Dawn

I was diagnosed with kidney failure August 2014. The cause was never determined, but I got very sick and dehydrated.

Kidney disease has changed my life now because of being on dialysis three days a week for four hours a day. I went through a divorce, I am on total disability and without a job. My biggest fear is not being able to get dialysis treatment and dying.

 I wish more people understood that kidney disease is not always predictable. One can go from living a happy, healthy life to being dependent on others for your care.

I maintain a positive outlook on life with the hope that a cure will be found; that I may qualify for a kidney transplant. I'm staying positive by taking care of myself through a healthy diet and exercise. I have even doing a bit of traveling, although this was difficult to arrange. Having to go to dialysis for 12 hours out of my week's vacation was demanding on myself and the people with whom I was traveling.

Having been married to a soldier prior to my illness, I was used to the early rising every day to get ready for duty. As a result, I prefer to be up at 4:00 am to be the first patient on the machine and have the rest of the day to use as I like. I am the youngest patient in the group that arrives that early; the others are parents of adult children or grandparents who have lived with diabetes and chronic kidney failure for many years. I miss having the opportunity to interact with other women of my own age. I am 47 years old. I would like to be working, but find that many businesses do not want to hire someone who has only four days a week available. Also, there are days when the tiredness and weakness that I experience after dialysis make it impossible to do even simple tasks. Being creative about finding appropriate work to do is challenging. Getting help with this kind of support would be very helpful.

To learn about the Living Donor Program with Texas Transplant Institute click here

To be considered as a potential living kidney donor, fill out the form here

Or call the phone number below to get more information:

1-800-888-0402

Patient information you may need:

Name: Dawn Thompson

Location: Boerne TX

Date of Birth: March 31, 1970

Donor Blood Type Needed: O Positive

Is a Kidney Paired Exchange or Swap an option with the hospital you are registered with?: Yes, which means that if you are not a match to Dawn, you can still help her by donating to another person who is your match in a paired exchange. This is essentially helping two people (or more) receive a kidney transplant.