“Without it I wouldn’t be able to make it.”
Diabetic to Dialysis
Originally from Knoxville, Mr. Pickle has called Blount County home for the past eight years. Mr. Pickle was diagnosed with kidney failure in August 2021. “I was on the phone with a urologist and they told me to go to the ER immediately. It took until the morning for them to take me in to find out my kidneys were failing.”
Mr. Pickle’s kidney failure has created various issues for him, including gastrointestinal and sleep disruption. “It has totally changed my life. [I’m] usually physically worn out or tired. I physically have pains from dialysis, my body hurts ten times more. It affects eating and sleeping habits. You have to be cognizant of what you eat or drink all the time.”
Day after day, Mr. Pickle waits as he remains on the waiting list for a kidney transplant. “[I] kind of start losing hope after a while, waiting for that call to get a kidney.”
Downsides of Dialysis
Mr. Pickle arrives for dialysis treatment at 4:30 in the morning and gets home around 10, sometimes even 11 o’clock – three times per week. He considers skipping dialysis treatment often. “Every day you don’t want to come. You have to get up out of a deep sleep and you’re just so tired. You already know the outcome. You don’t come in here then leave feeling refreshed, you leave wanting to go back to sleep.”
“Dialysis takes up all your time. Physically, there is not enough time in the day. You leave here and you’re so tired and worn out, you end up sleeping and wanting to lay down.”
“[The monthly] check is very helpful, I’m sure [East Tennessee Kidney Foundation is] doing the best they can. Most every month [the funding] is critical to get me here. Without it I wouldn’t be able to make it.”
-Samuel Pickle on how ETKF has helped him pay for his dialysis transportation costs
The Importance of Dialysis
Mr. Pickle wants more people to know the importance of dialysis and why they should go to their appointments despite the challenges.
“Evidently it is the only thing that keeps us alive until we get a kidney.”
Be the Match: Become A Donor Today
There are over 15,000 people in Tennessee currently living with kidney disease and that number continues to increase every year. However you can help make a difference by registering to become an organ donor today.
Kidney donation is something that can be provided by a living donor. Living donors allow for an immediate impact and help spare patients long wait times by being on a waiting list.
In 2023 more than 6,900 transplants were made possible by living donors.
You can help save a life today by registering to become an organ donor on your drivers license or becoming a living donor.
Tennessee Donor Services provides a variety of resources and information about the donation process. Click the link below to learn more about how you can have an impact on someone’s life today.