Help Ricky Thompson Get A Kidney Transplant

Hi, my name is Ricky Thompson, please help me get a kidney transplant.

Your support is crucial to my efforts to get on the transplant list here in Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee.

If you’re able, I'd love it if you could make a donation of at least $50, but any amount would help me achieve this goal.

Thank you in advance for your contribution. Your donation will go toward assistacing in medical financial responsibilities as well as recovery and rehabilitation.

Losing My Job Was a Lifesaver

Six surgeries in the past three months because of chronic kidney disease. Chronic Kidney Disease, which is also known as chronic renal disease or CKD, is a condition characterized by a gradual loss of kidney function over time. When your kidneys are damaged, waste products and fluid can build up in your body. That can cause swelling in your ankles, nausea, weakness, poor sleep, and shortness of breath. Without treatment, the damage can get worse, and your kidneys may eventually stop working. Because of this, CKD can be life-threatening. Some of the common health problems caused by major kidney disease include gout, anemia, secondary hyperparathyroidism (SHPT), bone disease, heart disease and fluid buildup. There are treatments to help manage health problems caused by kidney disease. However, this does NOT include financial responsibilities, along with the emotional and spiritual needs.

How does one end up with CKD? I can’t speak for others, but here’s my testimony.

My diagnosis came in May of 2011, however my illness started more than 17 years ago. I was living my life to the fullest! I was working 60 to 70 hours a week, working on a degree at the University, and didn't miss a chance to take out my jet ski or travel out of town to parties once a month. However, amid living, I was also dying!

I noticed my quality of sleep was deeply affected. I never thought much about it, but my weigh at time was in the range of obese. I also had high blood pressure that was never was regulated. (Note: One of the major causes of kidney failure.) This was all my doing: I had several appointments with my primary care physician, which became several missed appointments with my PCP. If I knew they planned to drawn blood, I would give any excuse and not go, due to my fear of being canulated.

While tottering between my own life and death, I was dealing with the loss of many people to whom I love dearly: my big sister, my ex-love, and best friend. The loss of my big sister was the beginning of heart break that I would experience over and over in a short span of time. It felt like a part of me was gone. Within the same year, I also loss two best friends—continual heartbreak. I became a walking zombie, battling severe depression. I felt something was wrong; I slept a lot, but never seemed rested. I knew I had a few health issues, but I didn't know at the time what I later found out. I continued to live the way that I knew how.

I had the opportunity to go back to college and took that chance. I had set a personal goal to achieve and allowed that to be my distraction from the hardships of life. You see, I previously dropped out of electrical engineering school after the loss of my father. Although, I was successful in my technology jobs, I internalized and felt like a failure for not completing college. Coupled with the idea that my life was coming to an end, I set out to earn that degree that I desired for so long. Unbeknownst to me, I would be slowly stepping across the line between life and death.

In 2004, I felt sickly, but kept it to myself. My depression was at an all-time high and I became very debilitating. Not to mentioned, I had been with my partner of twenty years and were cohabitating, yet no longer pursuing life as a couple.

“You're burning the candle at both ends”, my boss warned. I knew he was right, yet my goal was to finish college. It was primary focus.

My warning soon became my reality. I overslept a lot and ended up losing my job. The loss of my job also meant the loss of health insurance. At first, I wanted to blame everyone but myself, yet solitude caused me to see a ton of things I once ignored. In a visit to my PCP, I learned that I was severely depressed, I had severe sleep apnea, and I had signs of kidney problems because of congestive heart failure. This is why I say, “losing my job was a lifesaver.” Had I been allowed to continue working while going to college, I would be dead by now.

Although knowing the conditions of my health, I wasn’t quiet ready to stop living life in the manner that I was accustom to. Along with the money I saved throughout the years, I had received severance pay. I was able lived off my savings for about five years. For three more months, I continued to ignore the symptoms of my condition, telling myself it was bronchitis. I also ignored the suggestion of my sister to visit the ER. However, there was one person I couldn’t ignore: my best friend, my Doberman pinscher, Schatz. The fright of concern on her face was enough to scare me to seek medical attention and it saved my life. I was hospitalized for over a week and had major recovery after.

