Roger’s journey

Roger’s Transplant Journey

Roger aged 73 from Devon shares with us his transplant journey when a donor came out of the blue. He also shares with us a special card from a friend sent following his transplant that he will treasure forever which perfectly describes Roger's experience.

In the summer of 2018 Roger was preparing for his 70th birthday to welcome the whole family for a barbecue. He was feeling unusually tired but put this down to the stress of wanting everything to be perfect for his celebrations. A couple of weeks after the party, Roger's wife Marion (a retired Registered General Nurse) showed concern as to why Roger was feeling so tired and suggested he visit his GP for a routine blood test which he did. Following the blood test, Roger had a call from his GP saying it wasn’t the birthday build up that made him tired, it was because he was anaemic. Half an hour later Roger received a further call from a doctor saying his creatinine level was 570 and was asked if he could attend the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital that evening. This is the first time Roger had the realisation that his kidneys were failing, he was diagnosed with Vasculitis which was causing the failure. This understandably came as a complete shock as 13 months earlier Roger's blood tests were completely normal. This was the start of a very difficult and emotional time. ‘Over the next three months I was admitted to hospital three times, once after collapsing in the garden and being blue lighted to hospital. With my haemoglobin level down to six I was given a blood transfusion; this transfusion stabilised my blood level. My creatinine level remained between 400 and 500 mainly due to the medication I was taking.' Roger’s consultant told him due to his age the expected time to receive a transplant would be up to four years. He was given the choice of haemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, palliative care or a live donor. Roger chose peritoneal dialysis so a peritoneal tube was inserted ready for when it was needed. Roger and his family had to prepare themselves for dialysis and all it entails. Roger's wife Marion and daughters Naomi and Nicola found out they were not the correct blood group to become donors, but unbeknown to any of the family, Roger's son in law Matthew, went to his GP and found he was the right blood group. Matthew asked Nicola the unexpected question ‘do you think your dad would have one of my kidneys?’ Nicola was completely taken by surprise and Roger became very emotional when they asked him as this gave him a second chance and of course he said ‘yes'. Matthew was giving his father-in-law a chance many don’t get, a truly wonderful act.'

In 2019 we began the hopeful but scary process and after blood tests, and a psychiatric assessment, it was found that Matthew and I were compatible and while not a perfect match the consultant at Exeter and the team at Southmead, Bristol decided it was worth the operation and a tentative date was set for January/February 2020. However, at the request of Matthew the transplant was carried out on 19th December 2019.

‘The operation was a great success for me. (my creatinine level dropped from 500 to 99 overnight!) and I was discharged and home on the 23rd December, this was to be my best Christmas present ever.' Matthew had a few complications and was quite poorly, but managed to be home on 24th December and is now fully recovered'. What a fantastic Christmas for the whole family. Despite being on tablets for the rest of his life, Roger says ‘it’s a small price to pay for a second chance.' In hindsight with COVID-19 rearing its ugly head early in 2020 it gave Roger the chance to shield and recover properly.' Roger expresses his heartfelt thanks firstly to Matthew for his selfless act and also the renal team at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital and the surgical team at Southmead Hospital Bristol for their excellent care. Roger has been given the chance of a new life and after his transplant received this very special card from a friend which perfectly sums up his journey.

10 Top

Dietary Tips

We have put together ten top tips to help with your diet, some which you may not be aware of.

1Avoid adding salt, or alternatives such as Lo-Salt in cooking and at the table. 2 Reduce intake of processed foods e.g. sausages, burgers, fishcakes and Quorn and try to cook from fresh where possible to avoid additional additives. 3 Eat a variety of foods from the five food groups:

Fruit and veg, starchy foods, dairy, protein and fat to ensure a wellbalanced diet. 4 Aim for at least five portions of suitable fruit and vegatables a day.

The following are kidney friendly and although may have a high water content do not count as part of fluid allowance:

Apples, Blackberries, Cherries,

Grapes, Peaches, Broccoli,

Cabbage, Cauliflower and Lettuce 5 Try to eat regular meals and think of a meal plan to not only stay within your renal diet but also fit round your treatment.

Your renal dietician can offer advice. 6 Experiment with different types of herbs and spices to flavour food:

All spice, Basil, Bayleaf, Chives,

Cumin, Caraway are all safe for

CKD patients. 7 If you drink alcohol please drink in moderation. 8 Maintain a healthy weight – your dialysis medical staff can help with this. 9 Limit chocolate, Ovaltine, Horlicks and instant Latte/ Cappuccino.

Drinks containing powdered milk will raise your Phosphate levels. 10 Most importantly enjoy your food.

The NKF offers a cook book on healthy eating called Taste, which is available to buy at https://www.kidney.org.uk/shop/nkf-cook-book