PATRICK’S NEW LEASE OF LIFE AFTER RECEIVING A NEW KIDNEY
PATRICK CLEARY WAS JUST 24 WHEN HE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH KIDNEY FAILURE WHICH NATURALLY CAME AS A BIG SURPRISE AS HE HAD ALWAYS LED A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE
HE never drank alcohol, played gaelic football from an early age and so when Patrick Cleary, now 35, began to suffer severe headaches at the age of 24 he was naturally a worried man. “I was getting these severe pain in the head and I couldn’t put down to anything in particular,” he said. Hospital tests soon followed and these revealed he had very high creatinine levels which signalled that his kidneys were failing. Still, there was nothing to panic too much about immediately.
“I was told my kidneys were failing and while this was a major shock I was told it could be managed through the taking of steroids so I was put on a course of 38 a day,” recalls Patrick.
At the time he had 35% kidney function but he managed to stave off dialysis for a few years with the medication until his kidney function declined further leaving him with no option.
Kilglass native Patrick, who works as Depot Manager for Top Oil in Ballina and Castlebar had been receiving dialysis treatment since January 2014.
For two years he underwent nightly home dialysis treatment ( peritoneal) for eight hours at a time which allowed him to continue working as a Depot Manager. His care was overseen by Beaumont Hospital in Dublin.
Naturally though Patrick found this tiring and felt pressured for time. There was also the impact his illness was having on his family life being married to Helena and having four children, who range in ages from 5 to 13 years.
“At the same time you would get into a routine and would pass no heed of it after awhile. My employers, Top Oil were really understanding and very good to me,” says Patrick.
He had initially been attending renal clinics at Sligo University Hospital, a trek in itself from his West Sligo home, before he began home dialysis treatment.
It was all quite a shock for Patrick and such a change in his lifesytle having loved Gaelic football from childhood. Indeed, up until three years ago he played for Castleconnor’s junior GAA team.
Not being overweight and active Patrick never had health issues but lurking in the background unbeknownst to him was very high blood pressure.
He had underwent a hip operation in 2000 and even then his bloods were fine with no indication that significant problems with his kidneys were developing.
Last November, while hooked up to his dialysis machine at night at home he was unaware his phone was ringing and then his wife’s phone rang and she almost didn’t answer it too as it was from ‘ no caller ID’ and it was just before 11pm.
However, it was the best news he and his wife could wish for and the prefect early Christmas present.
It was the transplant coordinator advising him that he was to travel to Dublin as a donor kidney had become available.
He got there around 1.30am and following a battery of tests the operation was scheduled for later that Tuesday morning.
“It all went well and I was out of the bed on the Wednesday,” he says.
Although Patrick had to return to Beaumont Hospital a week after being discharged due to an infection, he recovered fully.
He said that almost as soon as he had his transplant his wife noticed the whites of his eyes had brightened considerably as they had been yellow.
Other people began to comment on his healthy pallor including the colour of his lips which had been a greyish appearance.
Patrick has no idea who his donor was but he is eternally grateful for its gift which has truly been life changing.
He said that while the transplant has transformed his life he is very aware that its because someone else made the decision to donate their loved ones organs.
The transplant has given him more freedom as his life is no longer on hold as it were being tied to dialysis treatment.
He can now do more with his children and plan trips away. He no longer has a restricted diet or fluid intake.
Patrick also doesn’t have to go to bed early to undergo his dialysis treatment. He said the first time the transplant really impacted on him was on Christmas morning when he could get up with his children to see them opening their presents.
Prior to this they either had to wait for him to unhook himself from dialysis or they would have to just proceed without him.
As he spoke with ‘ The Champion’ Patrick was on his way to the Beaumont for a check- up which he has to attend every couple of weeks in the initial months after a transplant.
“Everything has been going really well and the level of medication I’m taking now is nothing compared to what I used to have to take,” he says.
Patrick has always been conscious of the help and support he has received too from the hospitals in Sligo and Dublin and also from the Irish Kidney Association.
He decided to organise a football fundraiser for the Dialysis Unit in Sligo on 27th December 2014. Called ‘ Kicking for Kidneys’ Patrick lined out himself out for the event along with players from several clubs around Sligo including county footballer Dessie Sloyan as well as former county player and now county councillor, Paul Taylor. The event raised € 3,500. .
At the beginning of March last year he took part in another fundraiser for the IKA, The
Mattie Carden Memorial fun run/ walk in Enniscrone.
He says there are many people waiting on what would be life changing operations and every time he goes to the Beaumont he sees at first hand the urgent need for transplants.
Patrick does a small bit of walking now and he hopes to increase his exercise rate in the coming months as he continues to recover.
“I’ll not be able to go back playing football though,” he laughs.
Despite his illness, Patrick has managed to be a Depot Manager at two of Top Oil’s busy facilities at Ballina and Castlebar. His efforts were recognised recently he was named as Top Oil Person of the Year for 2016.
Patrick has been working with the company for eight years and manages a team of 24 people on site. He was praised for his consistent dedication and hard work ethic at Top Oil, despite his ongoing personal health challenges in his life.
EIGHT HOURS AT NIGHT ON DIALYSIS, EVERY NIGHT AT HOME SEEMED LIKE A LOT BUT AT THE SAME TIME YOU WOULD GET INTO A ROUTINE WITH IT AND WOULD PASS NO HEED OF IT AFTER AWHILE