Nate Robinson Gives Health Update After Kidney Failure, Says He's 'Not Going to Live Long' Without a Transplant

[entremet]

I hope he's able to find a donor. The man is only 39.

Nate Robinson Gives Health Update After Kidney Failure, Says He's 'Not Going to Live Long' Without a Transplant

The 39-year-old former NBA star was previously diagnosed with renal kidney failure.

www.complex.com

Nate Robinson has shared a health update two years after he publicly shared his kidney failure diagnosis.

In an interview with the British tabloid Daily Mail, the 39-year-old former New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets player shared that he might not have long to live if he can't receive a kidney transplant. "I know that I don't have long if I can't get a kidney," Robinson said. "I know I'm not going to have long to live. So I just want to make the best of it as much as I can."

In a statement shared in 2022, Robinson revealed that he was undergoing treatment for renal kidney failure, which he had been suffering from for four years at that point. Since he's been undergoing treatment, he said that he's experienced painful vomiting as a side effect. He's also had to switch to a very strict diet.

"Some people's body reject dialysis. And thank God that mine accepts it and I can live... if I didn't go to dialysis, I wouldn't live probably longer than a week or two. So it's serious, can't miss a day. I go in for four hours, three days a week, four hours a day. And they clean my blood to get my toxins out. And they help me out a lot because that's how I'm living."

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His kidneys were damaged by high blood pressure. High blood pressure is no joke. It can mess up a lot.

 

[Schreckstoff]

Dialysis can go on for a long time, it's a terrible thing to have to go through but hopefully it keeps working till he's able to get a transplant.
Did UNOS remove the racist parameters that made black people get way lower placements on transplant lists?

 

[Sanjuro]

Jesus that's awful. I didn't realize he had been dealing with this for so long.

He'll always be Donkey to us from that fun 2010 run.

 

[entremet]

Jesus that's awful. I didn't realize he had been dealing with this for so long.

He'll always be Donkey to us from that fun 2010 run.

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He said he ignored his high blood pressure for years unfortunately.

"They used to tell me that we're going to have to check your blood pressure and if your blood pressure is too high, you can't play in the game. I used to tell them, 'Don't check my blood pressure because I am playing regardless of what you say,'" said Robinson. "I thought I was young and invincible. I didn't know it was going to catch up to me.

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[steejee]

Best of luck to Nate, that's a hard transition going from 'peak athlete' in the NBA to having to do dialysis to stay alive in short order.

He said he ignored his high blood pressure for years unfortunately.

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My partner watched a whole mess of 'Dr G', which was this late 90s-00s show (can find on Roku, where we binged it) that was an autopsy/cause of death crime show and "High Blood Pressure" must have popped up in what seemed like half the cases. To the point where the person could have had like four other symptoms and had an accident of some sort but it was still the high blood pressure that did the damage. Many of those victims of it were in their 40s/50s but there were definitely a few in the 30s.

We weren't ignorant of the dangers of high blood pressure, but it def made us WAY more mindful to keep it in check after seeing that show.

 

[Night Hunter]

Yeah, high blood pressure is an absolute killer. My uncle, mom and me are all type 1 diabetics and diabetes plus high blood pressure is long term death incarnate. My uncle had a kidney transplant and is half blind now. My mom managed it a lot better but even for her, it's a constant struggle and she needs to take medication.

Me, if anything I have low blood pressure actually. But I am still monitoring it semi regularly to catch it early if it ever ticks up. But probably got that from my dad's side of the family who has no problems with it.

 

[MJForum Poster]

This is why they are starting to experiment with animal kidneys, such as pigs, that are genetically engineered to be more compatible with humans. The need for kidneys is so great it outstrips the supply that donors can supply. I hope it works out for him.

 

[entremet]

This is why they are starting to experiment with animal kidneys, such as pigs, that are genetically engineered to be more compatible with humans. The need for kidneys is so great it outstrips the supply that donors can supply. I hope it works out for him.

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We should switch to an opt-out method for organ donations. We're opt-in and you need a driver's license. That misses a lot of people.

But America is obsessed with the individual over the common good.

That means the "freedom" and hyper religious crowd could just opt-out.

There's also a lot of consipiracy thinking with organ donations. Like doctors would not try as hard to save your life. This is rampant.

