Unstoppable Spirit (eBook)

A Young Man's Journey with Kidney Disease

Charlsie Farmer Woolley (Autor)

eBook Download: EPUB

2025 | 1. Auflage
364 Seiten
Bookbaby (Verlag)
979-8-218-56487-2 (ISBN)

Infos

Diagnosed with kidney disease as a child, Dan Woolley endures years of hospital visits, medical challenges, and sacrifices, yet he refuses to let this illness define him. His unwavering courage and tender spirit allow him to forge profound connections with friends, family, and mentors who are inspired by his strength and resolve. One connection at the heart of the story is with his mother, Charlsie, whose love and devotion guide Dan through his toughest battles. Despite these challenges, his indomitable spirit shines through. With a sharp mind and a passion for the game, he becomes the head manager of a Division I basketball team, inspiring everyone around him. This story is a testament to the enduring power of relationships and the unyielding spirit it takes to move through adversity.

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CHAPTER 4

Uncertainty

One morning, when Dan was nine-and-a-half years old, he woke up and Charlsie noticed his face was swollen. The first time it happened, she chalked it up to allergies. Then, strangely, by the end of the day, the swelling was gone. Later that week, it happened again. She’d seen the way his cheeks rounded out and his eyes narrowed, but surely it was just an allergy to the fat, blooming magnolias or the heavy purple Jacarandas. She asked Herb about it, and he had noticed it, too.

The next time it happened, Charlsie took Dan to his pediatrician who also suggested it was allergies and prescribed a daily antihistamine. She took Dan to the pediatrician on three different occasions and each time they came away being told it was allergies, allergies, allergies. But one thing was certain: if Charlsie contacted a pediatrician three times about the same issue, you better damn well believe something was wrong.

Charlsie was not a hysterical mother, nor a worry-wart. She did not hover. More than once, she told her young children to “rub dirt in it” when they fell or scraped a knee. Yet, her concern over Dan’s perplexing swelling nagged at her. If it’s allergies, why aren’t the antihistamines helping?

A few weeks later, Charlsie brought Dan’s swelling to the attention of her daddy on a phone call with him.

Dr. Farmer was the patriarch of Charlsie’s family and a wonderful father. He was a reserved, southern gentleman who wholly rejected the racism of that time and place. He treated anyone and everyone who needed his help, regardless of their skin color or if they could pay. During the holidays, he’d fill cardboard boxes with clothes, blankets, and food and deliver them to the needy. He and Charlsie had a close relationship all her life, and she loved him dearly. She was hopeful that her daddy could finally give her some answers regarding Dan’s swelling.

Dr. Farmer asked Charlsie if she’d changed detergents or bath soaps, but she hadn’t. He told her to monitor the situation. Of course, she already was. But something just didn’t feel right.



Once summer break was in full swing, Mary Ann spent most days at her friend Taylor’s house, just up the street. Charles, who had turned 12, got a job as a forecaddie at Ansley Golf Club. On this morning, Charlsie left Dan still asleep at home while she drove Charles to the golf club. When she returned, Dan had woken up and was lying on the sofa. Charlsie did not like the look of her son. Something was…off, and her intuition was screaming.

Dan’s skin looked sallow. He was swollen. Though he was lying down, he seemed uncomfortable, tense.

“Dan, get in the car, we’re going to see Grandaddy,” she said as she picked up the phone to call her father.

“Daddy,” she said with some urgency. “Something is wrong with Dan. We’re coming down to see you.” She didn’t even set her purse down.

It was an hour drive to Dr. Farmer’s practice in Newnan, Georgia. Dan was quiet the whole way, either looking out his window or closing his eyes and resting his head on the seat. Charlsie now felt something was very wrong, but she wasn’t panicked. She was ready to finally get some answers.

Her daddy opened the back door to his office and welcomed them in. Dr. Farmer was not much taller than his daughter, standing five feet eight inches. He walked with purpose, all long strides and quick steps. Recently his receding brown hair had begun to turn gray. His face was still round, open, and kind. As usual, he wore a button-up shirt and a tie with his white coat on top.

He was a quiet man who relied heavily on his powers of observation. It had always struck Charlsie that Dan and his Grandaddy had this trait in common. He often told Charlsie, “A doctor’s best diagnostic tools are to look, listen, and feel.” Dr. Farmer’s strength was in his ability to observe someone’s outward manifestations of their health or illness. So, he was especially troubled when his grandson appeared at his door seeming listless. He directed Dan to a sofa in the front office and had him lie down.

The office was quiet as Dr. Farmer lifted Dan’s shirt. He was surprised to find Dan’s abdomen swollen—so distended it was taut. When he pressed gently on Dan’s legs, his imprint remained—in medicine, this is known as “pitting.” Despite the repeated trips to the pediatrician, neither of these symptoms had been remarked upon.

