When people think of life insurance, they think of security, peace of mind and looking out for the future. But for Paul Faulk, when he thinks of life insurance, he thinks of the day he found out he had kidney disease. It was three years ago when this general manager of a linen distribution center in West Palm Beach, Florida was applying for a life insurance policy with his wife. After a routine physical, he received a call that would change his way of living forever. “The insurance guy called back and said you better get to a doctor immediately, you are spilling too much protein into your urine,” he recalls. Paul, an insulin dependent diabetic, scheduled an appointment with his doctor and learned that his kidney function was not normal and that if he did not take steps to prevent the disease from getting worse, he would be put on dialysis.

“I was apprehensive because my initial diagnosis was that I would be put on dialysis in 18 months,” he said. “I made a decision to do whatever it took to prevent the kidney disease from getting to that point.”  As months progressed, his blood work began to deteriorate, he had 26 percent kidney function left and he was not producing an adequate amount of red blood cells. Although he began following a strict diet, his doctor said he needed more iron in his body. He quickly learned that anemia associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) was not a temporary battle. He would have it for the rest of his life. “I was literally just lying around at home on the couch or the bed. I had no energy,” he remembers.

Two years ago his doctor suggested he try a drug (Epoetin alfa) which treats anemia in patients who have CKD. “It was like a miracle drug,” Paul remembers. “I could actually feel my energy level return.” He began to take on more activities, even though he still has bouts of low energy. “The doctor has told me that I need more iron for this drug to work even better than it does now.” Overall, he has been pleased by the results.

Faulk is an upbeat, positive and hard working person. A native of Port Huron, Michigan, he is part of the baby boomer generation. He was born in 1949 and after graduating from high school in 1967, moved to the upper peninsula of Michigan to attend college at Northern Michigan University in Marquette. When asked what kind of higher education degrees he pursued after high school, he laughed and said “I went to a few colleges back then, but it was the late 1960’s, early 1970’s...I really had no agenda.” After transferring from Northern Michigan University to Northwood Institute in Midland, he decided that the automotive industry was where his interest lay. He enrolled at the General Motors Institute in Flint and began a career working for one of the top three automakers in the world. “They called the programs I worked in back then “manpower programs.” I worked for the General Motors Tech Center in Warren, Michigan and a few of their other plants in the Detroit area,” says Faulk.

After several years working in the automotive industry, Faulk decided he needed a change in scenery. 1983 became a pivotal year for him. By this time he had been married and divorced with a 10-year-old son. He decided to relocate and start fresh elsewhere. He moved to Sarasota, Florida and began to work for a linen distribution company, a far cry from the auto industry. “I went from automobiles to rags,” he jokingly says.

It was July of 1983 when he visited the doctor, because of an infection that would not heal. “The doctor came in and asked me ‘what do you know about sugar?’” he recalls. “I said that I put it on my corn flakes in the morning.” Of course, the doctor was not referring to the table sugar we use for our foods and drinks. Faulk’s doctor was talking about his body’s blood sugar levels. It was at this time he was diagnosed with diabetes and began to take insulin. Within six months he learned his pancreas had quit working because of the diabetes. 

It was around this time that Faulk took on a “do not quit attitude” in his everyday life. “I have a buddy back in Michigan who is currently on dialysis,” he explains. “I still keep in touch with him to this day.” He feels a better attitude is what his friend needs. “He gives up easily!” he forcefully says. “You’ve got to get up and push yourself; you cannot let the disease get the best of you. Sure you will have days of depression, but don’t give up, there are so many options available.” He firmly believes down the line, with all the research that is out there, there will be even more options and cures readily available for diabetes and kidney disease patients.

In the meantime, Faulk is definitely not sitting back and taking it easy. He met his second wife, Valerie, and they were married in 1989 and had a son. He has now been working in the linen distribution business for 20 years. “After spending close to 10 years in Sarasota, I was transferred to Jacksonville. I lasted about a year or so there and then transferred to the center in West Palm Beach,” he said. “I currently work 14 hour days during the week. I am what they call a working general manager because not only am I in the office doing paperwork, but I also go out and do some of the physical aspects of the job...deliveries, keeping customers happy, things like that.” He admits he pushes himself pretty hard and his family, friends and even doctors wonder where he gets his energy.

Faulk has been on a renal diet for three years now. He stays away from anything with salt in it. “I read where the average American consumes about 4,800 to 5,600 milligrams of salt a day. That is pretty scary,” he says. “I never thought about reading labels on food packages until I found out I had kidney disease. Now I read every label and could probably tell you from memory what is good or bad.” He suggests the healthiest salad dressing is in Paul Newman’s collection. “Newman’s Own® vinaigrette dressing is really good and low in sodium without cholesterol or an overkill of fat and calories,” he says.

Faulk has a hard time eating out anymore because of everything restaurants put in their foods. He follows a very low fat diet of salads at dinner and homemade lunches at work.

“I quit drinking 20 years ago and I quit smoking 14 years ago, so I don’t have those vices to hold me back. I don’t think I could smoke nowadays, have you seen the prices for a pack of cigarettes?” he laughs.  Faulk admits he does get depressed some days, but he strongly feels you cannot quit, you must keep going. “I exercise regularly and I am hoping to qualify for a kidney and pancreas transplant in the very near future,” he says positively. “I have had vision and circulatory problems from the diabetes, high blood pressure from the CKD, a couple of small strokes. In January of 2003, I had to have my left big toe and the ball of my left foot amputated. I had an arterial bypass in the left leg to save it.” Despite all his obstacles, he finds his family to be very supportive and helpful. 

His advice to others with CKD is this: “Don’t quit...remember there is help available to get you through it. The important thing is to maintain some sort of quality of life.” And that is enough insurance for Paul Faulk to continue on the positive road, no matter what obstacles he may face.

This article originally appeared in the September/October 2003 issue of Kidney Beginnings: The Magazine, Vol. 2, No. 3.

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