Alyssa's Medical and kidney fund
Donation protected
This is the story about my sisters daughter Alyssa.
On April fourth, 2014 our life was totally turn upside down.
At thirteen years old our daughter Alyssa decided she wanted to be part of the athletic department at her school. So she tried out for volleyball, basketball, and track. By the time she turned fourteen she was passionate about basketball. Mid season she began having headaches daily and some backaches which I made an appointment with her pediatrician and his test were normal and had no finding so he diagnosed her headaches as migraines and her back aches to muscle strains etc. and referred us to a back therapist which she was to start back therapy on April first, 2014. even though she had headaches, back aches, and fatigue she made it to every practice and every game
So on Friday March twenty-eighth, 2014 I received a call from her, it was was their last game of the season so I was really concerned when she said “Mom I have a really bad headache and my whole face hurst and and I’m not going to be able to play our last game.” She would have never missed a game especially the last one. We knew she did not feel well at all. I picked her up she reclined the seat and said “Mom please take me home.” So when we got home I gave her a dose of tylenol and put her to bed. She woke up around seven p.m and I asked her how she was and she said she still didn't feel good she said her throat and face hurt so me being mom I said let me see your throat so when she opened her mouth I noticed a tooth on her right side that looked like it needed attention. So I called our dentist office that evening and we were able to get an appointment on Saturday. We get to the dentist office and I remember joking around with Alyssa as we were updating her medical forms because other than asthma she was healthy. The nurse calls her to the back to get X-rays done all I kept thinking was how much is this tooth going to cost us, and praying that she didn't have a bad infection. Little did I know what was to come. Once her X-rays were complete we were put in a room and the Doctor came in and he asked a few questions and proceeded to check Alyssa’s blood pressure. Which had never been done on any of my kids only during a procedure. I am very thankful to this day that he did check it. Once he checked it the first time he turns to me and says “Does she have blood pressure problems? Immediately I said No sir. She plays sports and is very active. He said I’m not liking these numbers. Myself being mom I said can you wait a little bit and then check it again she probably has anxiety plus shes been in a lot of pain. I was thinking of every other excuse or reason why her blood pressure would be so high. He checked it again and said you’ll have to get this checked out by her pediatrician so he sent us home with antibiotics and pain medicine for the infected tooth. I still had no clue what was to come. We went to the local pharmacy filled her prescriptions.
So by the time we got home Alyssa just wanted to go to bed. So I gave her a dose of amoxicillin, which she’s taken most of her life with no issues, she slept for about two hours. I Googled to help me figure out what it could be but at the same time I called my mom. Who is a retired nurse. I let her know what was going on and I asked her if I could bring Alyssa by on Sunday so that she could take her blood pressure because I was still in doubt due to the fact that up to the day before she had no signs of anything. So as I hung up the phone with mom my daughter comes out of her room. I ask her “How do you feel baby?” She says the same but look, so I tell her to come more into to the light. She had broke out in hives all over her thighs etc. She had an allergic reaction to the amoxicillin for the very first time. After hours Pediatrician said to stop the medicine right away, I made an appointment to see Doctor Prochnow on Monday morning at nine a.m on March thirty-first.
Her Pediatrician Doctor Prochnow had been her physician since she was born. He was reflecting back at her records to see if anything would show any clues. So he said I’m ordering blood work, Urine sample, and a kidney ultrasound. I thought Kidney!, what does that have to do with high blood pressure? He ordered all the results STAT. We headed home Alyssa was exhausted and laid down and went to sleep. I received a call from Doctor Prochnow at seven thirty p.m that evening and I remember feeling numb when he said Mrs. Peralez all of Alyssa’s test results show that she has a serious kidney infection her right kidney is seriously inflamed and I need her to be seen by a Nephrologist at Dell children's ASAP. I Asked how serious it is he said i'm not sure thats why we need you to see Doctor Simon. We were able to set an appointment on wednesday April second, 2014, at nine am.
My husband, Alyssa, and I left our house about eight a.m. and the whole way Alyssa was Back to being herself she had just been telling her dad that she wanted coffee and bagels after the appointment. We get to the appointment and I have a huge stack of paper work to fill out we had just taken a seat when we were called to the exam room. The nurse got her weight, height then out comes the blood pressure cuff. I said to myself with doubt surely its back to normal. When the nurse took it she stops and then starts taking it again. She even thought maybe she had the wrong size cuff on and changed it. When she got the same reading after changing she said I’m going to get the manual one. I asked what is it reading and she said one-eighty over one-fourteen and I about lost it. She left the room and never returned. The person who came in was Doctor Simon and he introduced himself. He said I’m sure you’ll have a lot of questions and we will get to all of them that but right now I need for yall to go straight to the emergency room where they’re expecting Ms. Alyssa. We have got to get her blood pressure down and under control she could have a heart attack or an aneurysm. He said let me make a call I’ll be back.
