Spring 2012MEET OUR 2012 SPOKESWOMAN!

Imagine a 17 year-old girl being told she needs a kidney transplant. Strug-gling at first, she adjusts to the dramat-ic changes during her teens. 10 years after the first transplant she’s told she needs a second. This is Kari’s story:

My name is Kari O’Reilly. I want to tell you about how kidney disease has af-fected my life and how the Kidney Foun-dation of Canada’s Manitoba Branch has helped me over and over again.

At 17 I was diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease. My world changed overnight. I was a serious athlete, vigor-ously competing in many sports. I sud-denly had to adopt a “be careful, don’t get hurt” stance. I thought THAT was hard but then came weight and appetite loss, constant nausea, and FEAR. I did not know what was going to come next. To be honest, some days I wanted to die. Fortunately my mother was found to be a match and I received one of her kidneys. After my recovery I began my life where I had left off. I was getting stronger all the time.

Then came devastating news – my kid-ney was failing AGAIN! I felt hurt, sad, angry and betrayed, many times all at once. Faced with dialysis and the search for another donor, I became withdrawn and depressed. Then came dialysis, which I got to with Handi-Transit. That turned a 3 ½ hour session into an 8+ hour day. For four years, I went to dialy-sis and waited for a second miracle.

That miracle came in the form of my sister Shauna. I received her kidney in 1998 and have lived life to the fullest ever since.

Kari and her husband Dave in Sydney“My world changed overnight.”

How has the Kidney Foundation benefited me? There’s been so many ways – take your pick! When I was diagnosed with PKD, the KFOC was a vital source of information on an unfa-miliar disease. Everyone at the KFOC understood the shock and the changes I was about to face. They immediately helped my mother develop the best possible diet that helped maintain my remaining kidney function. As that function began to decline they educat-ed us about dialysis and transplant.

Over time PKD began to consume me, leading to social withdrawal and depression. Along came the KFOC with a bursary, support groups and volunteer opportunities. While on dialysis, I met many understanding people. They motivated me to get out of the house at a crucial point in my life. The KFOC later asked me to be a peer mentor to those recently diagnosed and who were preparing for dialysis and transplant. I grew as a person by helping many

others walk down the path I had already walked. The bursary was the only way I could afford to go back to school. The courses I took enabled me to become an Associate Wealth Advi-sor at BMO Nesbitt Burns, a job I still enjoy today.

Believe it or not there’s more! Know-ing I was an athlete, the KFOC invited me to represent Manitoba at the World Transplant Games in Vancou-ver in 1993. I made friends from all over the world. We compared lives, diets and transplant stories. We even chuckled at how many of us had “chubby transplant cheeks”. The memory of walking in the stadium with athletes from all over the world is one I will never forget.

How am I feeling now? INCREDIBLE. My husband can barely keep up with me. I never forget the old adage “You never know what tomorrow may bring.” I can travel again and have been to many parts of the world. I take nothing for granted and am so grateful for the support of my family, friends and the Kidney Foundation. I know they will be there, they always have been.

With more than 1,000 Manitobans on dialysis (the highest rate in Canada) and more than 160 awaiting trans-plant, the need for the services pro-vided by the Kidney Foundation of Canada’s Manitoba Branch has never been greater. Your generous gift en-sures that these valuable services can be provided to people like me and my family.

TheKIDNEY CARE

Connection

Are You Kidney Klever?We invite you to take this quick, 10 question true/false quiz. By the time you are done, you will know some important information about your kidneys and how they operate.

Share this quiz with your friends and loved ones so they have a better understanding of their kidneys and kidney disease in general.

Answers are on the back page. No peeking!

1. The kidneys are vital organs. Many of the body’s organs need the kidneys to function properly and you could die without healthy kidneys.

True False

2. Kidney disease is a one-time acute illness that is strictly inherited.

True False

3. Knowing your ‘numbers’ such as blood pressure and blood sugar, and asking your health professional about the level of protein in your urine when you go for your health check-ups, is a proactive way of monitoring your kidney health.

True False

4. Kidney disease is not common or harmful.

True False

5. There are no ‘at risk’ categories for kidney disease.

True False

6. Usually, kidney disease starts slowly and silently, and progresses over a number of years.

True False

7. There are 5 stages in kidney disease and everyone gets to Stage 5 sooner or later.

True False

www.kidneycommunitykitchen.ca8. Stage 5 of kidney disease is known as End-Stage Renal Disease (ESRD or end-stage renal failure. It refers to the end of your kidney function (your kidneys are working at less than 15% of normal), not the end of your life.

