WHAT HELPED ALONZO TO DEAL WITH THE DISEASE AND RETURN TO THE COURT BEFORE THE TRANSPLANT?
Alonzo could not have returned to professional basketball without his tremendous determination and personal effort. He said he would fight the disease and follow the medical regimen and he did this. It took a lot of dedication to the medicines and to retraining to make his body strong again. Alonzo has an unbelievable amount of determination.

WHAT NUTRITIONAL STEPS DID ALONZO TAKE TO DEAL WITH THE DISEASE?
Alonzo has always been concerned with nutrition and “what he puts into his body.” He eats healthy all the time. With his FSGS, we had to be concerned with too much salt, too much cholesterol in the diet and dehydration while he was playing. Constant attention to these factors by Alonzo and his trainers allowed him to continue to workout and play basketball.

WHAT PHYSICAL STEPS DID ALONZO TAKE TO DEAL WITH THE DISEASE (EXERCISE, ACTIVITY)?
Alonzo slowly retrained with a set of regimen of progressive increased activity after his original illness and return to the court. He did the same after the transplant. It was not “I’m better, now I can play.” Alonzo is a true professional, he knew that to get his body back in shape to play competitive basketball meant that he would have to exercise progressively more and more until he was 100again. This took months.

WHAT HAS ALONZO DONE IN FIGHTING THE DISEASE THAT YOU THINK WILL HELP OTHERS IN DEALING AND LIVING WITH THIS DISEASE ON A DAILY BASIS?
The average person can learn from Alonzo’s experience.
1. Don’t give up – fight to get yourself healthy again. Alonzo did it you can too.
2. Follow your doctor’s instructions. He can give you advice from treating and helping many people through the stages of kidney disease like FSGS.
3. Don’t forget to take your medicines even when you are already feeling better.
4. Remember 15 years ago we thought we couldn’t treat the disease, now we can cure many and help almost everyone with FSGS. Alonzo is an example, a wonderful example, of how people can live with and overcome a disease such as FSGS. One of the first things he said to me after learning about the disease was “How can I help myself and how can I help other people with this disease?”. When it was clear he would need a transplant to continue to play basketball, he didn’t complain or say “why is this happening to me”. His response was, “Doc, what do I have to do next to get better again”. A fighting spirit is what everyone needs to conquer FSGS.