After recovering, I began to take ownership of my decisions and decided to live life a little differently. I set a few short and long-term goals: I needed to get my driver's license and to find non stressful part time work and return to college. I graduated in 2008 and had a new job in IT, while still working part-time at Macy's. I found a nice apartment in Cordova and moved in with my best friend. I started a master’s degree program online and felt everything was ok. I was happy everything seemed to be going well. Until the effects of CKD and life began to test me at the same time.

I bought a bicycle and started to ride. I was getting out of breath just going a few hundred yards, I didn't have the endurance for tennis and racquetball anymore. Things that I noticed before, but was afraid to address began to creep back in. Meanwhile, tragedy had struck again. In January 2010, I loss, my ex and partner for more than twenty years. Although, I had move on in my life, I knew I needed to take charge of his final affairs and wishes because I knew his wants more than anyone else. Besides, he was larger than life and I wanted people to know that he was loved by many. Another tragedy lead me to a silent depression again.

I was still going through the motions. My career was on an uprising. I was working for one of the top five corporations in Memphis and doing IT consulting as well. In 2011, I was nearly finished with a master’s degree. I had just one more class before graduation. I had move into a new home, started a new job and was living by myself for the first time ever in my life, except for Schatz and Missy. Although, life was beginning to make a turn for the best, I had been sick after moving into my new place. I was 48 years old, soon to be 49. I had just began my new job and didn’t want to have to face the facts of my illness. Again, my sisters suggested I seek medical help, and again, I would but ignored them.

In May 2011, after work, I went home, ate a great meal, spent time with my dogs and had a good night's rest before the staff meeting the next morning. Though feeling perfectly fine, I found myself unable to control the functions of my body. I was falling asleep and didn’t understand it. My boss said I think you should go home and come back rested on Monday. I returned home about 10 AM and was met at the door by Shatz and Missy. Missy still very much a pup at the time went off to play. However, Shatz was on my coat tail every step of the way. I was trying not to look at her, but she was so intent at looking me in the face and in my eyes. This dog was so tuned into me. She finally caught my attention and we both stared while I broke down and cried. My dog was scared, worrying and sobbing. That look in her face was enough to send me to the emergency room: Saint Francis Bartlett. I was told I had imminent kidney failure. After that slap from my reality, I really wanted to give up and die.

I had several friends come and visit me in the hospital, but one visit changed my spirit: a friend and church member at Hope Presbyterian, Laura May. She was in the Stephen's Ministries at Hope and came to speak to me about her husband bout with dialysis and God's plan for me and she prayed with me. That visit changed my outlook and gave me the will to live. It changed how I began to live.

I didn't miss a service at Hope, while going through this medical hardship. I now had a church family to help me along the way. In a short period of time my ministers, Sr. R.Craig Strickland, Rev Rufus Smith, senior pastor and Dr. Eli Morris unknowingly helped me through a bad period in my life. Their teachings taught me to take responsibility for my own actions, they taught me about forgiveness and so much more. It was as if someone was telling them all my problems and they were talking directly to me at every service. It was very healing. It gave me the strength to see my health problems through without denial.

For the first time. I was able to address the fact that I was obese. My highest weight was 225 lbs. at a 5'6" statue. However, I knew If I took my dialysis treatment and followed my regiment, I should improve my health. I began to learn about the ends and outs of my body at very other appointment via lab reports. I also received a personal nutritionist. I took advantage of that and lost more than 60 lbs. and continue to keep it in check.

To get back to where I started in this, I mentioned that I've had more than six surgeries in the past three months. My health is better than it has been despite my diagnosis. My labs are constantly good month after month. However, it is inevitable that CKD causes other issues. I could start to lose other organs and suffer bone loss, for example. It is very difficult and expensive for a single person to carry this burden alone. My plan was to wait two more years before seeking a transplant because I feel it would be less stressful close to retirement age. Although, I am blessed to have earned a good living and paid in more than 35 years of taxes, I receive full disability and earn more than the average. Medicare would cover a ton of the financial cost, however, there is so much more after recovery and the loss of health insurance through Medicare after three years. In addition, I have a lot of medical financial responsibilities to address now.

I am 60 years old. Despite having kidney disease, I am the healthiest I’ve ever been, physically, spiritually, and emotionally. I seriously need to get on the transplant list, but I need the help of friends and family to do so.

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good

His steadfast love endures forever."

Proverb 136

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