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From the age of 17, until he got a kidney transplant at 25, Eamon Ryan was on a special renal diet. This included a number of measures to try and protect his kidney function. Limiting meat consumption was annoying, but as a proud dairy farmer, keeping his milk intake to a pint per day was definitely unsavoury.
Now however, two and a half years after receiving a kidney from his mother Mary Ryan, the quota has been lifted and limiting milk is a thing of the past.
A new kidney gave Eamon a new lease of life
The only food Eamon really has to watch is grapefruit, as it can interfere with his anti-rejection medication, which is no real burden on him.
A new kidney gave Eamon a new lease of life. Even though he can relax his diet in ways, he still is very careful with regards to his health. Irish Country Living was to meet Eamon and Mary a few weeks ago in Clonakilty, near their home and farm in Ballinscarthy, Co Cork, ahead of Organ Donation Awareness Week.
Eamon thinks in his case, farming is one of the best professions to be in with regards to self-isolation
It was to run from 28 March to 4 April, but has been postponed due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Even before restrictions, with the coronavirus in mind, we decided a phone call would be more appropriate.
Eamon thinks in his case, farming is one of the best professions to be in with regards to self-isolation. And, after that, you just have to take the necessary precautions and keep your distance from people.
“Farming is isolated as it is,” says Eamon. “Dad is a diabetic, so he and I are in the same boat. We’re just limiting who comes into the yard and keeping the head down.”
The beginning
Problems with Eamon’s kidneys started when Mary was pregnant with him. At 17 weeks, a scan revealed he had a blockage to a urethral valve to the kidney. Mary was rushed by plane to London to undergo emergency surgery.
Eamon was delivered full-term but his kidneys were compromised. One was completely damaged and he had only 50% use of the other.
I wasn’t too bad up until the last year – or even six months – before the transplant
Growing up, Eamon says his life was fairly normal, apart from the medication he had to take and knowing a kidney transplant was inevitable. However, farming alongside his father Michael became difficult as he got older.
“I wasn’t too bad up until the last year – or even six months – before the transplant. I was very sick then and sleeping a lot. I was just about managing to do an hour-and-a-half’s work in the morning, I’d come in then and sleep. I’d have the dinner and be asleep again before you’d go out in the evening for milking.”
Mary had been enquiring for years if she could be tested to see if she was a match and was told she would be called upon when the time was right. In August 2017, this process started.
In October we got confirmation the transplant could go ahead
“Eamon was well burnt out at that stage. His energy was getting lower and lower. He was also getting closer and closer to dialysis.
“In October we got confirmation the transplant could go ahead. The surgery took place in November in Beaumont Hospital, Dublin. It worked out thankfully, in that he escaped the dialysis by weeks or even days.”
Getting better
The surgery went well. The mother and son joke that there was a race to see who could get out of hospital first. Mary won by two days.
Eamon explains that after surgery he instantly felt better, as his kidney function increased greatly; while it took Mary some time to adjust, as her kidney function had decreased.
Michael had a triple bypass the following February, so Eamon and his brother were manning the fort on the farm
It was almost a year before Mary got back to normal, but it was no price to pay for Eamon being well. Eamon – saying he hopes the doctors aren’t readings this – admits he was back in the yard quite quickly, but at the same time was vigilant not to push himself too far.
Michael had a triple bypass the following February, so Eamon and his brother were manning the fort on the farm. They then went on to win a Carbery Milk Quality Award that year, which really marked a new chapter in their lives.
I’ve more energy now than I ever realised I could have
“You’re totally transformed with energy levels, you’re like a new person really. I’ve more energy now than I ever realised I could have. Now I’m just on the anti-rejection medication and a small blood pressure tablet – way less than what I was on before – they go hand-in-hand. There’s one blocker I’m on as well for calcium – it’s my love of milk I’d say. It’ll balance out but it could take up to a few years.”
Eamon is happy to be back both milking with gusto and drinking milk with gusto. When Irish Country Living speaks with Eamon, he is in full calving mode, almost finished and trying to get cows out to grass.
Thanks to his mother, Eamon had a life transforming transplant. They held two lip sync fundraisers in which the whole family took part (Eamon has four siblings) raising €20,100 for the Cork branch of the Irish Kidney Association.
They want to highlight the importance of organ donation and how life changing it can be. Eamon feels organ donation should be opt out, rather than opt in.
Those wishing to donate €4 to the work of the Irish Kidney Association can text KIDNEY to 50300. Organ donor cards can be obtained by phoning the Irish Kidney Association on 01-620 5306, free texting the word DONOR to 50050 or click here.
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