At 33, when I learned that my kidneys were only functioning at 50%, it was a tremendous shock. By some luck, I managed to live a relatively normal life for nearly ten years, until 2017, when everything changed.
In just a short time, my kidneys stopped working and could no longer properly filter my blood. I had to begin emergency dialysis, what we might call, in the world of kidney failure, a true nightmare.
Fortunately, I wasn’t alone. I was surrounded by the nephrology team at Hôpital Maisonneuve-Rosemont (HMR). The doctors, nurses, and dialysis-specialized psychiatrists supported me every step of the way, with compassion and humanity.
“From diagnosis to transplant, including dialysis and home dialysis, I never once felt like just a number. When you’re sick, you realize how much proper support truly changes everything. And that’s exactly what I felt at every stage, thanks to the specialists at HMR.”
Michel Savard, Patient
When dialysis replaced my kidneys’ work, I had to be connected to a machine several times a week, at night, to filter my blood. It was exhausting, my life revolved entirely around treatment. I had to stop working, I went out less, and since I was doing dialysis at home, my bedroom had turned into a real hospital room.
That’s how I would live until a compatible kidney could be found.
After three years on dialysis, I decided to make a public appeal on Facebook to try to find a new kidney. Several friends had already offered, but I had always refused, thinking the treatment wouldn’t last too long. Then, suddenly, a glimmer of hope. A friend of a friend stepped forward and chose to donate one of her kidneys to me.
But even then, nothing was certain. Even with a donor, the surgery was postponed multiple times. The pandemic, along with health complications, including the discovery of cancerous metastases in my kidneys, delayed the operation for another two years. Two more years of waiting, during which I continued dialysis, holding on to hope.
Finally, I got the call, confirming the date and time. I was finally going to receive my transplant. Life after the transplant was freeing, as if a cloud that had followed me for years had finally lifted. I could live again, enjoy life’s simple moments once more.
From diagnosis to transplant, including dialysis and home dialysis, I never once felt like just a number. When you’re sick, you realize how much good care and guidance can change everything. And that’s exactly what I felt at every stage, thanks to the specialists at HMR.
If I’m here today, it’s thanks to the nephrology expertise at HMR. These teams can’t continue to move forward and save lives without your support. Your donations fund vital research and allow patients like me not only to survive, but to truly live again.
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