True False

9. Kidney failure is curable.

True False

10. The gap between the need for kidneys and the number of available organs for transplantation is growing.

True False

The Kidney Foundation of CanadaManitoba Branch

Unit 1-452 Dovercourt DriveWinnipeg, MB R3Y 1G4

(204) 989-08001-800-729-7176

info@kidney.mb.caTwitter: KidneyFdnMb

Facebook: KidneyFoundation Manitoba

www.kidneycommunitykitchen.caRecipe of the Month: Thai Fish Soup

Ingredients

5 cups water (boiling)2 frozen white fish fillets1 cup chopped green onion1 tbsp minced ginger2 cloves chopped garlic1 cup diced carrot1 cup diced celerybasilcilantromintblack pepperlime1 cup bean sprouts1 cup cooked long grain riceDried chilies (if you like it spicy)

Directions

1.Sauté ginger, garlic, celery, and green onions in 1 tbsp oil.

2.Add boiling water, fish, carrots, and celery.

3.Simmer until fish is cooked. Season with black pepper and fresh herbs.

4.Add cooked rice and serve hot.

5.Garnish with bean sprouts, more fresh herbs, and a squeeze of lime juice.

Be sure to visit www.kidneycommunitykitchen.ca

for the latest information on diet, exercise and living a

renal-friendly lifestyle!

Renal Diet Nutrient Analysis

Servings per recipe: 12 Serving size: 1 12th of the recipe (about 1 cup)

Nutrient Analysis

Calories: 66Protein: 3gCarbohydrates: 10gFibre: 1.5gTotal Fat: 1.7gSodium: 76mgPhosphorus: 48.5mgPotassium: 182mg

Renal and Diabetic Exchanges

1 vegetable

2012 RRGSSunday, September 9th is the 10th annual Renal Ride*Glide*Stride at St. Vital Park. To volunteer or to get info call Donna at 989-0807

March is Kidney Health MonthJoin us in marking March as Kidney Health Month in Manitoba. Visit your favourite Wendy’s Restaurant when you are feeling hungry and eat plenty of their world-famous chili. When you do, a portion of each sale goes to support Kidney Foundation activities here in Manitoba. Puchase and sign one of the tags pictured here and show your support of the Kidney Foundation! Wendy’s Restaurants have been a long-term friend of the Kidney Foundation in Manitoba. Thank you to Tim, Jeff and all the staff for your enthusiastic support over the years!

Watch for our canvassers who are visiting many areas in March! If a canvasser does not visit, you can mail, phone in or make a gift online!

The Kidney Foundation of CanadaManitoba Branch

Unit 1-452 Dovercourt DriveWinnipeg, MB R3Y 1G4

(204) 989-08001-800-729-7176

info@kidney.mb.caTwitter: KidneyFdnMb

Facebook: KidneyFoundation Manitoba

Quiz Answers1. True. Kidneys remove waste and toxins from the body so mineral levels (such as calcium and phosphorous for production of healthy bones) remain appropriate They produce hormones that regulate essential body functions like blood pressure, and remove/retain excess water.

2. False. Kidney disease describes many conditions affecting the kidneys. Most attack the filtering units (nephrons), damaging the ability to eliminate waste and excess fluid. Diabetes and high blood pressure are the 2 most common, (often preventable)causes of end-stage kidney disease.

THE KIDNEY FOUNDATION OF CANADAMANITOBA BRANCH

Invites all members to the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Wednesday, April 25th 2012 7:30 PM

1-452 Dovercourt DriveWinnipeg, MB

Call 989-0800 or 1-800-729-7176

3. True.

4. False. Kidney disease is both common and harmful: An estimated 2.6 million Canadians have kidney disease or are at risk.

5. False. You are at risk for kidney disease if you have diabetes, high blood pressure or blood vessel diseases or a close relative with hereditary kidney disease. Members of certain ethnic groups are also at high risk because of the greater incidence of diabetes and high blood pressure.

6. True.

7. False. Not everyone progresses from Stage 1 to Stage 5. For some conditions diet and exercise can help.

Enclosed is my gift to The Kidney Foundation of Canada ○ $50 ○ $75 ○ $100 Other $ _________

My cheque is enclosed OR please charge my gift to: ○ VISA ○ Mastercard ○ Other Card # ______________________________ Expiry Date _____________________

Name on Card ____________________________________________________

Signature ________________________________________

Address __________________________________________________ City ____________________ Province __________ Postal Code ________________

Please enclose this form with your tax-deductible contribution.Charitable Registration # 10756 7398 RR0001

KIDNEY CARSDonate yourused vehicle

Free towing &

tax receipt257-CARS

(2277)

1-866-740-2277

8. True. However, to sustain life at this stage, dialysis or kidney transplantation is needed.

9. False. Treatments exist for kidney failure, but they are not cures. A person on dialysis must get treatment three to four times per week, which takes up to five hours each time. And kidney transplants don’t typically last a lifetime. Plus, kidney disease comes in many forms and much research is needed for a diverse range of cures.

10. True. 70% per cent of people on Canada’s organ donor transplant waiting list need a kidney. Some die waiting.

Questions? Contact us for answers!