Patient with chronic kidney disease and gout

Adam Cogar, a kidney transplant recipient, talks about his 15-year journey to a diagnosis of uncontrolled gout.  He discusses how the pain had impacted his daily life and how different his life is now that he has a clear diagnosis, treatment plan in place, and can manage his condition.  The prevalence of gout is more than ten-fold greater among patients who have undergone a kidney transplant than the general population.

Adam Cogar is a 43-year-old man from Webster Springs, WV, living with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and uncontrolled gout. Adam has struggled with CKD for years after first being diagnosed with kidney failure as a teenager. In 1997, Adam underwent a kidney transplant, donated by his late sister. Despite the transplant and an additional weight loss surgery, he still experienced pain daily and never felt fully healthy. He continued to search for answers before finally being seen by a rheumatologist, who checked his uric acid levels and diagnosed him with gout. Adam suffered with symptoms of gout for 15 years, and experienced painful, debilitating flares almost every day. At its worst, gout made him feel as though he wasn’t allowed to live his life. Since finding a treatment that works for him, Adam says he can be present in his family life again, even hiking regularly with his 8-year-old son. Adam hopes his story will help others with chronic kidney disease to recognize their risk of developing gout.