Alan Dykes is a kidney patient on a mission.

The Greeneville man is working to establish a local support group for persons affected by kidney failure.

Anyone affected by kidney disease is invited to participate in the group, which will be meeting monthly, he said.

"This group will be open to everyone -- from those who have been recently diagnosed with kidney failure to those who have had a kidney transplant," Dykes said.

Family members and caregivers of kidney patients are also encouraged to attend, he added.

"They need support as much as we (the patients) do," he said.

Dykes is also encouraging kidney patients who undergo dialysis at home to join the support group.

"There are a lot of folks on home dialysis who don't come to a center, and they are separate from many other kidney patients. They don't have anyone to share that struggle with," he said.

The kidney failure support group's first meeting will be held on Thursday, July 10 at 7 p.m. at Eastside Baptist Church, located at 195 Serral Drive, across from Fresenius Medical Care Dialysis Center.

The group will continue to meet thereafter on the second Thursday of each month at 7 p.m.

Plans are to have various guest speakers and special programs at meetings.

At the first meeting, a young lady, Rachel Munsey, who underwent a kidney transplant at age six, has been invited to share her story. Rachel will also be performing at the meeting with her family's gospel/bluegrass group, the Munsey Family.

Dykes, 48, was born with polycystic kidney disease, an inherited condition that causes large cysts to form in the kidneys and damage the surrounding tissue.

"Although I was born with the condition, I didn't start having trouble until my late 30s," he said.

His mother, two uncles and three cousins were all affected by polycystic kidney disease.

"It has pretty much decimated our family," Dykes said.

His mother, uncles and one cousin have since died. One of his cousins has undergone a kidney transplant, and another cousin has just begun kidney dialysis.

Dykes has been on a kidney transplant waiting list for more than a year now. He has been undergoing dialysis since September.

"I put off dialysis for a long time because I was scared," he said.

"My original picture of dialysis was that the patient always died once starting it. I know now that dialysis was not the reason that they died," he said.

Dykes said if he had been able to talk with another person already undergoing dialysis, then he would have felt much differently about starting it himself.

"If you can actually talk to someone who has dealt with kidney failure, it makes all the difference in the world," he said.

This lack of support between patients gave Dykes the idea to begin a local kidney support group.

"I know it would have helped me to have had someone to talk to before I started dialysis. Hopefully this group will help somebody," he said.

Dykes said he especially encourages long-time kidney patients or those who have had a transplant to come and be a part of the support group.

"Even though they may not need support themselves, they could be a support to others," he said.

The National Kidney Foundation (NKF) estimates that 26 million American suffer from chronic kidney disease and another 20 million more are at increased risk of developing it.

As with most diseases, early detection of kidney problems can help prevent the progression of kidney disease to complete kidney failure, the NKF says.

Persons considered at high risk of kidney disease include those with a family history, those with diabetes and those with hypertension (high blood pressure.)

Most people may not experience any severe symptoms until kidney disease is advanced, the NKF says. However, persons may notice that they:

* feel more tired and have less energy;

* have trouble concentrating;

* have a poor appetite;

* have trouble sleeping;

* have muscle cramping at night;

* have swollen feet and ankles;

* have puffiness around the eyes, especially in the morning;

* have dry, itchy skin, and/or

* need to urinate more often, especially at night.

Persons at risk of kidney disease or those who are experiencing any symptoms should contact their doctor about a screening.

For more information about the new support group, please contact Alan Dykes at 639-2249 or Fresenius Medical Care Dialysis Center at 638-1201.

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On the Net:

National Kidney Foundation: www.kidney.org