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Kidney Failure

Posted on 12/09/202212/09/2022 by Pamela Jacob

Where do I start? We all think we are bulletproof when we are young. It is a fact of life that as we get older unexpected things do happen to our health. Unfortunately, I have developed Kidney disease. I thought I could beat it, but I started dialysis in February. It has been a long row to hoe, but I feel much better than I did before I started it.

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If you have never had to deal with something like this, you would be surprised at what can be done. I do what is called PD and can do it at home while I sleep. Nine hours a night.

The Struggle is Real

I have struggled because I can no longer easily travel and have a life-threatening illness. Nonetheless, I am dealing with it the best I can, and I have such a fantastic group of friends and family that are so supportive. I just had my yearly check-up physical, and it is tuff. Once a year, I have to get qualified to be able to stay on the transplant list. Extensive blood work, echocardiogram, EKG stress tests. They need to ensure there are no cancers because once you get a transplant you must be on immune suppressant drugs. So mammograms, pap smears, dermatologist appointments, etc.

This year I met with a surgeon who reminded me how important it was to get a living donor. He was pretty persistent and not really sensitive to the fact that I was visibly upset. He said the list is long and getting longer, so I should not count on (a deceased donor). I have crossed all avenues with family and friends, and none qualified.

Asking for Help is Hard

My daughter has a Facebook page looking for donors, and she and my son have been searching. My son tried to quality but in the end, he had kidney stones so that is a disqualifier. The doctor says there are a lot of people that donate to perfect strangers. Such a selfless courageous act is amazing to help someone live that they don’t even know.

I am not someone that likes to ask for help of any kind. I have always been self-reliant and felt I could deal with anything. I have to humble myself and admit this is not something I can beat on my own. It makes me cry to think I have to depend on the kindness of someone to live. It is a big ask for anyone, and I would be eternally grateful if I could find a donor. I feel embarrassed and ashamed to have to ask anyone but I am at the mercy of others. Such a helpless feeling…

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