 Carl
Walters considers himself a blessed man. After years of
suffering the effects of failing kidneys, he has a new lease on life
thanks to a successful kidney transplant performed at Southwest
Florida Regional Medical Center.Diagnosed at age 35 with
inherited polycystic renal disease, Carl knew he had a tough road
ahead of him. "Both my father and my oldest brother passed
away from complications of the disease," Carl says.
In the years following his diagnosis, Carl endured frequent
doctor visits to keep an eye on the disease. His kidneys
eventually started to malfunction, and at age 57 he was diagnosed
with kidney failure and put on dialysis.
"I was in California at the time, and after nine months on
dialysis I was able to have a dual kidney transplant operation,"
Carl says. Unfortunately, Carl's body didn't respond well to
the operation, and both kidneys eventually had to be removed.
Carl and his wife, Sloan, moved to Sarasota, Florida. After
four more years on dialysis, a call came from Southwest Florida
Regional Medical Center letting Carl know that a kidney was
available. "Janice, my transplant coordinator from the
hospital, was wonderful," Carl says. "She's my angel."
Carl immediately drove to Fort Myers and underwent a successful
transplant operation. "Dr. Burtch and the other doctors and
nurses took exceptionally good care of me. I was only in ICU
for observation for a few hours after surgery, and my recovery went
without a hitch."
"My transplant was on May 23 and my birthday was on May 28," Carl
says. "The operation was my 're-birth' day present."
Carl also considers his experience a great reminder about the
benefits of organ donation. "I am so grateful to the family
that donated their son's kidney," Carl says. "They really
saved my life." |
