Nadia's Story

Post 1 of organ donation week! Below is Nadia's story, showing both the benefits of organ donation and also how much it is needed. Thank you Nadia for allowing me to share your story!

"My name is Nadia and i was born on November 3rd 1995 . I was born in John's Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore Maryland. I was born with my parents knowledge that I had renal problems due to my older brother passing away at birth from having no kidneys, my chances were high in that I would have the same or similar problem.

I don't really remember much of my younger years except I was 5 when I had my 1st transplant from my Dad before I started school. After my first transplant I had a pretty normal life besides the doctor visits occasionally but I was always in school. I had my dad's kidney for 12 years so it got me through puberty which is tough on kidneys let alone one that isn't yours.

After having my dad's kidney for so long it started to go into rejection and that is when the talk of Dialysis started. I had never had Dialysis before my first transplant so I didn't know the to expect and it all sounded horrible! I had started haemodialysis at the hospital which was not very nice to have your line messed with not long after having it put in you.

I cried the first session of Dialysis as it was something new and I didn't want it done at the time. My mom was by my side the whole time. I remember one session I had where I was shivering the whole entire time and all they did was bring me blankets and more blankets, probably after two hours someone came and saw the temperature wasn't set right on the machine! Horrible day when all your doing is shivering trying to keep warm and blankets don't even work!

After being on dialysis for awhile my aunt had said she would like to donate her kidney as we knew she was a match already. I felt so grateful that she would do something like that for me! It can't be an easy decision to make for anyone!

I had my dad's kidney taken out and all medicines stopped. For some reason I can't remember, unfortunately after having that removed I ended up getting really sick so ended up back in hospital. After so many scans and test being done to me while being fed through a tube the doctors had put me back on prednisolone and I got better just in time to have my 2nd transplant a few weeks later.

Transplant day arrived. We had to be at the hospital really early in the morning plus it was an hour and half drive so I think we left at 4 in the morning! Once we go there the rooms were ready for us, my aunt went to have her surgery started while I anxiously waited. It was finally my turn to go and be put to sleep!

I don't remember much of waking up after surgery I know I had a canula in each hand with fluids going in but I pretty much slept the first day. The day finally came where I had to sit up out of bed! I had wanted my dad to help with this, but my nurse was quite adamant he couldn't help and was trying to argue what side of the bed I could get out of. I had my kidney placed on the right side so I didn't want to put pressure on it to get up. The nurse left and came back with her boss as my dad said something to her about getting me up!

I was sitting up all day hoping this nurse would leave before I got back in bed and unfortunately she didn't.

After being in hospital for a week or so I could finally go home and recover at my own pace.

A few month passed and everything is looking really good with the kidney! Then I get told we are moving to England!! 2014 the big move! So we moved to England on New Years, makes it easy to remember the day at least. I was very comfortable with my doctor in the U.S and to be moved across the ocean to a new place with new doctors I was nervous.

We have been in England for a year now I would say when I get the phone call from one of the doctors while I was out in town saying I needed to come in and start thinking of getting dialysis done that next day or so. As I'm walking home crying and calling my dad all I can think is how is this happening to me now! I just got a new kidney 2 Years ago this isn't right!! I was so furious and upset how can it be.

So I started dialysis and was put on the evening shift but going from Paignton to Exeter and back made it ten times worse. Sometimes traffic was bad, I didn't feel well with haemodialysis and sometimes we would have to pick someone else up so that 30 min car ride could turn into two hours it felt like. Every time I would finish dialysis and get home I just wanted to sleep it really took all my energy out of me.

I was on haemodialysis for a couple months when I finally decided to switch to peritoneal Dialysis. When I made the switch I had to fight with the home nurse a little bit about how much fluid I could actually have! Yes I'm an adult but I'm not the same height as one so sometimes I need to be treated as a younger person. They finally agreed that I would be okay with 1 liter of fluid in me during the day.

So dialysis is going very well I feel much better in myself and I can do this as night which means I have my day time free. I would set up my machine early if I knew I was going out then I wouldn't have to worry about it if I got home later then expected.

So it's been awhile in dialysis, my gall bladder had decided to give up on me, I had to have surgery for that thankfully they could do it through key hole and not have to mess with my dialysis. I did have to start with a lower amount of fluid after surgery due to being bloated.

So it's been 3 years since I have been on dialysis nothing exciting has happened between then. I'm out with my partner and parents bowling then a meal for My birthday. I blew the candles out that night wishing for a new kidney.

The next morning I woke up about 6 and checked my phone, I had 4 missed calls I couldn't understand who would call me at this time of day! I called the number back and the lady says they they have a kidney when can you be here!

I didn't want to believe what she was telling me but I said in the next hour or so probably. I hung up went and told my boyfriend and let me say that was the fastest I had seen someone get dressed in my life. I then went and broke down crying and told my parents. We all got ready to go with some bags packed then off we went to Bristol hospital. Arrived at the hospital and went up to the kidney ward. They had a room ready for me. They started with taking bloods and the usual questions they ask then said they will tell us when they are ready. Unfortunately I couldn't eat so my parents and boyfriend left to go get food. A few hours passed and the nurse came back in saying I could eat something small as it wasn't going to be tonight.

Three days later the kidney had finally arrived from London in a helicopter. The anesthesiologist had come in to ask me if I had any trouble with being put to sleep which I don't. Us thinking it was a routine question he said he would see me in surgery! He was the first person to tell me I was getting the kidney and I was so happy I cried. I was taken back to surgery and fell asleep pretty quick as I didn't sleep well the past few nights. I was in the hospital for almost a week in recovery. Was recovering very well and my bloods have been good as well I'm so thankful for the donor family.

Few months have passed from recovering and I start to get urine infections really bad I end up in hospital with ever single one. These urine infections were happening almost once a month or so! I had told the doctors I needed to go on a small dose antibiotic everyday for them as it helped while living in the U.S

Finally after fighting with the doctors for an antibiotic they had given me one. It was working for awhile but I was still getting infections. These infections would cause really bad pains in my left native kidney and it took me being sick in front of the doctor to have them say let's take it out. I had my kidney taken out and in the meantime I had and ovarian cyst being looked at. After the kidney was taken out and I was headed I went right back in to have the cyst removed!

I had woken up from that surgery needing a wee so bad, the nurses took me to the toilet and I sat there trying to wee for ages and unfortunately I couldn't. They did a bladder scan then stuck a catheter in to drain it. A couple hours later they had to do it again, I'm stressing out thinking my kidney failed all the sudden. Thankfully the next day I could go for a wee myself and I was able to go home.

It's been a year now since any surgeries and a few months since my last urine infection. My bloods have gone up slightly so I'm trying not to stress while changing some habits of eating and drinking. It will be 3 years on November 6th since my kidney transplant. I can't thank the donor family enough for what they have done for me and my family for being there through thick and thin.

Just waiting to see what the world and my body throws at me next!"