) becomes necessary.
How Does Dialysis Feel?
Though it is a life-saving procedure, many dialysis patients report that it causes them to be lethargic, nauseous, and/or suffer leg cramps.“I feel fine most of the time until I get to my treatments.
"Imagine having a 15-inch needle going into your arm for over three hours three times a week. It’s rough; it drains my energy, and I can hardly sleep later. On top of that, the dialysis clinic has a strong chemical odor,” commented Aurelious.
“Dialysis is no joke; it’s very confining. I can’t do a lot of things I’d like to do... If I’d known what I know now, I’d have done what the doctor told me to do years ago," he continued.
Waiting for the Transplant
Aurelious is currently working hard to eat right by avoiding high-sugar and processed foods, get adequate rest, and exercise by walking several laps daily around a track across from his home. When asked how he feels about finally being placed on the waiting list for a kidney transplant, Aurelious stated, “I’m glad that I’ve been placed on the waiting list, but I have no idea how long it will take the foundation to find a match with my blood type. Then, the next huge concerns are raising my share of the up-front costs, and whether my body will actually accept a transplant.”
Although the Foundation will cover the expenses associated with a kidney transplant, all prospective recipients must raise $5,000, which is then matched dollar-for-dollar by GTF in order to purchase critical post-transplant medications.
The Health and Wellness Committee of Masjid Al-Muminun, the mosque that Aurelious attends, is overseeing a campaign to help raise the necessary funds on his behalf. In the words of Daa’Iyah Akbar, retired nurse and committee convener, “Brother Aurelious is a valued member of our community and our committee, and we are committed to doing whatever we possibly can to assist him in raising the funds to make this transplant possible.”
Advice to Other Diabetics
Aurelious is thankful for the support and concern he’s received from the community. His work with the health and wellness committee is a way of giving back, and sharing his story with others so they might avoid his mistakes. He'd like to arrange a tour of the dialysis clinic for other diabetics as a wake-up call to scare them straight.
“Value your health – there’s no substitute. And if you do get sick, make sure you have a good doctor who really cares about your health, and follow his orders,” Aurelious recommended.
Sources:
Akbar, Daa'Iyah. Personal interview, May 2009.
Manzella, Debra. "What Is Diabetes?"
Muhammad, Aurelious. Telephone and Personal Interviews conducted by author and Qadira Yamini, health coach and founder of Footsteps to Wellness, May and June 2009.
PKD (Polycystic Kidney Disease) Foundation website.
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