TRANSPLANT GIVES STUDENT NEW LIFE NEW KIDNEY FREES WOMAN FROM RISKY FUTURE.Byline: KAREN MAESHIRO Staff Writer LANCASTER -- For the first time in nearly a decade, 25-year-old Valerie Walsh is not tethered to a dialysis machine that kept her alive. The part-time Antelope Valley College Antelope Valley College is a comprehensive community college located in Lancaster, California, USA. It is operated by the Antelope Valley Community College District, with a primary service area of 1,945 square miles covering portions of Los Angeles and Kern counties. student underwent a kidney transplant in late July that freed her from a previous life of constant exhaustion, time-consuming dialysis sessions and uncertainty. Walsh, who initially was turned off by the idea of having someone else's kidney inside her, knows little about her kidney donor, except that she was a 27-year-old woman. ``I treat it like my baby. You can feel the kidney; it's a little bump right here,'' Walsh said, pointing to her side. ``I'm careful not to bump up against anything. I will try to be cautious of what I do to make sure I keep it as long as I can.'' Walsh underwent the three-hour transplant surgery July 27 at University of California, Los Angeles UCLA comprises the College of Letters and Science (the primary undergraduate college), seven professional schools, and five professional Health Science schools. Since 2001, UCLA has enrolled over 33,000 total students, and that number is steadily rising. , Medical Center. The procedure would not have been possible without financial help from a nonprofit agency founded by Walsh's doctor and Kaiser Permanente. The Foundation to Improve Renal Nutrition was started in 2004 by Philip Tuso, a nephrologist Nephrologist A doctor who specializes in the diseases and disorders of the kidneys. Mentioned in: Kidney Biopsy nephrologist at Kaiser's Lancaster medical offices, to increase public awareness of kidney disease Kidney Disease Definition Kidney disease is a general term for any damage that reduces the functioning of the kidney. Kidney disease is also called renal disease. and raise money to supply costly nutritional supplements Nutritional Supplements Definition Nutritional supplements include vitamins, minerals, herbs, meal supplements, sports nutrition products, natural food supplements, and other related products used to boost the nutritional content of the diet. to protein-malnourished patients with kidney failure kidney failure or renal failure Partial or complete loss of kidney function. Acute failure causes reduced urine output and blood chemical imbalance, including uremia. Most patients recover within six weeks. . FIRN firn n. Granular, partially consolidated snow that has passed through one summer melt season but is not yet glacial ice. Also called old snow. enabled Walsh to receive post-transplant care by providing funding for temporary housing near UCLA UCLA University of California at Los Angeles UCLA University Center for Learning Assistance (Illinois State University) UCLA University of Carrollton, TX and Lower Addison, TX , and Kaiser provided transportation from Walsh's home to UCLA's Westwood campus. Before the formation of FIRN, Tuso and other members of the medical team at Walsh's dialysis clinic pooled funds to help buy expensive medication that she could not afford due to her limited income but was vital to keep her alive. Tuso is physician director of Fresenius Medical Care Fresenius Medical Care is a German company specializing in the production of medical supplies, primarily to facilitate or aid renal dialysis. It is 37%-owned by the health care company Fresenius SE. Dialysis Unit in Lancaster. ``She was one of many in the unit that was requiring assistance,'' Tuso said. ``Valerie wasn't working. A lot of others had to stop work. They were unable to work, and for the first time in their life experienced financial strain.'' Walsh was starting her freshman year at Highland High School Highland High School or Highlands High School may refer to: In the United States:
Tests showed she was in the beginning stages of kidney failure. She was diagnosed with IgA nephropathy IgA nephropathy Berger's disease, IgA glomerulonephritis Nephrology Idiopathic IgA nephropathy is the most common form of primary glomerulonephritis in the world; primary IN is mediated by immune complexes and defined immunohistochemically by glomerular deposition , a chronic kidney disease Chronic kidney disease (CKD), also know as chronic renal disease, is a progressive loss of renal function over a period of months or years through five stages. Each stage is a progression through an abnormally low and progressively worse glomerular filtration rate, which is that usually first appears during adolescence and young adulthood and often progresses to kidney failure. About a year later, Walsh began dialysis three times a week, with each session lasting three to five hours. ``It was very tiring,'' Walsh recalled. ``It puts a major cramp in your schedule. Any general activities need to be scheduled around dialysis. It really slowed me down going to school.'' Unable to go continue with classes, she tried independent study but couldn't keep up with the work and failed to graduate. When offered a chance to be put on a list to have a kidney transplant, Walsh demurred, uncomfortable with the concept. ``I was just weirded out by the whole thing, having someone else's kidney in me. I was 15, and you think, `Gross!''' Walsh said. But she eventually changed her mind as time passed and her condition failed to improve. Since the transplant, Walsh said the most profound change has been her diet. What was bad for her before, she can now consume without fear. ``Now everything is flipped,'' she said. ``I had to watch how much I drank before. I was only allowed four cups of fluid per day. Now I'm told to drink two liters a day.'' Before, she had to avoid foods high in phosphorus -- dairy products, beans and, a favorite, colas -- and potassium -- bananas, tomatoes and potatoes. In kidney failure, excess potassium can cause sudden death and too much phosphorus can cause calcification calcification /cal·ci·fi·ca·tion/ (kal?si-fi-ka´shun) the deposit of calcium salts in a tissue. dystrophic calcification of blood vessels Blood vessels Tubular channels for blood transport, of which there are three principal types: arteries, capillaries, and veins. Only the larger arteries and veins in the body bear distinct names. . ``Oh, my God, I can handle all that stuff now. I can drink all the cola I want now,'' Walsh said. Walsh has more energy and is adjusting to life without dialysis. ``I feel much better,'' she said. ``When my sister lets me, I can do more things around the house, even just basic cleaning. I don't like to clean, but I like fact that I can.'' She no longer has to rise at 4:30 a.m. to go to dialysis. ``Now I have all this time on my hands. I'm trying to figure out ways to fill it,'' Walsh said. She is thinking of volunteering at Kaiser in Lancaster. She can now be a full-time student and plans on entering the medical field, a career choice inspired by her experience. ``I was always in a hospital environment. I picked up on medical terminology and procedures. It really piqued my interest,'' Walsh said. Walsh said she plans to write a thank-you letter to her kidney donor's family. ``I'm still trying to work on how I will write the letter,'' Walsh said. ``It's kind of awkward: `I'm sorry your daughter had to die. At least her kidney didn't go to waste.' I do plan on doing as much with this kidney as long as I have it.'' karen.maeshiro(at)dailynews.com (661) 267-5744 CAPTION(S): 2 photos Photo: (1 -- color) Dr. Philip Tuso gets a hug from kidney transplant patient Valerie Walsh at Kaiser Permanente in Lancaster. (2) Dr. Philip Tuso talks to kidney transplant patient Valerie Walsh at Kaiser Permanente. Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer |
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