When he walked out my husband and I looked at each other, both of us numb, trying to be strong and not lose it. We look at our precious daughter and the first thing she says is “Will I be out in time for school tomorrow?” She began to cry uncontrollably. She was admitted to the hospital on that day April second, 2014 by that night her Doctor let us know that she had Kidney Disease according to the Blood work and ultrasound. He did not know the severity of it since Alyssa was still able to go to the bathroom. We ask how can we find out? He said I’m planning a Kidney Biopsy for tomorrow April third, 2014. From that moment on everyday was another challenge. She received the biopsy, and the results didn't come in until Friday April forth 2014, at seven pm. From that moment our life was changed. Alyssa’s Nephrologist said that he had taken two really good samples and then he explained how the test works the room went completely quiet. I was numb again trying to be strong waiting to hear him say Alyssa has been diagnosed with Pauci Immune Nephritis which means End stage Renal Disease. He said basically most of Alyssa's kidney filters are dead they’re not functioning anymore and she will have to be on dialysis and eventually need a kidney transplant. I remember looking at my daughter and she moved her lips where I could read them and said “Mom I will be fine” but I knew deep down she wanted to scream. Alyssa stayed in the hospital for almost thirty days.
Alyssa continues to be a trooper even in these difficult times in her life. Alyssa is on dialysis at home for ten hours a day seven days a week and has been for six months now. She has been placed on the national organ sharing list as of Tuesday October twenty-eighth, 2014. She also has five potential live donors that are being tested as well for comparison. Even before this disease impacted our live. Alyssa has always been an advocate for Organ sharing. She has many hopes and dreams for her future but what is most important to her is that her story be read and shared for awareness of kidney disease in children, and the importance of organ donors. That is an important topic to discuss amongst families ahead of time. So many children and adults go years without a transplant due to the shortage or organ sharing.
On April fourth, 2014 our life was totally turn upside down.
At thirteen years old our daughter Alyssa decided she wanted to be part of the athletic department at her school. So she tried out for volleyball, basketball, and track. By the time she turned fourteen she was passionate about basketball. Mid season she began having headaches daily and some backaches which I made an appointment with her pediatrician and his test were normal and had no finding so he diagnosed her headaches as migraines and her back aches to muscle strains etc. and referred us to a back therapist which she was to start back therapy on April first, 2014. even though she had headaches, back aches, and fatigue she made it to every practice and every game
So on Friday March twenty-eighth, 2014 I received a call from her, it was was their last game of the season so I was really concerned when she said “Mom I have a really bad headache and my whole face hurst and and I’m not going to be able to play our last game.” She would have never missed a game especially the last one. We knew she did not feel well at all. I picked her up she reclined the seat and said “Mom please take me home.” So when we got home I gave her a dose of tylenol and put her to bed. She woke up around seven p.m and I asked her how she was and she said she still didn't feel good she said her throat and face hurt so me being mom I said let me see your throat so when she opened her mouth I noticed a tooth on her right side that looked like it needed attention. So I called our dentist office that evening and we were able to get an appointment on Saturday. We get to the dentist office and I remember joking around with Alyssa as we were updating her medical forms because other than asthma she was healthy. The nurse calls her to the back to get X-rays done all I kept thinking was how much is this tooth going to cost us, and praying that she didn't have a bad infection. Little did I know what was to come. Once her X-rays were complete we were put in a room and the Doctor came in and he asked a few questions and proceeded to check Alyssa’s blood pressure. Which had never been done on any of my kids only during a procedure. I am very thankful to this day that he did check it. Once he checked it the first time he turns to me and says “Does she have blood pressure problems? Immediately I said No sir. She plays sports and is very active. He said I’m not liking these numbers. Myself being mom I said can you wait a little bit and then check it again she probably has anxiety plus shes been in a lot of pain. I was thinking of every other excuse or reason why her blood pressure would be so high. He checked it again and said you’ll have to get this checked out by her pediatrician so he sent us home with antibiotics and pain medicine for the infected tooth. I still had no clue what was to come. We went to the local pharmacy filled her prescriptions.