Charlsie’s father looked at her soberly and said, “Dan needs to have a urinalysis.” He called the hospital to order the lab work.

From there, things moved very quickly.

At the hospital lab, Dan’s urinalysis indicated that he had “casts” in his urine—microscopic, tube-shaped particles of urinary sediment. This abnormality would warrant further testing. Upon learning the lab results, Charlsie’s daddy said grimly, “I just want you to understand, Charlsie, that this can be very serious.”

At the time, there were only two pediatric nephrologists (a medical doctor who specializes in diagnosing and treating kidney conditions in children) in the Atlanta area. The Woolleys were directed to see Dr. Barry Warshaw, at Egleston Children’s Hospital, a nationally-ranked pediatric hospital in Atlanta. Charlsie didn’t know it then, but Dr. Warshaw would become a constant in their lives.

In 1992, Dr. Warshaw was in his mid-40s with a trim build and dark hair. He was nice-looking, mild-mannered, and very serious. At their first meeting, Dr. Warshaw listened carefully to Charlsie describe the symptoms of the previous weeks, examined Dan, and ordered more lab work, including blood panels.

Though just nine years old, Dan handled all of the poking, prodding, and blood tests with aplomb. He watched every nurse insert and withdraw needles and IVs into his small body. He studied where they placed the tourniquet, how they cleaned the site, and watched the needle pierce his skin. He didn’t squirm or wriggle. He never complained.

When Dan’s bloodwork came back, his levels of Albumin, creatinine, and potassium were out of whack. He was “spilling” protein into his urine where there should be none.

“So, what does this mean?” Charlsie asked Dr. Warshaw.

“These are signs of kidney disease or what we call ‘nephrotic syndrome,’” Dr. Warshaw said.

The doctor continued, explaining that nephrotic syndrome can affect children of any age, and develops when there is damage to the filtering part of the kidneys (the “glomerulus”). This results in protein spillage into the urine (called “proteinuria”). The loss of the proteins in the blood allows fluid to leak out of the blood vessels into the nearby tissues, causing swelling.

“It’s fairly rare,” he explained. “Worldwide, we’re looking at about 16 cases per 100,000 children, with boys more affected than girls.” He then said he would place Dan on Prednisone, a commonly used steroid and the first line of defense against the disease. He explained that while doctors don’t know the exact cause of idiopathic (meaning, spontaneously occurring) kidney disease, the most responsive forms of the disease can be treated with a course of these steroids and go into complete remission. For those who have a recurrence of the disease, that can also be effectively treated with another round of steroids. Most patients may have a few relapses, but those can also be treated with steroids.

“Can he ever outgrow this?” Charlsie asked.

“Yes, some patients do. Sometimes it resolves completely. Sometimes we require other interventions.”

Charlsie’s head was swimming, but she felt optimistic that the steroids would work and push Dan into remission. She didn’t know anything about nephrotic syndrome or kidney disease, but she felt relieved to have a diagnosis. She trusted doctors, hell, her daddy was one! She was confident that they could get Dan feeling well again. She would follow the doctor’s orders to a T.

Dr. Warshaw also wanted Dan to limit his salt intake because it contributes to water retention, and they needed to better manage Dan’s swelling. The doctor cautioned that the swelling could get so bad that Dan’s eyes could swell shut, swelling of his legs and feet could make it difficult to walk, and Dan’s abdomen could swell to look “pregnant”.

For Charlsie, ordering Dan French fries with no salt at McDonalds was a fresh hell. She was usually met with a dumbfounded stare from the cashier. Charlsie would have to explain that they needed to make a new batch and not salt them. Inevitably, another worker would be called over to sort out her request. Charlsie could always hear the impatient murmurs of the other customers behind her. Trust this: When someone has a hankering for a Big Mac, they do not want to wait in line behind the lady ordering fries with no salt!

With Dan’s already picky appetite and general nine-year-old proclivities, he didn’t like to heed these instructions. So, they curbed Dan’s salt intake as best they could, he took his Prednisone, and they waited for his kidney disease to go into remission.

In addition to the steroids, Dr. Warshaw had also ordered him to do a daily “dip-stick” test to see if there was still protein in his urine.

“With nephrotic syndrome,” Dr. Warshaw explained to Dan, “large amounts of protein leak from the blood into the urine. This, in turn, increases the amount of protein in the urine.” The goal was to measure less than 150...

Produkt-Details

• Erscheint lt. Verlag: 27.5.2025
• Sprache: englisch
• Themenwelt: Literatur ► Biografien / Erfahrungsberichte
• ISBN-13: 979-8-218-56487-2 / 9798218564872