Hi, I'm Alistair Rowland. I'm 48 years old and work as a Technical Risk Manager for a national security company. I live in Kent and travel around the country for my company meeting many new and often very interesting people. I enjoy the outdoors and like cycling, walking and gardening. I love to travel especially to new places I haven't been before. I breed budgies as a hobby, which I thoroughly enjoy, it's amazing to watch the little chicks grow up and leave the nest. I read a lot and love the Wilbur Smith adventure stories. I have "polycystic kidney disease" (PKD) running in my family which caused me to develop kidney failure.
A family affairWhen I was born in 1961, my father had already been ill for a long time with kidney disease. Although we did not know it at the time all four of his children, me, my brother and my two sisters had all inherited Polycystic Kidney disease.
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Kidney failure
On a routine visit to my GP for a bladder infection, he suggested that I visit a renal specialist at Pembury Hospital. I went through a number of different tests and was informed that PKD was definitely affecting my kidney function. Regular checkups were scheduled at annual intervals. This increased to twice a year as my function deteriorated. In 2005 I was informed that the rate of decline was increasing and I would need eventually need a transplant. I was still fairly positive and had not yet accepted that I was going to be a kidney patient. Perhaps because I did not yet feel ill and my function was around 30%.
By the middle of 2006, I was feeling pretty bad. I was on a restrictive diet, no salt, no vegetables and no fruit. I remember going to a West End show in London with my family and going into a steak restaurant after the show. There was nothing on the menu that I was allowed to eat. I was very emotional and angry with the situation I found myself in. I think that during this time it was very hard for the people around me. I was angry at the world and felt that nobody understood what I was going through. I took out my anger and frustration on my family and was definitely not a nice person to be around. I was constantly tired and very frustrated at the situation. I remember sitting on sofa at home and watching TV for hours on end. Afterwards I could not even remember what I had watched, just sitting and thinking - feeling very sorry for myself.
My wife Trudy and I were asked to attend a few seminars and lectures in relation to Kidney failure at Guys hospital. Up until this time I did not really see a transplant as an option. Lectures followed on peritoneal dialysis, renal dialysis and what happened during the actual transplant procedure. I had had a “Nissen Procedure” stomach wrap previously to prevent gastro oesophageal reflux. Peritoneal dialysis was therefore never really an option. I had a fistula done on my left wrist in October 2006 in preparation for Renal dialysis. I was told by the surgeon that the fistula would take a few months to get strong and become fully operational. It worked well and is still in place although it has never been used. I sleep with my wrist under the pillow now to stop myself hearing my own heartbeat as I fall asleep.
CompatibilityMy wife Trudy offered herself up for testing to see if she was compatible and would be able to donate a kidney. I was very negative at the time and far from being positive towards her for offering to give me a kidney, I found myself being really negative about the entire prospect. We were both really amazed when all the tests revealed that she was a 50% match. My GFR had declined to around 11%, I was on a very restrictive diet and was feeling pretty ill. She went through the last round of tests in early November 2006 and the transplant was scheduled for the 30th January 2007. Two days before the operation, I started taking my anti-rejection drugs. I was a big fellow and 500mg of Cyclosporin twice a day made me feel quite strange. Still I stuck with it and took the drugs as instructed.
The operation
Trudy and I have been working with the Living Donor and Peer Support Team at Guys and sharing our experiences every 6 or 8 weeks. There is nothing quite as gratifying as being able to encourage others who are about to undergo the same experience. To all those who have failing kidneys and who will need a kidney transplant, I wish you well. Persevere to succeed and do not let this thing beat you. There is light at the end of the tunnel and having a transplant will give you your life back again. To all those who are contemplating the donation of a kidney - I thank you from the bottom of my heart. It is the biggest gift you can ever give, the gift of life. We as recipients can never thank you enough?
Someone asked me the other day if there were any side effects of having a girl’s kidney. I was not quite sure what he meant. Thinking I was really clever, I told him that I had started wearing high heel shoes at weekends!!! He was even faster than I was and said, “But you’ve always done that”.
