It’s time to start your journey to health and wellness - let me be that person to guide you!
I was a young 19 year old and 2 months pregnant with my daughter when I was diagnosed with IGA nephropathy (also known as Berger’s disease). It basically means my antibodies lodged themselves in my kidney and decided to eat away at it. Getting this news and knowing I had 7 months left to carry my beautiful daughter I did everything I could and knew (with the help of family and friends) to ensure I delivered a healthy baby girl and at the same time ensure I was well enough to endure the labour and be the best mother I could.
By the time my daughter reached a year and a half my kidneys were chronic and I was told I needed to go on dialysis. Not having any idea what this was or what it entailed, I was given two options - haemodialysis (machine dialysis) or CAPD (bag dialysis). I opted for CAPD as this was easier for me to be able to still care for my daughter - changing bags four times a day, 20 minutes each time. During this time I was placed on the transplant list as well as my immediate family members being tested to see if they could donate. Unfortunately my parents could not donate due to finding out their own health issues during the process (there’s a blessing in everything - that’s how I view things) & my siblings were 1) too young 2) playing top level rugby 3) my sister (at the time) wanted to have children.
Dialysis took a toll on my body. I was bed ridden with nausea, vomiting, got quite a few peritonitis (inflammation of the peritoneum (abdomen) which is caused by bacteria and fungi infection) and Pneumonia - fluid on the lungs due to peritonitis eating away at my stomach lining causing a slight hole in my top abdomen cavity..... basically my body was fighting numerous issues at once to the point where my body started giving up on me and the doctors advised (after numerous pain killer injections of pethidine) that I had 3 weeks to live.
Not happy at all with this news, I knew I had to take things into my own hands. I was a young woman with a baby, my life wasn’t over, I wasn’t ready to leave this world, I had so much zest for life and plenty of things to achieve. So, with the help of my family, I sought alternative therapies. A family member found a Naturopath in Auckland that was prepared to see me. With no hesitations we made the 5 hour trip and the following morning started treatment. For two weeks they detoxed my body by using therapies such as colonics, cranial sacral & IFAS as well as changed my diet and started taking supplements. Two weeks later I was back to my normal self. A visit to the doctor showed massive signs of improvement but it was a phone call from my best friend Michelle that would change my path in life...
This phone call was unexpected and the conversation that followed left me speechless. She had GENEROUSLY & SELFLESSLY offered me one of her kidneys (still brings me to tears today). She was tested and the results came back stating that she had the same blood & tissue type, a perfect combination to get the ball rolling to receive one of her kidneys. Fast track to our transplant (3rd February 2000) day - both families were going through different emotions. I particularly felt for Michelle and her family; Michelle was the same age as me and it was a HUGE call for her to make. The transplant went smoothly for Michelle, so well that she made it easy for the surgeons to select the kidney they were going to remove as one of her kidneys had two arteries, meaning I received the other one (again there’s a blessing in everything!). She left the hospital before me which is not very common, it is usually the recipient leaving before the donor. I had a few complications during and after surgery which meant I stayed longer than anticipated. There were plenty of trials along the way of which were lessons I needed to learn (there’s a blessing in everything).
Four months post transplant and I was able to finally go home and be with my daughter and family. The transition wasn’t easy initially, however I soon adjusted and before you know it I was LIVING again...ahhhhhh :) I wanted to prove to myself and be a good role model for my daughter that I started setting goals. With netball being my passion I jumped into training and with the intention to 1) make the top provincial team and 2) to make the regional team and I succeeded in both. My next goal was to establish a life for my daughter and I, that goal being: to become a massage therapist, in which I succeeded.
The kidney I received from Michelle gave me an extended 12 years before requiring my second transplant in 2013 which I received from my brother. Going through my second transplant I coped a lot better and that was due to varying reasons, but mostly because of the knowledge and experience gained in my first transplant and what I have learnt along the way. One thing that I have noticed this time around is choosing to take PXP which my sister in-law introduced me to some 16 months ago. This has been a game changer for me and my recent blood tests have proved how remarkable PXP has been for me.
So I can say I’ve been tried and tested in my life time, endured pain, jumped on the poor me train (more than a few times lol), my body has been poked, prodded and cut open, heart ache and the list goes on. What I want to express is that at the end of the day YOU have choices, YOU choose your path, YOU have the power, YOU are beautiful, YOU are amazing and talented, YOU can do it, YOU are able, YOU are focused, YOU love yourself, YOU are in control. The power of the mind is wonderful and an amazing gift. Choose today to BE THE BEST YOU, THERE’S A BLESSING IN EVERYTHING! If you can do that then you are halfway to healing yourself.
Wellness Boost is a combination of all my passions - Massage, Reiki, PXP purple rice & doTERRA pure essential oils, all of which have helped me in my own health journey. I thought, why not share what I love and know with others, and assist with their own health journey.
Thank you for reading to the end and thank you for taking the time to view, like and share my page. My healing started with ME irrespective of the curve balls I was thrown. As mentioned above, the power of the mind is wonderful and an amazing gift, use it to your advantage positively. I want YOU to have all the wonderful things in life and looking after yourself and your health is SO important to me... let me guide and assist you on your own health journey.
Signing off with heartfelt love and appreciation,
Renee :) xx
