By Cynthia Flash
Watching Luke Jackson play electric bass with his band Golden Toads, you’d have no idea that hours earlier he was hooked up to a machine that cleans the water and waste from his body.
Three days a week, for four hours each time, he receives dialysis treatment at the Northwest Kidney Centers clinic on Lake City Way. It’s been Jackson’s routine since 2013, when he was diagnosed with kidney failure after his blood pressure skyrocketed and sent him to the hospital.
“I knew my blood pressure was high at the time, but I didn’t realize what it would do to me. I had been feeling weak for weeks,” he recalls.
Jackson is typical of many people with kidney failure. Most develop kidney problems after a history of diabetes or uncontrolled high blood pressure. He’s sharing his story now, during National Kidney Month, to raise awareness of kidney health and kidney disease, which affects more than 1 in 10 American adults and 1 in 4 African Americans.
Today Jackson is feeling better. He works part-time for United Parcel Service, rides his bike and strictly monitors his diet to avoid putting extra stress on his kidneys. He hopes to qualify for a kidney transplant eventually, which would free him from the constraints of dialysis but add the requirement to take immune-suppressing drugs for the rest of his life.
“I’m an optimistic guy. I never think that I’m out. I look at the glass half-full all the time,” says Jackson. “I’ve always been like that. It was the way that I was raised.”
The 49-year-old Roosevelt High School graduate started playing bass at age 16. He toured with the Washington State Men’s Choir as a bassist and played for several cover bands, making a living as a musician.
Bad luck struck in 2009 when he lost his house during the economic recession. That led to a downward spiral and too much drinking. He moved back to Seattle and lived with his mother for two years until he found transitional housing in Sand Point. He hopes to buy a foreclosed home soon, with plans to fix it up using the skills he gained as a drywaller and electrician.
Meanwhile, he’s looking forward to jamming with Golden Toads at gigs planned in the coming months.
Always willing to help others, Jackson has plenty of advice for those with kidney disease: Exercise, cut back on salt and avoid energy drinks and processed foods.
“If you eat more fruits and vegetables you’ll feel a lot better,” he says. “You won’t feel as sluggish. If you can do mostly home cooked meals, it’s better for you.”
Tips to keep your kidneys healthy
• Follow prescribed treatments to control diabetes and/or high blood pressure.
• Lose extra weight with a healthy diet and regular exercise.
• Don’t overuse over-the-counter pain medicines.
• Don’t smoke.
• Eat less salt.
• Ask your doctor to test you for kidney disease. Take a quiz to find out if you are at risk at www.nwkidney.org/quiz.
