The Committee
Anwar Elahi - NWRKPA Treasurer-
I am 58 years old, and married with 2 children, one aged 22 and the other 9. I was a pre dialysis patient for 2 years and have now been on C.A.P.D. for just over 8 months.
I am an Accountant by profession and was also for some years a sub postmaster.
When I was well I really enjoyed my hobbies of walking and sports and although I can no longer play any sport, I enjoy watching and take an active interest in cricket as I used to manage the junior section of the Cheadle Cricket Club, where my son still plays.
Arijit Sen-
I have been a kidney patient since 1986. I attended Withington hospital and started Peritoneal dialysis in 1996. I continued this until it began to fail, whereupon I was trained to do home haemo-dialysis in 2005.
In April 2006 I received the long awaited call for a kidney transplant, and since then it has been working well.
During the past 20 years I have been well looked after by staff at four different hospitals: Firstly Rochdale infirmary, then Withington and MRI and most recently at Wythenshawe's home haemo-training unit.
By profession I am a paediatrician and as a member of NWRKPA I would like to use my experiences to help and inform other patients. I am extremely grateful to my wife and my two children who have supported me throughout my illness and continue to do so.
Barbara Taylor-
My name is Barbara Taylor and I live in Cheadle Hulme with my husband, Dave and my twenty-eight year old daughter, Joanne. My son, Robert, lives in London.
I have polycystic kidneys which I inherited from my father, unfortunately my son has also inherited the disease. I have been a Manchester Royal Infirmary patient for many years and my kidneys finally failed in July 1998. I went onto C.A.P.D. but after three months of being in and out of hospital, I went onto haemodialysis and subsequently on to home haemodialysis.
I got that wonderful phone call on 10th December 2000 to say I had a kidney. My transplant has been successful so far (although I am always touching wood!).
I am a Team Librarian with Stockport Public Libraries and therefore, I obviously enjoy reading! Dave and I enjoy socializing with our friends and hopefully will now get back to some serious walking and holidaying!!
Dr Simon Jenkins - NWRKPA Vice Chairperson-
In November 1997, at the age of 60, I developed a rare condition called Goodpastures Syndrome. I was at that time working as a GP in a busy practice in Bury (Manchester). Within 3 days from being apparently normal , I has lost all renal function and was urgently started on Haemaodialysis. I spent 3 months in Manchester Royal Infirmary in a somewhat weakened state which gave my family and friends much concern. I gradually regained my strength over the following year or so. At first I dialysed at MRI but later I was encouraged to take more responsibility for my own dialysis and eventually transferrred to the relaxed and welcoming atmosphere of the Prestwich Self Care Haemo-Dialysis Unit.
On Boxing day 2000, I received the phone call that most dialysis patients yearn for. 24 hours later I had a received my new kidney - truly a gift for a new and revigourated life. I have not looked back since.
Although I have not worked since as a doctor I have benefited from the experince of seeing 'Renal Medicine' from the perspective of the patient. Like the vast majority of patients I am immensely grateful to the people who have cared for me during my illness, the doctors, the nurses,the technicians, and the laboratory scientists but most particularly to my wife and family who provided me with the will and the incentive to return to good health and fitness.
I hope that I will now be able to contribute to the welfare of others by involvement in the Kidney Patients Association.
Freda Hird-
I am a pre-dialysis patient attending the Friday morning clinic for the past three years. I retired from working in the Health Service in Community Child Health ten years ago. After retiring I singned up for a Water Colour painting art class.
At the moment some of my time is occupied with two young grand-daughters. My husband and I enjoy holidays and concerts at the Bridgewater Hall. We are both members of Lancashire Cricket Club.
Geoff Burgess - NWRKPA Distribution-
I was born in 1941 and spent thirty years in the Police Force where I was a Sergeant for sixteen years. I lost one kidney in 1987 and my remaining kidney failed in 1994. I am a home haemodialysis patient and attend Withington Hospital. I joined the NWRKPA committee in 1998. As the sole male and haemodialysis member of the Kidney Support Group, I deal with a number of telephone calls and queries.
I have helped out with the NWRKPA display at the pre-dialysis events at the MRI, which have provided an opportunity to explain about the home dialysis 'regime' to new patients. My role as 'delivery man' for the distribution of the association's newsletters to various units has also helped to reduce our postage costs, and represent the committee 'face to face' to patients and staff at some of the outlying units.
Guy Hill - NWRKPA Chairperson-
My kidney experience began in 1996 when I was diagnosed with IGA Nephropathy. My symptoms were extreme headaches that lasted days with no party to go with them. After blowing the stethoscope off my GP’s ears I went to Withington Hospital and from there the journey began. After transferring to the MRI I lasted 2 years before I started on CAPD. I was able to fit dialysis around my lifestyle and found the service, support and care provided of excellent quality. I succeeded in doing an exchange in a car, plane,train and boat and I am pleased to say we continued with all family activities and holidays. In March ’01 I had the call for a transplant, delivered personally by the local Policeman! That has been a great success and I have been able to compete in 5 British Transplant Games and 1 world Games and have a few medals to show for it. However my proudest moment was to send my Donor family my first medal as a small but heart felt thank you for donating.
