Posts Tagged ‘Kidney transplant’

  • A New Lease on Life: Seeking a Living Kidney Donor

    Date: 2025.06.09 | Category: Articles, Health | Response: 0

    Hello everyone, I’m Peter Tretter. I’m reaching out today to share my story and ask for your help. I’ve been living with kidney failure for the past 40 years and have been on hemodialysis for the last 18. Recently, I’ve encountered some challenges with my dialysis access, my fistula, which isn’t working as well as it should. This has made my treatments more difficult and has led my healthcare team and I to advance other options.

    One of the options we’re considering is a living donor transplant. While I continue to receive care at the Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre in Barrie, I’m also hoping to find a living donor who can give me a new lease on life.

    Why a Living Donor?

    Living donor transplants have several advantages. They typically have better outcomes and last longer than transplants from deceased donors. Plus, they can be planned in advance, reducing the wait time and stress associated with an unexpected call. It also doesn’t limit me to the same blood type due to paired exchanges.

    Why Now?

    I’ve been on hemodialysis for a long time, and while it’s kept me alive, it’s also taken a toll on my body. Finding a living donor now could improve my quality of life and potentially extend my lifespan.

    Am I Asking Too Much?

    I understand that asking someone to donate a kidney is a big request. It’s a significant decision that involves surgery and recovery time. But I also know that living donors often find the experience deeply rewarding, knowing they’ve given the gift of life.

    Who Can Be a Donor?

    Almost anyone in good health can be considered as a potential living donor. You don’t have to be a blood relative, and you don’t have to live in the same city or even the same country. The most important thing is that you’re healthy and willing to go through the necessary medical evaluations. OHIP covers all of the costs, even if you don’t live in Ontario.

    How Can You Help?

    If you’re interested in learning more about living donation, please contact the Living Donor Coordinator at St. Michael’s Hospital. They can provide you with all the information you need and guide you through the process.

    Contact Information:

    Living Donor Coordinator
    St. Michael’s Hospital
    Phone: 416-867-3676
    Living Donor Team email address

    You can also share this post with anyone you think might be interested in helping. Every share brings me one step closer to finding a suitable donor.

    Thank You

    I’m incredibly grateful for your support and understanding. Your help means the world to me, and I can’t wait to share the good news when I find my donor.

    Take care and stay healthy!

    Peter V. Tretter

  • My Hospital Go Bag 2.0

    Date: 2025.01.01 | Category: Articles, Health | Response: 0

    My Hospital Go Bag 2.0

    Since I posted my first blog post on my hospital go bag, I have  made a few edits. Having used the other bag once in 2024, I wanted a few changes. Please note this post contains affiliate links.

    (Blog post 1 – My Hospital Go Bag)

    Change 1 – A new bag. The OKYUK 70L Hiking Backpack that beyond fits everything.

    Change 2 – A regular Kleenex box. I found the square box hard to pack.

    Change 3 – Due to Boxing Week here in Canada, I picked up a pair of Wyze earbuds to replace a pair of wired headphones I purchased at Dollarama that partially don’t work.

    So what’s in it otherwise?

    1. A change of underwear for a week.
    2. Toiletries including tooth brush/tooth paste. (I use the one my dentist gives me but you can buy small ones at Dollar Tree.) The bag itself is a pencil case I bought at Dollar Tree that fits everything.
    3. Nail clipper.
    4. A hallowe’en sized bag of Skittles with smaller bags in it. Please note I am not diabetic.
    5. A list of my medications.Colouring & Toiletries
    6. A “No Needles/No BP” bracelet. As a dialysis patient, this is important.
    7. A bottle of lotion.
    8. Wyze earbuds.
    9. Back up charging cable & USB/USB C plug.
    10. Adult colouring book from Dollarama
    11. Coloured pencil’s from Walmart
    12. A box of store-brand 3-ply Kleenex from Metro.
    13. A blanket from home.
    14. A light bath robe. Not all units have those hospital robes.
    15. A notebook & pen to write down questions and answers when talking to doctors.
    16. A good pair of slippers.
    17. A lux bar of soap from The Rocky Mountain Soap Company. The holder I got from Dollar Tree.
    18. Lip balm.
    19. Organizer for my charging cables.
    20. A small LED lantern so I have some control over the light around my bed .

    Slippers & SkittlesWhere did I get everything?

  • My Hospital Go Bag

    Date: 2024.10.09 | Category: Articles, Health | Response: 0

    I’ve been unfortunate to be an in-patient twice in 2024 at RVH – my local hospital. And I’m at the top of the kidney transplant list. So I created a hospital go-bag that I can just grab when the call comes or in the unfortunate circumstance that I have to call 9-1-1. Please note this post does contain affiliate links.

    So what’s in it?

    The bag itself is a black bag with silver handles not dissimilar to this one.

    1. A change of underwear for a week.
    2. Toiletries including tooth brush/tooth paste. (I use the one my dentist gives me but you can buy small ones at Dollar Tree.) The bag itself is a pencil case I bought at Dollar Tree that fits everything.
    3. Nail clipper.
    4. A hallowe’en sized bag of Skittles with smaller bags in it. Please note I am not diabetic.
    5. A list of my medications.
    6. A “No Needles/No BP” bracelet. As a dialysis patient, this is important.
    7. A bottle of lotion.
    8. Headphones from the dollar store. Just like at dialysis, it never hurts to be polite to your roomate(s).
    9. Back up charging cable & USB/USB C plug.
    10. Adult colouring book from Dollarama
    11. Coloured pencil’s from Walmart
    12. A box of scotties facial tissues. (The hospital ones are the pits IMHO.)
    13. A blanket from home.
    14. A light bath robe. Not all units have those hospital robes.
    15. A notebook & pen to write down questions and answers when talking to doctors.
    16. A good pair of slippers.
    17. A lux bar of soap from The Rocky Mountain Soap Company. The holder I got from Dollar Tree.
    18. Lip balm.
    19. Organizer for my charging cables.
    20. A book light. Not because I want to read but because it’s a light I guarantee I can control from bed.

    Where did I get everything?

Cloud

Accountability Amazon Kindle Barrie Barrie Green Party Board of Directors Canada Colleges and Universities Complaint Democracy Dialysis Dollar Tree eBook Elizabeth May Facebook Georgian College Green Party of Canada Green Party of Ontario Health Hemodialysis Hospital Go-Bag Investment J2DW Kidney Kidney transplant Kobo Living Green Merger Mike Schreiner Mutual fund Nephrotic Syndrome Ontario Ombudsman Organ transplantation Politics Prepardness Rocky Mountain Soap Company Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre RSS RVH Sony Reader St. Michael's Hospital Temu Transplant list Unity Health Toronto Volunteering Website

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