Theresa Canones

LIVING Kidney DONOR NEEDED

The irony: I always believed in organ donation and encouraged my family to put that red dot on their driver’s license. Never thought I would need it.

My name is Theresa Canones. I was diagnosed with kidney disease when I was 42. Working as a Registered Nurse, I was in denial even when my primary doctor was tracking me down to get me to see a nephrologist, my kidney function suddenly dropped to 47%. At that time, I was focused on working to help my husband and family make ends meet. I now realize I didn’t get the chance to enjoy my time in my 30’s and 40’s because I submerged myself into my job and tasks. Now, my focus is taking better care of myself, serving others at my capacity and making each moment with my husband and children count.

Living with kidney failure has robbed my energy level. It has affected me from having something as simple as a good night’s sleep. I love relaxing in warm baths, snorkeling, swimming and now can only reminisce about these simple pleasures. Living with peritoneal dialysis has altered my daily living. Due to the risks of infection, I always need to be in an aseptic environment. Nowadays a great deal of my time is spent cleaning my surroundings, napping to recover from being up at night sometimes from drain pain from dialysis, severe muscle cramps, and praying. A transplant, for starters would help me become pain free. The draining of the peritoneal fluid is painful and wakes me up each cycle every night. It would also mean my energy will return so I could enjoy longer walks, tennis, dancing and living a better quality of life. Best of all, it help me live a normal, longer life liberated from the confines of my bedroom. Kidney failure has given me side effects. My body doesn’t produce as much red blood cells and I’ve developed anemia which explains my severe fatigue and arthritis on my hands and my knees. Cooking, Walking downstairs and other normal activities of daily living is becoming a challenge.

A transplant to me would mean a better life. It would mean I can return to work and serve others as a registered nurse, help our financial situation, feel more energy to do more things to impact our community, avoid severe cramps and dialysis pain and gain hours of sleep each night and finally feel less depressed from my illness.

I am praying for a living kidney donor. I am reaching out to family, friends and or anyone who can help me share my story in finding someone who would find it in their heart to spare a kidney so I may live a life without being bound to tubes, pain and limitations.

Previous Next