THE REALITY OF KIDNEY FAILURE
By Marlize Schmidt
Copyright © 2012, Marlize Schmidt
All rights reserved
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ISBN: 978-1-300-08805-9
FIRST EDITION
LULU EDITION
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
MJ was diagnosed with end-stage kidney failure (end-stage renal disease) in 2007. He is the father to our 3 children. As mother it felt like I had to be the strong one to keep everything together, but somewhere along the road I gave up. I couldn’t cope with the constant support and comfort everyone needed. It was and still is a stressful road and it feels like a never ending story.
INTRODUCTION
Kidney failure does not only affect the sufferer, but it has an impact on the whole family. To be diagnosed with kidney failure while you are still young, while you have small children, is really not easy. It is not a life anyone wishes or dream for. It is not something anyone is prepared for. The whole family is under stress. There is an uncertainty that is hanging over the whole situation the whole time. You don’t know how long the situation is going to last. It takes time to adapt to, because it changes everything. Will he get a kidney transplant and when will it happen? Will he get better or will he die before he gets a kidney transplant? These kind of worries always stays in the back of your mind. If you are not lucky enough to have family or friends who can donate a matching kidney, the road will be very long.
The four parts of this book:
PART 1 is – The Life Experience: about MJ’s kidney failure and the impact it had on our family.
PART 2 – Everything about Kidney Failure: all the information you need about kidney failure.
PART 3 – Emotional Side: a look at both patient and the relative or carer’s emotional stages.
PART 4 – Medical Terms: description of the medical terms used in the book.
PART 1 – THE LIFE EXPERIENCE
BACKGROUND
MJ was born with only one kidney. The reasons are unknown, but according to studies every 1 out of 800 babies are born with only one kidney. He knew from an early age he had
