“My kidney function has got worse” - McDonald ready for transplant
The Scotland international admitted that he is going to have a kidney transplant, putting his football career on hold.
Kevin McDonald
,
Fulham’s midfielder, has been dealing with kidney disease since he was 18 and about to be transferred to
Burnleywhen a medical test showed some abnormalities.
The 32-year-old has played in 500 games and featured for his country on five occasions. However, now he is on the verge of going under surgery to prevent living on dialysis.
McDonald desires to play when he is recovered, with his friends and family offering him a kidney.
"
Over the years, my kidney function has got worse. That's what happens as part of the disease, it gets worse over time
," McDonald told
Sky Sports News
.
"
We hoped I could get through my football career, then have a kidney transplant at the end of it but, unfortunately, it's not happened.
"I've got one kidney that doesn't work at all and one kidney that's about 10 per cent now. I've been playing with stage 1, to now stage 5 kidney disease, which is chronic kidney disease, kidney failure.
"Now we're speaking up on this because a lot of people have been asking me, 'why are you not going out on loan, why are you not playing, why are you going into coaching so early?'.
"It's hard to digest but football is second priority now. My life, my family, my friends are number one, with my health even on top of that.
"That's where we're at now and we've just got to get on with it."
As for undergoing the surgery, McDonald is confident that the medical team is capable and will look after him.
He added: "
In terms of the transplant, I've always been relaxed about it. I have trust in my kidney team, I always have done, as well as doctors at my football clubs. Wolves and Fulham especially, have been top drawer in terms of taking care of me.
"That's always reassured me and now meeting the surgeon and talking to him, I have even more confidence in him to do the surgery, which is major surgery.
"It has to be done, whether it's now, at the end of the year, in 10 years, it has to be done at some point.
"The way my mind is now, I want it done, I want to get back to normal life. I take 10 tablets a day so I want to get back to normal life and hopefully it will soon be like that.
"I've always been in the boat of 'let's go on as long as we can, at the best level we can'.
"I go off the doctor's advice and my kidney team's advice. If they said to me, 'listen, you have to retire tomorrow', I'd be done."
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