My path to kidney donation probably started 30 years ago!
I married my amazing partner, Scott, in 1997. We knew Scott had a progressive kidney disease, but he was asymptomatic. We were young and felt invincible. We started great careers, bought a house with a nice big mortgage, and quickly our 3 boys came along. Life was busy!
Ten years later, in 2007, the symptoms of acute kidney failure started to affect Scott and by 2009 he needed dialysis. I knew I needed him to be as healthy as possible to help with this busy life we created together and, although scary, I started the process of being cleared to be his donor!
Testing took 6 months, and we were scheduled for surgery in Feb of 2010. I ran into one glitch during the process. During a CT scan, meant for largely landmarking purposes, the team found an odd presentation of blood supply in my liver. This put the whole project on hold while I had 2 MRIs and a consultation with a liver specialist at another hospital. After a few weeks, I was cleared and continued the rest of the donation related tests.
Our boys were 10, 8, and 3. My Mom planned to stay with us for a month to help with these busy guys. We were very worried at the time, worried about taking 4-6 weeks off work, worried about the boys, worried about our health after surgery. But most worried about 2 parents having major surgery on the same day.
Fitness Before Donation
Prior to kidney donation, I was an avid runner. In the year leading up to donation, I crammed in as many races as possible; 2 half marathons, a 30km and my first full marathon! I was 37 and in the most fit I had been in my adult life.
Surgery
Scott and I had an amazing team at St Michael’s Hospital in Toronto, Ontario Canada. We tease that the kidney donation and transplant happened just as the brochure described. Scott immediately felt the benefit of a strong kidney cleaning his blood! Within a few days his creatinine was lower than it had ever been!
I was tired after surgery. My one kidney was working hard to take on the work of two. Within the few weeks this improved, and I was cleared to start running again at the end of the first month! I have fabulous fitness friends that kept me company while I built my kilometres back up. At this point I also went back to work as a Reg Massage Therapist. For a few months, the fatigue from working, training and running after 3 boys had me in bed by 9pm each night but that didn’t last long.
Fitness After Surgery
Little did I know I would surpass my pre-donation fitness level. I bought myself a bike, then a wetsuit. I signed up for swim coaching, long distance rides, then triathlons and in 2016 a Half IronMan.
A few months after surgery, and for the first time in his life, Scott felt like going for a run. We teased that my donated kidney felt left out and needed him to run. The 2 of us did many 10km and Half Marathons together and even lots of races with the kids. Eight months after surgery, we all signed up for a race where I did the Half Marathon and Scott and the boys did the 5km. The highlight was the T-shirts they wore. Scott’s said “Running with my new KIDNEY” and the boys’ said “Running with my DAD and his new KIDNEY”!
It has now been 14 years since my kidney donation, and I still run. I have added lots of yoga and hiking. I feel very blessed to have a healthy husband and 100s of photos of my active adventures with our family and my friends!