So by the time we got home Alyssa just wanted to go to bed. So I gave her a dose of amoxicillin, which she’s taken most of her life with no issues, she slept for about two hours. I Googled to help me figure out what it could be but at the same time I called my mom. Who is a retired nurse. I let her know what was going on and I asked her if I could bring Alyssa by on Sunday so that she could take her blood pressure because I was still in doubt due to the fact that up to the day before she had no signs of anything. So as I hung up the phone with mom my daughter comes out of her room. I ask her “How do you feel baby?” She says the same but look, so I tell her to come more into to the light. She had broke out in hives all over her thighs etc. She had an allergic reaction to the amoxicillin for the very first time. After hours Pediatrician said to stop the medicine right away, I made an appointment to see Doctor Prochnow on Monday morning at nine a.m on March thirty-first.
Her Pediatrician Doctor Prochnow had been her physician since she was born. He was reflecting back at her records to see if anything would show any clues. So he said I’m ordering blood work, Urine sample, and a kidney ultrasound. I thought Kidney!, what does that have to do with high blood pressure? He ordered all the results STAT. We headed home Alyssa was exhausted and laid down and went to sleep. I received a call from Doctor Prochnow at seven thirty p.m that evening and I remember feeling numb when he said Mrs. Peralez all of Alyssa’s test results show that she has a serious kidney infection her right kidney is seriously inflamed and I need her to be seen by a Nephrologist at Dell children's ASAP. I Asked how serious it is he said i'm not sure thats why we need you to see Doctor Simon. We were able to set an appointment on wednesday April second, 2014, at nine am.
My husband, Alyssa, and I left our house about eight a.m. and the whole way Alyssa was Back to being herself she had just been telling her dad that she wanted coffee and bagels after the appointment. We get to the appointment and I have a huge stack of paper work to fill out we had just taken a seat when we were called to the exam room. The nurse got her weight, height then out comes the blood pressure cuff. I said to myself with doubt surely its back to normal. When the nurse took it she stops and then starts taking it again. She even thought maybe she had the wrong size cuff on and changed it. When she got the same reading after changing she said I’m going to get the manual one. I asked what is it reading and she said one-eighty over one-fourteen and I about lost it. She left the room and never returned. The person who came in was Doctor Simon and he introduced himself. He said I’m sure you’ll have a lot of questions and we will get to all of them that but right now I need for yall to go straight to the emergency room where they’re expecting Ms. Alyssa. We have got to get her blood pressure down and under control she could have a heart attack or an aneurysm. He said let me make a call I’ll be back.
When he walked out my husband and I looked at each other, both of us numb, trying to be strong and not lose it. We look at our precious daughter and the first thing she says is “Will I be out in time for school tomorrow?” She began to cry uncontrollably. She was admitted to the hospital on that day April second, 2014 by that night her Doctor let us know that she had Kidney Disease according to the Blood work and ultrasound. He did not know the severity of it since Alyssa was still able to go to the bathroom. We ask how can we find out? He said I’m planning a Kidney Biopsy for tomorrow April third, 2014. From that moment on everyday was another challenge. She received the biopsy, and the results didn't come in until Friday April forth 2014, at seven pm. From that moment our life was changed. Alyssa’s Nephrologist said that he had taken two really good samples and then he explained how the test works the room went completely quiet. I was numb again trying to be strong waiting to hear him say Alyssa has been diagnosed with Pauci Immune Nephritis which means End stage Renal Disease. He said basically most of Alyssa's kidney filters are dead they’re not functioning anymore and she will have to be on dialysis and eventually need a kidney transplant. I remember looking at my daughter and she moved her lips where I could read them and said “Mom I will be fine” but I knew deep down she wanted to scream. Alyssa stayed in the hospital for almost thirty days.
Alyssa continues to be a trooper even in these difficult times in her life. Alyssa is on dialysis at home for ten hours a day seven days a week and has been for six months now. She has been placed on the national organ sharing list as of Tuesday October twenty-eighth, 2014. She also has five potential live donors that are being tested as well for comparison. Even before this disease impacted our live. Alyssa has always been an advocate for Organ sharing. She has many hopes and dreams for her future but what is most important to her is that her story be read and shared for awareness of kidney disease in children, and the importance of organ donors. That is an important topic to discuss amongst families ahead of time. So many children and adults go years without a transplant due to the shortage or organ sharing.
Organizer
Sandra Sosa Galaviz
Organizer
Wyldwood, TX
