PKD Life - Fall 2022 - Cover3

BREATHE
FIND RESOURCES NEAR YOU AT PKDCURE.ORG/GET-INVOLVED 29
" PKD has never stopped me from being my
best me. In a way, it has pushed me to
stay strong and just keep going. "
My PKD Story
W ith PKD in my family,
I wasn't surprised to
be diagnosed with it in my
early 20s. After living with the
disease for many (relatively)
healthy decades, I reached
stage 5 kidney failure at age 56,
and it was time for a transplant.
My husband was tested and
found to be a match. We took a
trip to Paris two weeks before
the surgery to celebrate our
25th wedding anniversary, and
we joked that his kidney was
his anniversary present to me.
Many people think that after
a kidney transplant, you're
good for life. But as we know,
a transplant is just a Band-Aid
and not a cure for PKD. So
posting about my experiences
helps raise that awareness
to people who think I look
vibrant and healthy without
any health challenges.
I am an artist, and my oil
landscapes are inspired by
the beauty of nature, which is
everywhere and ever-changing!
For me, painting is a kind of
therapy. I admit that I often
stress and worry that something
could go wrong with my
transplant. Painting helps me
to soothe those thoughts away.
DIANE CARNEVALE
Hamilton, Massachusetts
@diane_carnevale
MY ADVICE
For those who are newly
diagnosed, take a deep breath.
If you had to have a major organ
fail, the kidney is the one.
Nephrology science has come so
far and continues to advance, and
we as patients are so fortunate
to be able to reap the benefits
of this knowledge and to have
options such as dialysis and kidney
transplants.
Join a support group, either
in person or online. Hearing
and reading other people's stories
and experiences can be helpful
and feel supportive.
Stay active. People complain
of losing energy with PKD, but
I have found that by keeping
active, my energy level remains
high. I also think being in shape
helped with my recovery after
the transplant.
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COURTESY OF SUBJECT
http://www.PKDCURE.ORG/GET-INVOLVED
PKD Life - Fall 2022

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