Carla and Perry Thomas have created this Page for their son, Ryan to keep family and friends updated on his progress while waiting for a kidney transplant. Ryan is a 20 year old young man who was born with a genetic kidney disease. He graduate high school in 2013, then went on to computer school and just finished his first semester when he started having problems. He was placed on medication at bi
rth that kept his kidney's working until the age of 16. The doctors started noticing that his lab work was getting worse which was caused by the medication had stopped working. By November 2012 this medication caused his potassium to get dangerously high and required hospitalization in ICU; therefore he had to come off this medicine. While in ICU the medication that was given to him would cause him to pass out each time. He was so critical the doctor stayed in the unit to monitor Ryan during the night. Once this happened had increase in creatinine levels which caused kidneys to stop filtering. In March 2014 we were told Ryan was in End stage Renal failure and would have to start dialysis immediately and needed a kidney transplant; they placed a temporary tunnel port catheter in the juggler vein and he started dialysis in Pensacola 3 times a week for 4 hours at Sacred Heart in Pensacola. Then in April, 2014 he went back to surgery to have a fistula placed for dialysis usage. Fistula didn’t last long due to collection of blood in the area from Ryan’s arm not straightening out all the way. He ended up having a graft placed in October 2014. During this time we were traveling back and forth from Paxton to Pensacola each week. We eventually got transferred to a clinic in Defuniak Springs due to Ryan’s age. Having treatments in clinic was so hard on Ryan; they took so much fluid off that his blood pressure would drop and had to be wheeled out in a wheel chair. This totally wiped him out. He would sleep all that day and half the next day. After doing this for a few months we decided it was best to do home dialysis. Then in January 2015 we started our training for home dialysis. Ryan dialyzes 5 times a week for 2.10 hours each treatment. Home dialysis is so much easier on him and gives him the freedom he needs. He is going back to college in August, is able to play golf with his dad, spend family time with us, etc. With that said, yes he does better with dialysis, but the machine is causing damage to his other organs. His has become very anemic from iron deficiency which he is on more medication for this. He has to take medication each time he eats a meal or snack so the body can rid its self of the phosphorus that is found in foods. I help him with his sodium, calcium and phosphorus intake. These are things that too much will make lab work be out of range and be very harmful to your body. As Ryan's mom; I'm his care giver which I wouldn't have it any other way. Doing dialysis 5 times a week took us a while to get used to; but Ryan and I have a routine now. I draw all his labs and send them off and administer medication through the dialysis machine plus injections. I order his supplies that he needs for each month. Home dialysis is so much easier on you since your doing it everyday. You don't have to be as aggressive like if you are going to a clinic. We still have to go to Pensacola once a month to follow up with doctor and surgeon. Plus go to Niceville every month since we do home dialysis. I have forms I have to fill out each treatment that has to be submitted in order for insurance to pay for his dialysis. Just keep him in your prayers!
