Kidney Matters - Issue 10 Autumn 2020

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6When I needed you, youwere there….C O N T I N U E DLife can turn on a sixpence. When Jonathan Sayers lost his well-paid job not longafter being diagnosed with chronic kidney disease his life felt bleak. With a littlehelp from Kidney Care UK, Auriga and his Kidney Patient Association (KPA), hewas soon back on his feet and looking forward to a new start.FEATURE INTERVIEWI was first diagnosed with type 1 diabetes when I was 14.My mum has type 1 diabetes and when she saw I wasbecoming really lethargic and sleeping a lot she did ablood test on me. My blood sugar was way up to 32, sowe knew that something was wrong.Problems started when I got my first girlfriend and weordered in a lot of take-aways and sat in during theevenings. Plus all the sports I had been doing just wentout of the window.I wasn’t adjusting my insulin needs very well and oneminute I had a really high blood sugar and the next itwas really low. It was a vicious cycle.Dialysis happened really quickly. I was travelling aroundthe world working wherever I could get a well-paid job.I was paying off my car loan as quickly as I could andmanaging to put money aside every month too. But Iremember feeling really odd; pins and needles in mylegs and I just felt unwell all the time. So, true to typeas a Northern man, I thought, “I’ll just ignore it and I’msure it will go away.”“Everything changed for me atthis point. I lost every part ofmy independence.“I got a phone call one day from Dr Karkasz, my renalconsultant at the James Cook Hospital, telling me tocome into see him right away.I was rushed in as an emergency and started ondialysis immediately. Dr Karkasz said he didn’t knowhow I had managed to do so much with such lowkidney function. But I think I just got used to feelingill and worked through it. Soon after that I had myfistula formed and now dialyse at the Stockton DialysisCentre three times a week.Everything changed for me at this point. I lost everypart of my independence. I lost my job, I lost my car, Icouldn’t pay my rent and I couldn’t look after myselfproperly either. So I moved in with some friends. Allmy life I have worked hard and I just couldn’t do thisnow because I was really ill. I had bills to pay but I hadno money coming in and I couldn’t see a way out ofit. All I had was a carrier bag which contained all mymedical stuff.The dietitian at my dialysis unit (there is no socialworker there) put me in touch with my local KPA andLinda Pickering, who is the Kidney Care UK AdvocacyOfficer for the North East of England.We met up in the hospital café, I was so stressed, but Ididn’t need to be. They were amazing and, after buyingme a cup of tea, they both said they would help me andsupport me every step of the way.First of all, they said they would contact Auriga for meand explained the ways in which Auriga could helpme. Then the North East Kidney Patient Association(NEKPA) gave me an immediate small cash grant forsome basics. Linda helped me to get a hardship grantfrom Kidney Care UK so I could buy a bed. They also putme in touch with the local council’s ‘homeless team’.The next day someone from Auriga called me and wediscussed all the different ways they could help. Wetalked through my living arrangements, how I wasbuying food and essentials, what income I had(which was none) and my medical condition.My circumstances meant that I qualified forPersonal Independence Payment (PIP) andUniversal Credit. As soon as this money startedto come through it meant I could pay my friendsa little bit towards my rent.The council found me a small flat really close to thehospital and I moved in during May this year. KidneyCare UK, Auriga and NEKPA have all helped me withgrants for some furniture and kitchen equipment.The flat is perfect and what it means to me cannot bemeasured in words….it’s home and a new start.Linda, Auriga and NEKPA keep in regular contact with meto check that I am ok, and thankfully, with all of their helpI am. I also want to thank my friends who have stoodby me through this time; they’ve been amazing. I neverimagined my life could get so difficult, but I can honestlysay I am really beginning to live again now.All I need now is my transplant.LAkidneycareuk.org
7“The flat is perfect andwhat it means to mecannot be measured inwords….it’s home and anew start.“inda Pickering, Kidney Care UKdvocacy Officer for North East regionPhotograph by David Cole www.cole-creative.co.ukIssue 10 | Autumn 2020
Page 1 and 2: Autumn 2020Issue 10We say thankyou
Page 3 and 4: 3Welcome toKidney MattersMessagefro
Page 5: 5Average income increase perpatient
Page 9 and 10: 9Consultant Surgeon Mr TimBrown, No
Page 11 and 12: 11Cooking in the kitchen with Chef
Page 13 and 14: 13What’s in a name?The answer is
Page 15 and 16: 15“They came over and told me tha
Page 17 and 18: 17Figure 1:Diagram of a humanhairEp
Page 19 and 20: LEARN MORE19“You can improvethe a
Page 21 and 22: 21Sharon Woodward, Kidney Care UK S
Page 23 and 24: 23An AV fistula is created using op
Page 25 and 26: “A functioning arteriovenousfistu
Page 27 and 28: LEARN MORE27It’s so strange to me
Page 29 and 30: LEARN MORE29With Loanna Ball (Keira
Page 31 and 32: 06 31Make a differencethrough yourp
Page 33 and 34: 33The benefit of activity inchronic
Page 35 and 36: 35Sharing the love with some of the
Page 37 and 38: 37During the year after my transpla
Page 39 and 40: Sign up foryour freecopyWhether you

Kidney Matters - Issue 10 Autumn 2020

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