 

[Nida]

Yeah, high blood pressure is an absolute killer. My uncle, mom and me are all type 1 diabetics and diabetes plus high blood pressure is long term death incarnate. My uncle had a kidney transplant and is half blind now. My mom managed it a lot better but even for her, it's a constant struggle and she needs to take medication.

Me, if anything I have low blood pressure actually. But I am still monitoring it semi regularly to catch it early if it ever ticks up. But probably got that from my dad's side of the family who has no problems with it.

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Is there a reason everyone doesn't take a little bit of blood pressure medication to keep things at their best?

I already do but due to heart problems.

 

[t26]

At least he is normal height, so it should be easier for him to find a kidney. He has money so he should be able to get on multiple waiting list.

On a related note Scott Pollard is able to get a heart transplant. It is harder for him to find a heart since he is 6-11

After heart transplant, Scot Pollard plans to campaign for organ donations | NBA.com

Former NBA and Kansas center Scot Pollard was released from the hospital Thursday 13 days after recovering from heart transplant surgery.

www.nba.com

 

[Kin5290]

Is there a reason everyone doesn't take a little bit of blood pressure medication to keep things at their best?

I already do but due to heart problems.

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Because low blood pressure is often more of a medical emergency than high blood pressure. You absolutely do not want blindly take antihypertensives without close monitoring.

 

[entremet]

Best of luck to Nate, that's a hard transition going from 'peak athlete' in the NBA to having to do dialysis to stay alive in short order.


My partner watched a whole mess of 'Dr G', which was this late 90s-00s show (can find on Roku, where we binged it) that was an autopsy/cause of death crime show and "High Blood Pressure" must have popped up in what seemed like half the cases. To the point where the person could have had like four other symptoms and had an accident of some sort but it was still the high blood pressure that did the damage. Many of those victims of it were in their 40s/50s but there were definitely a few in the 30s.

We weren't ignorant of the dangers of high blood pressure, but it def made us WAY more mindful to keep it in check after seeing that show.

Click to shrink...

Just think of a high pressure water hose. That's your blood vessels with HPB, (rough illustration) which then go to extremities like hands, feet, and organs like eyes (blindness), liver and kidneys, etc.

Those tissues didn't evolve to deal with that long term.

 

[steejee]

Just think of a high pressure water hose. That's your blood vessels with HPB, (rough illustration) which then go to extremities like hands, feet, and organs like eyes (blindness), liver and kidneys, etc.

Those tissues didn't evolve to deal with that long term.

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I think the enlarged heart was the one that came up most often, or at least was the first thing she saw. She'd pretty much instantly go "Yup, probably high blood pressure" the moment she saw the hearts.

 

[Neo C.]

High blood pressure can be easily overlooked. Fortunately for me, I decided to donate blood, because the people there checked my blood pressure regularly. Once I got slightly over the recommended value, I went to my doctor for a blood check. After several other checks, they also found a fatty liver because of bad cholesterol. Mind you, I was always within the normal weight and lived comparatively healthy, but bad cholesterol is partly genetic.

With consequent medication, my liver is now totally healthy, while my blood pressure is fine. Most men don't know until their late 40s, and then it's often too late.

 

[KingBrave]

Yeah, dialysis isn't fun at all. I've only been doing it for 5 months and I'm tired of it. The average wait time for a kidney for a transplant is something like 3 to 5 years if you have a common blood type. Or faster if you are lucky enough to find a living donor.

 

[Night Hunter]

Is there a reason everyone doesn't take a little bit of blood pressure medication to keep things at their best?

I already do but due to heart problems.

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Honestly, this sounds like a recipe for disaster. There's probably a very good reason you can't buy that medication over the counter.

 

[Falchion]

Fuck that's scary. I hope he can find a donor.

 

[Chimpzy]

I've been on dialysis for a bit over a year now. Coincidentally, same age. It sucks, but it keeps you going, and you sort get in the routine. His career as an athlete is done tho, almost certainly permanently.

 

[Nida]

Honestly, this sounds like a recipe for disaster. There's probably a very good reason you can't buy that medication over the counter.

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Oh there absolutely is. I mean with a doctors supervision, being closely monitored to keep you where they want you.