In Focus: A photojournalist's journey through kidney failure

inFOCUS: A photojournalist chronicles his journey through kidney failure

idney disorders currently affect some 3 million people nationwide. In the United States, more than 44,000 people are on The List, patiently waiting to get a phone call telling them they're a near-perfect match for a cadaveric kidney. Hospitals across the country are flooded with more than 100,000 dialysis patients, who sit for hours at a time as man-made machines do what their own kidneys can't: clean toxins and fluid from their blood.

In the fall of 1998, these numbers were little more than a jumbled set of statistics for me.

I knew early in life there was a chance my kidneys could fail, but I never gave it a second thought. I was too busy growing up and pursuing a career in photojournalism.

10-year anniversary update, April 2010

04-01-10
When I learned my kidneys were failing, I turned to the Web for more information. I was disappointed in what I found. While there are a ton of sites filled with statistics and jargon about renal failure and countless kidney organizations and support groups, there was no detailed story of one person's battle with kidney failure, dialysis and transplant. I was looking for someone's complete story that could give me some idea of what was ahead.

Who better to undertake such a project than a photojournalist? I admit the whole idea of turning the camera around made me uncomfortable. After all, my place is behind the viewfinder. Thankfully, all the shooters involved are friends and they made it easy for me to become the subject, and after a while, I forgot they were there.

The chapters of this Web site chronicle my journey through the kidney transplant process, from early discussions with my doctor, to dialysis and ultimately to the surgery on March 31, 2000.

My goals with this site are to help patients and families better understand what may be ahead for them on the kidney failure road and to demystify the transplant process. But please remember, this is just what happened to me. Every patient is different and there are countless twists, turns and pot holes for everyone along the way.