BY M. P. Ravindra Nathan MD, FRCP, FACC, FACP
How many of us get a chance to start a ‘new life’, a second life, after developing a serious disease like kidney failure? At the age of 47, at the peak of my health and profession, I developed a serious, incurable kidney disease called Ig A Nephropathy that inexorably progressed to kidney failure. My initial bewilderment and shock gave way to a whirlwind of emotions including severe anxiety, depression and despair, not knowing what the future held for me.
However, I was lucky to receive a kidney from a living related donor, my own loving sister. Receiving a kidney from a living or cadaveric donor is truly life-changing. I can vouch for that from my own experience, first as a patient with kidney failure and then a thirty-year span of life as a successful kidney transplant recipient. And what is equally important is that I was able to continue my profession as a full time Cardiologist serving two hospitals and a large number of patients in my private practice, till I retired at the age of 70.
Here is a quick chronology of what happened. I was diagnosed with an incurable kidney disease called Ig A Nephropathy, at age 46, that progressed quickly to end-stage-renal-disease (ESRD) by the time I reached 53. I kept myself active with daily exercises and a number of medications but I continued to become ill with fatigue, anemia and significant hypertension. For the anemia, I had to take monthly ‘Procrit’ injections.
When my creatinine climbed up to nearly 10 mg/dl (Normal <1.3) and urinary output started getting low, my nephrologist suggested, “Ravi, time is fast approaching for you to go on dialysis unless you can get a transplant from a living donor.” That was the time I called my older brother in India who has always been my advisor and mentor, for his help. Although he offered his kidney first, it was not compatible; he then discussed the situation with our two sisters, both of whom agreed to willingly donate one kidney to save their brother’s life. But getting them to USA turned out to be a little complicated because the Madras American Consulate initially refused the visa to my sisters but they relented eventually. Then we decided to go to Minneapolis University Hospital for the transplant surgery by Dr. John Najarian, considered to be one of the best kidney transplant surgeons in the world. And on that fateful day, November 10, 1994, I received the precious kidney transplant from my loving sister Ratnam, truly a life changing moment. Thank God, I am saved now, I thought.
“Not so quickly,” somebody seemed to say. My recovery was complicated with one complication after another. A second surgery to remove clots from the femoral and renal vein, then a second clot in the leg followed by pulmonary embolism or clot in the lung. Then came a heart attack that needed an angioplasty. Later a surgery for a ruptured achilles tendon in the right leg. I survived all those and continued with a happy life till I retired at 70. We took a trip to Europe and then several trips to India and everything was going well. Then came further setbacks.
It was early 2020. Covid 19 was spreading fast all over the world and already many had lost their lives. I happened to be vacationing in India when I developed a bout of angina that needed emergency angioplasty. And we had to get a quick flight from Kochi, India to Orlando before the airports closed. I was worried if my angina would return during the long trip but with God’s grace we landed in Orlando safely. For the next five months I was okay but then needed a coronary bypass surgery and a year later a permanent pacemaker implant. That was in May 2021 and since then I have been able to maintain my health. Thank God for that. Ever since I was diagnosed with IgA Nephropathy at age 46, I have been battling one problem after the other – almost relentlessly.
Finally, when I thought I was on safer grounds, I start getting pains in my left leg while walking on the treadmill during my morning exercise. The vascular studies showed a major block in the main artery of left leg, Femoral artery, and I had to undergo surgery to remove the block. It’s a year now, I am remaining stable and feeling well.
In the final analysis, there is no doubt that a ‘pre-emptive’ kidney transplant was the best treatment for my renal failure, a cure for the disease. I didn’t have to go through the complicated process of hemodialysis and the many complications associated with that. And the duration of life span for hemodialysis patients is less than if you had a transplant. However, just because you got a matching kidney, don’t think everything is going to be hunky-dory from here onwards. Many complications like heart problems, rejection issues, infections etc. can occur, so one has to be quite vigilant throughout your life. The good thing is that all these are treatable but early diagnosis is the key. And my donor, my sister, aged 85 years, is also doing well with her one kidney, very heartening indeed.
As I celebrate the 30th anniversary – kidneyversary ! – of my transplant, I want everybody to know that kidney transplant is the best treatment for kidney failure and even if you encounter complicatins after surgery, with proper management you can recover and go on to lead a normal life. Since we have two kidneys and we need only one kidney to live healthy, donating one kidney is quite safe for the living donor and certainly one of the most noble acts one can do in life. I want to encourage people to come forward and donate a kidney and you will be giving the gift of life to a needy person. What is more noble than that?
About the author: * Dr. M. P. Ravindra Nathan is a Retired Cardiologist, a writer and his articles have appeared in Medical Economics, Cortlandt Forum, Florida Journal of Medicine, India Abroad, Tampa Bay Times, Tampa Tribune, Hernando Today and Hernando Sun. He is the author of two books, ‘Stories from My Heart, A Cardiologist’s Reflections on the Gift of Life’ and ‘Second Chance – A Sister’s Act of Love.’ (www.amazon.com or www.bn.com )
