Mike's Kidney Klub.
Donation protected
Good day. I have been putting off writing this for days because this might me the hardest thing I have ever done. But here it goes......
My name is Michael Smith but everyone calls me Mike. I am 53 years old and was born and raised and still live in beautiful Victoria, British Columbia,Canada. My wife of coming up on 28 years is Kathleen and I have 2 daughters Michaela 22 and Ashleigh who just turned 19. I was a professional landscaper and nurseryman for close to 30 years as my main profession. My hobbies are drumming, music, technology, and sports.
My health story and journey began in the spring of 2003 when I became very sick after a accidental needle stick while landscaping a building in the downtown core. In the fall of



2003 I was officially diagnosed as being HIV positive. Obviously this was devastating news for myself and my wife. We waited a few years until we told our daughters because of their young age when this happened.
The next decade was filled with HIV complications, horrible side effects from all the prescription and HIV anti-viral drugs, bouts of severe depression, weekly bouts with gout in my knees and elbows, deep leg thrombosis,etc. and basically living in my bathrobe on my computer hating the world.
In late January 2013 after my HIV bloodwork my specialist told me my kidneys function or eGFR had dropped to 45. He quickly took me off one of my three HIV anti-viral drugs called Truvada that is known for being hard on your kidneys after years of use. The next few months I began to feel worse with little energy and then on the night of April 30th 2013 I awoke at 3 in the morning with fluid in my lungs and I was having problems breathing. When i stood up out of bed to get ready for the ambulance Kathleen had phoned I could feel fluid sloshing around my lower legs and ankles. After a day of tests in emergency I was told my kidneys were in serious trouble. For two weeks my nephrologist Dr. Weir tried everything to save my kidneys Including daily heavy Iv doses of that nasty drug called Predisone. Around the the middle of May 2013 Dr. Weir told me I would need dialysis and a kidney transplant if I wanted a somewhat normal life again.
After 31 dys in hospital I was released and I started dialysis at the hospital renal unit 3 days a week for 5 hours a run. 3-4 months later my wife and I raised close to $3000 for the Canadian Kidney Foundation because we were so touched at all the help and support I got.
Around this time of late August 2013 myself and my wife decided I would take the 6 week home dialysis course that the hospital offered at the home dialysis unit to learn to do my own dialysis at home and take more control of my health situation. I finished the training the beginning of October 2013 and started doing nocturnal overnight dialysis 5-6 nights a week on myself while sleeping. I did this which was very difficult on myself, Kathleen and my daughters for roughly 9-10 months until starting back at the hospital renal unit in June 2014. Around this time right before I was going to Vancouver for my transplant assessment I started having episodes of my esophagus seizing up where I had trouble breathing and severe anxiety and a feeling of panic. Since that time I have had 4-5 hospital stays and also some trips to emergency to deal with these attacks.
Now to today where I am on medication to help me with these anxiety and panic attacks and so I am dealing with them better now. Of course theses issues have not helped my cause with the transplant people because before they consider doing the surgery on you they want you in tip top shape with no issues if possible. But I have lost well over a hundred pounds so far and my HIV numbers and bloodwork are excellent so I am expecting the transplant process wheel will start turning again.
The last 12 years have effected my ability to work and especially the last couple of years since my kidneys failed where all I have been doing is fighting to try and come back to try and live a happy life and be able to try and get back into my profession in some capacity to support myself . This time has been very hard and difficult financially on myself and my family. When I do get my transplant I will have to live in Vancouver from anywhere from 3-6 months they have warned me. So I will need to keep a place here for the family and I will need to live and support myself while recovering from the transplant. My family needs help now as well so please first share my story with your loved ones or friends that might be inspired or helped in their daily life battles and please donate to Mikes Kidney Klub. Thank you very much.
My name is Michael Smith but everyone calls me Mike. I am 53 years old and was born and raised and still live in beautiful Victoria, British Columbia,Canada. My wife of coming up on 28 years is Kathleen and I have 2 daughters Michaela 22 and Ashleigh who just turned 19. I was a professional landscaper and nurseryman for close to 30 years as my main profession. My hobbies are drumming, music, technology, and sports.
My health story and journey began in the spring of 2003 when I became very sick after a accidental needle stick while landscaping a building in the downtown core. In the fall of
2003 I was officially diagnosed as being HIV positive. Obviously this was devastating news for myself and my wife. We waited a few years until we told our daughters because of their young age when this happened.
The next decade was filled with HIV complications, horrible side effects from all the prescription and HIV anti-viral drugs, bouts of severe depression, weekly bouts with gout in my knees and elbows, deep leg thrombosis,etc. and basically living in my bathrobe on my computer hating the world.
In late January 2013 after my HIV bloodwork my specialist told me my kidneys function or eGFR had dropped to 45. He quickly took me off one of my three HIV anti-viral drugs called Truvada that is known for being hard on your kidneys after years of use. The next few months I began to feel worse with little energy and then on the night of April 30th 2013 I awoke at 3 in the morning with fluid in my lungs and I was having problems breathing. When i stood up out of bed to get ready for the ambulance Kathleen had phoned I could feel fluid sloshing around my lower legs and ankles. After a day of tests in emergency I was told my kidneys were in serious trouble. For two weeks my nephrologist Dr. Weir tried everything to save my kidneys Including daily heavy Iv doses of that nasty drug called Predisone. Around the the middle of May 2013 Dr. Weir told me I would need dialysis and a kidney transplant if I wanted a somewhat normal life again.
After 31 dys in hospital I was released and I started dialysis at the hospital renal unit 3 days a week for 5 hours a run. 3-4 months later my wife and I raised close to $3000 for the Canadian Kidney Foundation because we were so touched at all the help and support I got.
Around this time of late August 2013 myself and my wife decided I would take the 6 week home dialysis course that the hospital offered at the home dialysis unit to learn to do my own dialysis at home and take more control of my health situation. I finished the training the beginning of October 2013 and started doing nocturnal overnight dialysis 5-6 nights a week on myself while sleeping. I did this which was very difficult on myself, Kathleen and my daughters for roughly 9-10 months until starting back at the hospital renal unit in June 2014. Around this time right before I was going to Vancouver for my transplant assessment I started having episodes of my esophagus seizing up where I had trouble breathing and severe anxiety and a feeling of panic. Since that time I have had 4-5 hospital stays and also some trips to emergency to deal with these attacks.
Now to today where I am on medication to help me with these anxiety and panic attacks and so I am dealing with them better now. Of course theses issues have not helped my cause with the transplant people because before they consider doing the surgery on you they want you in tip top shape with no issues if possible. But I have lost well over a hundred pounds so far and my HIV numbers and bloodwork are excellent so I am expecting the transplant process wheel will start turning again.
The last 12 years have effected my ability to work and especially the last couple of years since my kidneys failed where all I have been doing is fighting to try and come back to try and live a happy life and be able to try and get back into my profession in some capacity to support myself . This time has been very hard and difficult financially on myself and my family. When I do get my transplant I will have to live in Vancouver from anywhere from 3-6 months they have warned me. So I will need to keep a place here for the family and I will need to live and support myself while recovering from the transplant. My family needs help now as well so please first share my story with your loved ones or friends that might be inspired or helped in their daily life battles and please donate to Mikes Kidney Klub. Thank you very much.
Organizer
Mike Smith
Organizer
Saanich, BC
