I think he's dreaming but......
(Thanks Stuff.co.nz)
Sick Jonah determined to be an All Black again
01 June 2003
By DUNCAN JOHNSTONE
Jonah Lomu says he is determined to play rugby again despite health experts warning that his kidney failure makes that practically impossible.
Lomu, 28, received his first dialysis treatment in Auckland yesterday after rapid deterioration in his chronic kidney disease last week when he was hit by major fatigue.
But All Black doctor John Mayhew has warned fans and foes alike not to write the giant wing off yet.
"My immediate reaction was that must be the end of his career, but two specialists have given him hope so it may not be," said Mayhew. "It certainly throws a huge question mark over his playing future.
"But Jonah hasn't given up hope. He has a great passion to get back. He has always amazed me with what he has done over the last three or four years, knowing how he has managed to do things with only half the fuel in the tank."
A kidney transplant is the next step for the game's biggest name if a compatible donor can be found. It is the lowest his condition has fallen to since he was diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome in 1997.
Lomu would not speak publicly yesterday, leaving Auckland hospital after his first dialysis treatment with partner Fiona Taylor. But, following the All Black selection last week, he wrote on his website: "Once you have worn that black shirt it's not easy to give it up."
Mayhew said: "It's hard to chop him off at the knees when he hasn't chopped himself off."
Lomu faces three dialysis treatments a week, each lasting about two hours.
"The deterioration can happen very quickly. We were well aware that his condition was fairly fragile for a long time although it was stable. Why it suddenly went off, I don't know. The tired old kidneys were saying enough is enough, we can't work any more."
Mayhew said Lomu had returned to fitness training last month and appeared in good physical shape. But during treatment over the past two months he was being prepared for "the inevitable" step of dialysis.
"There has been a lot of education - he has been talking to various people in the dialysis-transplant area so that has helped him prepare for this," said Mayhew.
Lomu's kidney specialist, professor Ian Simpson, had indicated it was possible to play rugby while on dialysis and transplant surgeon Dr Steve Lund had said there were sportsmen who had gone back to contact sports like basketball and gridiron after transplants.
"Most probably anyone else should have had dialysis weeks or months earlier. Jonah confounded us and the renal specialists as he has continually done over the years," Mayhew said.
Lomu's manager Phil Kingsley Jones said the news was not unexpected. He had been warned by doctors of possible complications and over the years there had been times when Lomu had not responded well to his drug treatment.
"He's been like this for a long, long, time, even in 1995 (before his kidney problem was diagnosed). He's had it all his life and done things humanly impossible."
But he said Lomu's dream was still to wear the All Blacks jersey.
Kingsley Jones said Lomu had asked doctors if it was possible to play rugby on dialysis. They had told him no one had done it before - but he could try.
"Jonah wants to be the first and we have to support him on that. I'd be happy for him to call it a day now, but whatever Jonah wants I'll support him," said Kingsley Jones. "I won't give up on him because he won't give up on himself. He's remarkable like that.
"Jonah has almost been in denial . . . he's so strong. The New Zealand Rugby Union and Wellington union have been fantastic through all of this. It's a very emotional time."
Contact
[email protected]
