Kieron Dyer on why he came forward about past child abuse
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Most recently Kieron has swapped playing for managing, coaching the under-23s for his home-team, Ipswich. The football star, who also played for the team as a 17-year-old, has become more and more involved in its management since his retirement in 2013, and now his team is supporting him through his health troubles. A couple of years ago Kieron was diagnosed with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PCS) – a disease of the bile ducts that carries digestive liquid bile from your liver to your small intestine. Sadly, the worsening of the condition has led to him needing a liver transplant.
The 42-year-old who has also played for Newcastle and West Ham across his career has been managing his liver problems for a few years, but in a statement released by Ipswich, Kieron said: “Unfortunately, I was diagnosed with a condition of the liver a couple of years ago, that would lead to me one day needing a transplant.
“Over the next week, test results will confirm when I need to go through this procedure.
“I see myself as a very positive person that will overcome this minor setback. I’m very grateful to the club, the supporters and the general public for their messages of support over the past week.
“I would like to ask everyone now to respect my privacy, and my family’s privacy.”
The athlete’s lung problems also caused him trouble when he took part in Celebrity SAS: Who Dares Wins. Whilst taking part in the show the star suffered a collapsed lung.
A collapsed lung occurs when air leaks into the space between your lung and chest wall. The Mayo Clinic explains that the air pushes on the outside of your lung, making it collapse.
Those who have an underlying lung condition, like Kieron, are more likely to suffer from the condition, and in some cases this can be life-threatening.
The main symptoms of a collapsed lung include sudden chest pain and shortness of breath. The severity of these symptoms may depend on how much of the lung is collapsed.
Conditions such as PCS, advances very slowly. Many patients may have the disease for years before symptoms develop.
When symptoms do develop it is common for people to experience the following:
- Fatigue
- Itchy skin
- Jaundice.
As the condition develops, symptoms may come and go. Some individuals will experience more developed symptoms, leading to fever, chills and abdominal pain.
The cause of PCS is still unknown in the medical field, but about 70 percent of patients are men – those between the ages of 30 and 60 are most at risk.
Researchers suggest that the condition may be connected with bacterial or viral infections, genetic factors may also play a role.
Signs and symptoms that may appear as the disease progresses include:
- Fever
- Chills
- Night sweats
- Enlarged liver
- Enlarged spleen
- Weight loss.
However, due to the fact that symptoms are rare and will not always appear, the disease is often discovered through abnormal results on routine liver blood tests. A formal diagnosis will then be provided after individuals have an X-ray or MRI scan.
When at its worst, the condition can lead to bile ducts becoming infected. The American Liver Foundation explains that a liver transplant is necessary when the function of the liver is severe.
The NHS explains that having a liver transplant involves three main stages:
- Having an assessment – to find out if you’re suitable for a liver transplant, you’ll have several tests and will be asked about your health and lifestyle.
- Going on the waiting list – if you’re suitable for a transplant, you’ll need to wait for a healthy donor liver to become available, which could take several months or more.
- Having the operation – when a liver is available, you’ll go into hospital for surgery to remove your damaged liver and replace it with the healthy donor one.
For those with PSC, the outcome after having a liver transplant is excellent, with about 80 percent of individuals having a good quality of life after recovering from the procedure.
Recovery time however is rather extensive. After having the procedure individuals will need to have regular-check ups to check that their new liver is working as it should, take medication to minimise the risk of the body attacking the new liver and stay as healthy as possible.
Due to the nature of the procedure, there are also some risks associated with the operation. These include the following:
- Your body attacking the new liver (rejection)
- The new liver not working properly (graft failure)
- A blockage or leak in one of your bile ducts – bile is a liquid produced inside the liver that passes out through small tubes called bile ducts
- Side effects of the immunosuppressant medicine – such as an increased risk of infections and kidney problems.
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