I have always wanted to give something back and have long realised that the NHS is all we have as patients. I took over the Chair of the NWRKPA 4 years ago after the able stewardship of Dennis Crane and have with the support of a great committee tried to keep us relevant to today’s patient and today’s NHS. I was always struck by the friendship of the whole renal community and therefore helping it to move forward is a pleasure to do.
At 45 now, I can expect to go around the circle a few times, so although I can rest comfortable now with my transplant, I know that I will need the service and dialysis again and with the time delays in getting new facilities, everything we do today will help me and others in the future.
Linda Maskell-Glynn - NWRKPA Newsletter Editor-
I joined the NWRKPA committee in 1991 and became Newsletter editor a year later. I was born in 1955 and have suffered kidney problems since birth although this was not discovered until I was twelve years of age.
My own kidneys failed when I was twenty-one. Since then, I have been on haemodialysis, CAPD and have had two transplants. I am married and have two step children and 3 step grandchildren. My hobbies include reading, doing jigsaws, watching soaps and collecting anything to do with cats.
The Newsletter goes from strength to strength, particularly as we are now receiving more contributions from both staff and patients. The NWRKPA committee agree that the Newsletter is a valuable part of our work and an excellent link between ourselves and our members.
You can see example pages from the Newsletter by clicking the link on the home page. If you decide to join the NWRKPA you will receive up to six free newsletters a year delivered to your door.
If you are not yet a member, please join today. Membership costs nothing and you will become part of a wide community of people who care about your illness and who can provide excellent advice and support.
Margaret Bennett - NWRKPA Secretary-
In the absence of any response to several appeals to the membership of the association, I have acted as secretary to the committee since November 1999. I am now looking to expand this role and have taken on the work of membership secretary.
I have two children, both boys - Andrew and Philip. They are full of beans and take up a great deal of time and energy. This job gives me the opportunity to work and run a home and bring up a family.
I am not a kidney patient and therefore a complete newcomer to the world of renal medicine and I declare to you now that I have no previous renal knowledge and that this is a learning curve for me. I am very interested to know and learn more and have enjoyed my involvement with the NWRKPA so far.
Mark Ball-
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Ross Percival - Benefits Advisor -
My name is Ross Percival and I have recently joined the NWRKPA committee. I am 50 years old and discovered I had kidney disease when I developed agonising back pain in 1982. A few days later I was told that I had Adult Polycystic Kidney Disease (APKD), an inherited condition. With only two more short periods of infection over the next 12 years I was not really made aware of the severity of my kidney disease until my Consultant told me in summer 1994 that I would be starting a special diet, to ease the burden on my kidneys and delay the onset of dialysis.
After 18 months of missing all my favourite foods it was decided that I would soon require dialysis: I considered the various methods available and my personal choice was CAPD. I was operated on to put a catheter into my abdomen and, following a period of "work-up" and training on how to perform the 4 exchanges of dialysis fluid needed every day, I began to dialyse.
After only 6 months I was lucky enough to get a new kidney and in July 2006 I celebrated the 10th anniversary of my transplant. I was fortunate not to be ill before my dialysis began and have also been very healthy since the transplant, though I know that many other people, especially with other medical conditions, are not so lucky. With the job I do, I am regularly in contact with disabled people and their carers.
Steve Caddick-
I think it was Lewis Carroll who said start at the beginning and finish at the end, which has always seemed pretty good advice to me so here goes I shall start at the beginning.
I was 2 when first diagnosed with kidney problems and had first rein plantation of the left urethra when I was 4 then a second rein plantation on the other side when I was 11, but it wasn’t until I was 16 when the kidneys failed and I was put on to haemodialysis at Booth Hall hospital.
I was fairly lucky because about one year later I received my first transplant at the MRI.
During my period on dialysis with the help of my local college in Oldham and the support of my family I carried on full time education and gained a onc in engineering which after the transplant allowed me to start work as an apprentice draughtsman/engineer.
During the first couple of years after the transplant I had various problems with the side effects of drugs I was using cyclosporin/neural, steroids etc but managed to keep working sometimes around the country i.e. London, Newcastle and various other places.
Nearly caught that disease called marriage once and even showed symptoms of engagement but shrug it off and played ‘hard to get’ ever since (although its still in the system and will properly get me someday).
The transplant lasted about 12 years when I had to returned to capd work was very supportive and provided a clean area to do exchanges during the day and noted that not every day did I feel 100% For 2 and a half years I was capd then with the help of my home sister I went onto apd night time dialysis for a bout 2 years then for no other reasons than social reasons went back on to haemodialysis. Which brings me to January 2003 when I had my second transplant, which is working famously (touch wood).
I still have a sense of fun and appreciation of life; and as can be seen from this brief synopsis I have a lot of experience in the renal world which hopefully I can pass on to fellow patients.
Wajid Iqbal-
I am 26yrs old and a patient at Manchester Royal Infirmary. I have been a renal patient for the past 19yrs. At the age of 7 I was told that I had renal failure and in the near future I a would need dialysis.
At the age of 15 my kidneys failed and had to go onto C.A.P.D. After 7yrs of C.A.P.D. I had change the form of dialysis to Haemao-Dialysis.
I dialysed for a further 3yrs and in June 2003, I received a transplant and it's been very successful ever since.
Thanks to all the staff on Ward 23, Renal Unit, and Ward 10 who have helped me through the past 10yrs of dialysis.