Welcome One and All!

I started this blog to chronicle the my life as a renal patient. I started having issues back in 1983. I had an infection that hadn't been treated as an infection; it had been treated as pulled muscle as I had been working as a nanny at the time. Life went on and then I dealt with a series of infections of infections which resulted in 4 minor surgeries from 1985 to 87. Than I had 3 kids; dealing with minor infections along the way. This culminated in discovering in 1998 that I was in what the call Chronic Renal Failure, my right kidney was imploding, the left was starting to go as well.

I finally had the right kidney removed in 1999, which resulted in complications. I almost didn't make it. When I moved back to Edmonton from BC, I started seeing a nephorogist, Dr. Caldwell, from the U of A. In 2007 I had 75% renal function, fast-forward to today I have 13% and it is getting worse.

I decided I needed a place to share what I am going through for a variety of reasons:

1) to get out of my head and work through the anxiety and fear that I am feeling.

2) that somehow my ramblings can be of help to others.

3) most of all to share my journey with others and to help me share with my own family.

Great Sites for Information

Kidney Foundation of Canada

Kidney Foundation of Canada

National Kidney Foundation (USA)

National Kidney Foundation (USA)

(I will Post more as I find out more information.)

Here are some great foums and educational sites...

Kidney School
Kidney School
Kidney Friends Forum
Kidney Friends


Also there are some groups on Facebook:
Canadian Kidney Connection
Canadian Kidney Connection

Ontario’s Renal Community
Ontario’s Renal Community

I will add more as they come in. Cora

Tuesday, October 5, 2010

The 2010 Kidney Care Conference: Exploring Alternatives for Kidney Care

The Kidney Foundation is planning a conference for patients and their families.  The conference is also open to healthcare professionals who are interested in attending, but the conference topics are geared towards what patients have asked for and patients may approach you to ask questions.  

Conference details:
Conference date: Sunday, November 14th, 2010
Time: 9:00am to 3:30pm
Location: Chateau Louis Conference Centre in Edmonton, 11727 Kingsway Avenue                
Early bird registration fee: $10 per person before October 14th @5pm
Standard registration fee: $20 per person after October 14th
To register contact: Kim Kearns, Coordinator, Kidney Care Services
kkearns@kidney.ab.ca or T. 780-451-6900 Ext 222
Schedule: Speakers are subject to change
9:00AM   Registration 

9:45AM   Welcome

10:00AM Dr. Robert Pauly - Home/Nocturnal hemodialysis

11:00AM Refreshment break

11:15AM Jeannine Christopherson - Sexual Health & Chronic Illness

12:15PM Lunch

1:00PM   Dr. Verna Yiu - Pediatric research news

1:00PM   Lori Therrien  - Caregiver Support tools & resources

2:00PM   Refreshment break

2:15PM   Ina Clark - Reflexology

3:00PM   Closing & draws


Yeah a conference for patients and families, hopefully I can get some answers here. I feel as if I am alone in this struggle.

Cora

Monday, October 4, 2010

An update....

So I had the surgery 3 weeks ago (Sept 10, 2010), not sure how I am feeling over it. I went to the Renal Insufficiency Clinic to talk with Marnie, the nurse that I have started to build a rapport with only to discover that Marnie is no longer my nurse, it is now Angie. We talked about all my symptoms and I was told that I could have a temporary hemo-dialysis although by the  time it is done I could start the PD. This is all so very frustrating. I really find this whole process distressing. No one is telling me anything and I feel so lost in the whole process.

Cora