A FORMER champion cyclist who says kidney dialysis left him suicidal has called for more psychological support for younger patients.

Stephen Blom, 38, says he struggled to cope with hours hooked up to machines in a hospital bed after living an adrenalin-packed life competing in the sport all over Europe.

Stephen, who was nicknamed the ‘Flying Dutchman’ and has since had a kidney transplant, says he was aware of several people who had decided to stop dialysis and, “allowed themselves to die.”

He says there is an “alarming” lack of support for younger patients, particularly those who are transitioning from paediatric to adult care. 

Figures show there are around 179,850 patients in Scotland aged 18 and over recorded with chronic kidney disease.

Around 580 people are waiting for a transplant, with the majority in need of a new kidney, which is the only cure for renal failure.

Earlier this year, the Scottish Government agreed to press ahead with a new opt-out transplant system, which it is hoped will help drive up organ donor numbers.

Stephen said: “When I was on dialysis, the daily symptoms were horrendous. Constantly vomiting, feeling dreadful and losing the will to fight on.

“After spending many weeks in and out of hospital I was nearing suicide.

“There is a lack of social infrastructure for all renal patients but more alarmingly a serious lack of support for young people.

“For young adults who are in going from the children’s hospital to the main hospital, the level of care they receive completely changes going over to the main building. 

“You are left to your own devices.

“Many young adults suffering renal failure lose motivation and give up. They find dialysis too hard to deal with. 

“I have known several people who have decided to stop dialysis and allow themselves to die rather than continue with it.

“The average age for commencing haemodialysis is around 65 years and almost half of patients are over the age of 70.

“To be younger than 55 is unusual and for patients who have previously been active, fit and well and expecting a normal life, the prospect of renal replacement therapy is a shock.”

Before he became seriously ill, Stephen was travelling abroad four times a year to take part in amateur, cycling challenges and once cleared almost 700 miles across Canada from Vancouver to Calgary in just 10 days. However, over time his results started to decline, with no obvious reason why.

Things came to a head while he was on a training camp in Lanzarote in 2014 and he had to turn back to his apartment because he didn’t have the energy to pedal over even the slightest incline.

When he returned home tests revealed his kidney function was 14%.
Stephen, who is from Paisley, was diagnosed with chronic kidney failure and was told his own body had started to attack itself in a bid to beat an infection. 

He was confined to bed for eight hours at a time and the treatment was the only thing keeping him alive.

Fortunately for Stephen, who lives in Paisley, he received a life-saving transplant in March 2016 and is recovering well.

He has now set up a charity, Return to Life, to help patients cope with the emotional roller-coaster of kidney dialysis and the transplant waiting list.

The charity is supported by David Kingsmore, a renal surgeon at Glasgow’s Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, and also provides advice and exercise to help patients get fit and lose weight for transplant surgery.

Stephen said: “Obesity is the number one issue that halts from many receiving a kidney transplant, so we are here to help those lose weight and stay motivated. 

“Ultimately we concentrate on cycling. Cardiovascular exercise is crucial. Patients require to be in a minimal fitness level prior they undergo transplantation. We help patients with the necessary steps to improve their fitness.

“The NHS cannot deliver this support which is why there is a need for Return To Life.”

Return to Life is based at 95 Neilson Road in Paisley. Telephone 0141 889 8704 or visit their Facebook page @Return2LifeCycling