There are hundreds of people — yes, hundreds! — waiting and hoping for kidney transplants.
But what do you do while you’re waiting? When you’re not hooked up to a dialysis machine, that is.
John Casey, a friend from the Kamloops Kidney Support Group, is one of those who is waiting . . . and waiting . . . and hoping.
While he waits, he does peritoneal dialysis (PD), meaning he hooks up to a machine called a cycler every night. He has had a catheter surgically inserted and, through it, the cycler does a fluid exchange — toxins out, clean fluids in — while he sleeps.
He and a whole lot of others do this every night. Yes, every single night.
And when he’s not doing PD, John is an avid photographer and loves nothing better than to get out into nature and take a look around. John and his good wife, Marlene, who often doubles as lens carrier, are avid walkers and both have good eyes that allow them to see more than the leaves on the trees.
For example, they see the mother owl and her owlets where you and I might see some dryer lint stuck in a tree.
At the same time, though, the need for a kidney always is with them.
With that in mind, John recently shared some thoughts on Facebook about life while waiting for a transplant.
“I thought I would put in a little about our latest stage in life.
“We now wait for a kidney transplant.
“It’s been two years now and we are getting used to these things that ‘build character’ — like living on dialysis. Marlene helps so much and is even getting used to the hum of ‘that machine’ every night.
“We are overwhelmed with the care we get from the kidney clinic here in Kamloops. We were meeting each month with a kidney support group for breakfast each month but that is all off now with COVID. We got a great amount of help with them as some have been through a transplant and some, like us, are waiting.
“We see among the ones who have had a transplant some of the happiest people we have ever met. One day at the hospital we met a couple who were coming back home to Kamloops just after they received their transplant. The joy in their spirit was remarkable.
“We are told that it should not be too long for us as we are waiting for a deceased donor. We just wait for the call to head to Vancouver.”
If you are interested in being a living kidney donor, more information is available here:
Living Kidney Donor Program
St. Paul’s Hospital
6A Providence Building
1081 Burrard Street
Vancouver, BC V6Z 1Y6
Tel: 604-806-9027
Toll free: 1-877-922-9822
Fax: 604-806-9873
Email: donornurse@providencehealth.bc.ca
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Vancouver General Hospital Living Donor Program – Kidney
Gordon and Leslie Diamond Health Care Centre
Level 5, 2775 Laurel Street
Vancouver, BC V5Z 1M9
604-875-5182 or 1-855-875-5182
kidneydonornurse@vch.ca
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Or, for more information, visit right here.
Want an easy win to feel great? Register to be an organ donor today. It will only #TakeTwoMinutes and you could save a life. Great deed and fuzzy feels without any hassle. #Register2Give taketwominutes.ca
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