'90 Day Fiance' star Ashley Martson undergoes surgery ahead of dialysis treatment
Ashley Martson, a participant in the most recent season of the TLC reality show "90 Day Fiance," who was admitted to a hospital Sunday for lupus-induced kidney failure, has undergone surgery to prepare for dialysis.
A Tuesday update on her Instagram page, written by a third party, announced that Martson had a catheter placed in her abdomen so that waste can be filtered from her blood, a job normally performed by the kidneys.
According to the Mayo Clinic website, peritoneal dialysis works by flushing the abdomen with cleansing fluid via a catheter to remove waste, which is later removed through the same tube. Unlike hemodialysis, which filters waste from the bloodstream, it can be performed by the patient or a caregiver at home and does not require intravenous access. It can also help the patient preserve kidney function longer, delaying the need for a transplant.
"Doctors are hopeful that dialysis will be temporary and that it will aid in helping her kidneys repair themselves," the Instagram post read. "There is a chance she can go home tomorrow and be looked after by home health care nurses. Please continue to pray that this works and that Ashley will not need a kidney transplant. Either way, Ashley will be down for quite some time."
"Please continue to pray for Ashley and if you are able to help I know Ashley is very appreciative," the post concluded.
A GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help cover Martson's medical costs and to care for her two children.
Another post featured a bouquet of flowers sent by TLC with a card that read, "We are all praying for you and your family during this trying time. Keep fighting."
Marston's ordeal began Sunday when she was found unresponsive at home and transported via ambulance to a hospital. On Sunday, she posted a photo of herself in a hospital bed with IVs running into both arms.
"I’m sorry if this photo offends anyone but I will not hide that I’m sick. I was found unresponsive this morning at my home," Martson explained. "The Ambulance took me to the hospital where it was found that I am in acute kidney failure due to lupus. I will begin dialysis shortly."
Martson asked her followers for prayers.
"I will not let this beat me," she wrote. "I know I’m strong enough to battle through this, not just for myself but for my kids."
She added, "If I can help one person with lupus then posting this is worth it."
Naveed N. Masani, a nephrologist and the medical director of the outpatient dialysis unit of New York University's Winthrop Hospital, calls lupus the "ultimate autoimmune disease," meaning that the body cannot differentiate between its own healthy tissue and foreign invaders. He estimates that "60-90 percent of patients with the disease have kidney involvement."
The kidneys, Masani tells Paste BN, "are kind of prime real estate, if you will, for the combination of your body attacking itself and the products they make. The kidneys are your filters. Every minute of the day, 100 drops of your blood pass through your kidneys to get cleaned."
More: How lupus can lead to a kidney transplant
He notes that new medications have helped slow the decay and topple kidney failure as the leading cause of death for lupus patients.
But patients have to be able to tolerate those meds, Masani cautions. "They have a lot of side effects."