Gizmar is in the House

I feel like I've introduced myself quite a bit lately - on either one board or another. I'm not quite sure what prompted this incredible marathon of introduction but here I am

My kidney disease was a slow frustrating sequence of doctors saying "this is quite inspecific", biopsies, IVPs and every other test known to man. I'm sure we'll all familiar with the poking, prodding, misdiagnosies and general hysteria that preceeds the "diagnosis". That fateful day in June, 2001, when the nephrologist told me I was already in kidney failure is a hard one to forget. I was in a general state of disbelief and then moved quickly into action mode to figure out how to fix it so I could just resume my life as it was. I was corporate Canada all the way - responsible professional job, business travel all over the place, presenting to large groups of people, responsible for staff, a husband and kids. Those were the days.

It didn't take long for me to realize that the quick fix I planned on was not exactly what I was in for and so ran the gammit of my trip to hemodialysis.

Today, five years later - my kids are on their own, no more husband - I think it was all just more than he could handle so he found a younger version of a wife, with more energy and a better chance for survival.

I've been on the transplant list for a while and seem to manage about as well as most dialysis patients do - some days are great, some are okay and some days - well, we just don't want to talk about those days.

I stopped working in the corporate world in September, 2005 and decided to take a passion of mine and turn it into some good for others. My life philosophy is if you do something good for others, it will always come back to you in kind. So today, I create jewellery for charity - more specifically, the jewellery I create is sold with 50% of the profits going to the Kidney Foundation. Please visit the website - www.bluemarigold.ca. I'm having so much fun and am thrilled to be able to find a way to funnel money to the Kidney Foundation to aid in education, research and awareness of the absolute critical need for organ donation. I spend most of my "feeling good" days doing something around kidney awareness. I'm the patient advocate at my hospital, sit on the accreditation committee for the hospital, and am a member of renal voice advocating policy changes around organ donation.

Whew....that looked good on paper - really what it amounts to is I have a big mouth and I'm not afraid to use it for the cause.

Cheers to all
Giz