By Adolfo Romero My name is Adolfo Romero although my friends call me "Spike." I am 16 years-old and in the 11th grade at West Orange High School in West Orange, New Jersey. I was born on July 27, 1985 in Los Angeles. I know how to speak both Spanish and English. I live with both of my parents. I have one sister and two brothers at home and two older sisters who live a long distance away. I also have four nieces and nephews, with more expected soon. One of my hobbies is coin collecting; the oldest coin I own is an American half-dollar from the year 1893. I have always been very active. I like to exercise, especially running and have completed over five miles. I even enjoy rock climbing. I am learning Jeet Kune Do and am able to draw caricatures and cartoons of myself. I also love acting on the stage. I have performed in three school plays. In addition, I enjoy doing backstage work, such as lighting. My future goal is to go to engineering or technical school. I received a living-related kidney transplant from my mother in November of 2000. I needed hemodialysis for three months before I received the kidney. Before the transplant, I was tired everyday. I would always come home from school and go to sleep. I had no appetite and ate almost nothing. When I was diagnosed with kidney disease, I couldn't believe it! That is because all of a sudden the doctors said I was in "renal failure." My parents found it hard to understand the situation. My mother cried a lot and my father was quiet and kept to himself. How could this happen to me? I was not scared but I was very sad about my new medical problems. I never had to stay overnight in a hospital before. I eventually adjusted to the medications and even the IV, which I never really looked forward to. The hardest part of the IV treatments, for me, was being restricted to my bed for several hours at a time. The playroom in my hospital helped by providing videos and a selection of video games that I could use while I was stuck in bed. I had to learn a lot about kidney disease and its treatments. For example, I never knew anyone who had a kidney transplant and never saw a dialysis machine before. My medical team (doctors, nurses and social worker) helped me understand what was happening in my body and understand all the adjustments I had to make. I took advantage of trips, organized by the Pediatric Enrichment Program (part of the Kidney & Urology Foundation of America) to Broadway and Great Adventure Theme Park. It was helpful to meet and socialize with other teenagers who have kidney disease. I needed to go through a lot of things in order to start hemodialysis. For example, I had to have a temporary dialysis catheter placed and I had to have many medical tests and procedures performed, some of which were hard to take. I received dialysis three times a week for four hours starting at 5 a.m. Then, I would go home and have my education provided by a home tutor. It was difficult to adjust to this new routine. The treatments were uncomfortable and I still have a stiff neck a year and a half later! One of the things that helped me handle dialysis was the jokes my friends would make. This would relieve the tension and I knew my friends were on my side. The nurses were also very friendly and helpful. They helped teach me about the treatments and the equipment and would talk to me as a distraction. They were very caring and made sure I had enough to eat. I was told to be more careful about the salt in my diet but this was not a big deal. Even though it was only a couple of months on dialysis, it seemed like a long time. The emotional feelings that were going through me were anxiety and fear. Then, when my transplant operation was over I woke up and did not know where I was. The first two days were very difficult because I could barely lift my upper body. Then in another two days, I started to walk. That was very strenuous for me. It was almost as if I were using my legs for the first time. Because I recovered so quickly, I was discharged from the hospital early. Now I feel great! I eat a lot and I don't need to sleep that much anymore. I can hang around my friends longer without getting tired. My parents are very thankful that the transplant took place and I'm thankful for that transplant too. I would like to thank my mom for becoming my donor. If it was not for her, I would not be able to do the things I enjoy the most. If this transplant never happened, I'm afraid to think about where I would be right now. It's nice to know that my family cares about me so much. Adolfo Romero lives in West Orange, New Jersey. This article originally appeared in the July 2002 issue of aakpRENALIFE, Vol. 18, No. 1. |