Chronic Renal Failure is a disease which affects many people. This blog is about the kids in our lives who have been diagnosed and are now being treated for CRF. Our hope is that we will be able to connect with other families who have similar situations in dealing with the ups and downs of CRF.
Tucker Clayton:
Tucker was born with small, semi-functioning kidneys in August of 2002. He just celebrated his 8th birthday and is hanging in there. His doctors do not know why his kidneys did not delvelop, but they do know that they will never grow and eventually he will need a kidney transplant.
The interesting thing about kidneys is how much of our body functions they actually take part in. Number one; appetite. Our kidneys control our appetite, so you will notice that the kids with CRF do not have an appetite or if they do, as in Tucker's case, they eat only certain things. At our house it is Nacho Cheese Doritos, Cheetos, Cheddar Lays, Vanilla ice cream, chocolate candy bars, some cereal, some crackers, and sometimes a piece of candy or two. Because of this most nutritious diet {not} Tucker has to be tube-fed at night while he sleeps so that he can get the nutrition that his body needs. He is on a formula called Suplena, which is easy for his body to digest and is not hard on the kidneys. Some proteins are hard on kidneys because they don't digest as easily or quickly as other foods. There are several things that Tucker will be restricted from eating, but so far he has no desire to eat those things anyway so it has not been a problem.
Kidneys also affect our growth. Because of this these kids will have to be put on growth hormones. Tucker is very small for his age, and continues to stay the same size. We are experiencing some issues getting growth hormones right now and it is very frustrating! They are very expensive, and with that and the other meds he is on, it is just too much. I hope to find a way to get the medication we need, but so far, no luck!
As Tucker has grown older, his health has been much better. As a baby, we spent many days and nights in Primary Childrens for one thing or another. Our biggest struggle for the first few years of his life was pneumonia. He seemed to get it every spring and we would have to put him on IV's and oxygen for about a week. Luckily, he hasn't had pnuemonia for about three years. It has been wonderful! I think as he attends school and gets around other kids, he is building immunities and his body is able to fight off the viruses and bacteria more easily.
Tucker is the third child in our family. He has one older sister, one older brother, and two younger sisters. He is the life of the party! His personality way exceeds his need for attention! He knows everybody and is super friendly. He is not shy at all and will talk to anyone.
Tucker enjoys a pretty normal life. He attends school full-time, plays with friends, plays baseball in the summer and basketball in the winter. He loves to swim, ride his bike, play on dirt hills with trucks and cars, and has so much energy, we wonder daily where is comes from!
Tucker Clayton:
Tucker was born with small, semi-functioning kidneys in August of 2002. He just celebrated his 8th birthday and is hanging in there. His doctors do not know why his kidneys did not delvelop, but they do know that they will never grow and eventually he will need a kidney transplant.The interesting thing about kidneys is how much of our body functions they actually take part in. Number one; appetite. Our kidneys control our appetite, so you will notice that the kids with CRF do not have an appetite or if they do, as in Tucker's case, they eat only certain things. At our house it is Nacho Cheese Doritos, Cheetos, Cheddar Lays, Vanilla ice cream, chocolate candy bars, some cereal, some crackers, and sometimes a piece of candy or two. Because of this most nutritious diet {not} Tucker has to be tube-fed at night while he sleeps so that he can get the nutrition that his body needs. He is on a formula called Suplena, which is easy for his body to digest and is not hard on the kidneys. Some proteins are hard on kidneys because they don't digest as easily or quickly as other foods. There are several things that Tucker will be restricted from eating, but so far he has no desire to eat those things anyway so it has not been a problem.
Kidneys also affect our growth. Because of this these kids will have to be put on growth hormones. Tucker is very small for his age, and continues to stay the same size. We are experiencing some issues getting growth hormones right now and it is very frustrating! They are very expensive, and with that and the other meds he is on, it is just too much. I hope to find a way to get the medication we need, but so far, no luck!
As Tucker has grown older, his health has been much better. As a baby, we spent many days and nights in Primary Childrens for one thing or another. Our biggest struggle for the first few years of his life was pneumonia. He seemed to get it every spring and we would have to put him on IV's and oxygen for about a week. Luckily, he hasn't had pnuemonia for about three years. It has been wonderful! I think as he attends school and gets around other kids, he is building immunities and his body is able to fight off the viruses and bacteria more easily.
Tucker is the third child in our family. He has one older sister, one older brother, and two younger sisters. He is the life of the party! His personality way exceeds his need for attention! He knows everybody and is super friendly. He is not shy at all and will talk to anyone.
Tucker enjoys a pretty normal life. He attends school full-time, plays with friends, plays baseball in the summer and basketball in the winter. He loves to swim, ride his bike, play on dirt hills with trucks and cars, and has so much energy, we wonder daily where is comes from!
