This is a post I never thought I’d be writing in my lifetime, but here I am. I have been diagnosed with Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) Stage 4. My kidneys are functioning at about 15% . This is not something that happened over night, in fact it has been in the works since I was born. There is nothing I did to myself to cause this. I have worked my entire life to keep my body strong and in good condition, but now I need your help. Those of you who know me best know what fighter I am when it comes to my health. I beat kidney cancer 13 yrs ago and now I am out to beat kidney disease. I still have so much to do, no time to slow down.
There are 26 million Americans who suffer from kidney disease. I am 1 of 123,000 people in the US who are currently in need of a kidney. I am on the kidney transplant waiting list, but it’s far more beneficial for me to pursue a living kidney donor. Here are just a few of the reasons I considered when making my decision to search for a live donor:
The wait for a deceased donor kidney is over 5 - 7 years.
Kidneys donated from living donors offer better outcomes and a life-saving alternative to a long, uncertain wait
What can you do to help?:
Share my story with your friends, colleagues and family. My donor is out there somewhere.
Learn how you can help by visiting this website (
https://www.kidney.org/transplantation/livingdonors)
Consider being a donor (
https://www.mhealth.org/care/treatments/kidney-transplant-adult)
Take care of your kidneys through regular check-ups with your doctor.
No pity party for me please. I am very ready to win this battle. I have a few goals to help me out while I wait. So here they are:
Continue to work full-time (I love my job!!)
Stay off kidney dialysis - eat right, exercise,lose weight and stay healthy
Find a living kidney donor
Continue to live life to it’s fullest
Become a centenarian with a donor kidney - Living to 100 has always been a goal.
Thank you for reading my story.
Lynn Nelson 05-26-62 A or O
University of Minnesota Transplant Center
