REGINA - Over the past few years, Corey Douglas' life has changed after going on Dialysis while waiting for a kidney transplant.
Douglas originally found out he had Polycystic Kidney Disease (PKD) when he was 30. The doctors advised Douglas there was no cure for PKD and that he would eventually need to get a kidney transplant.
Hearing that news, Douglas described being shocked. Despite being told he would need a new kidney, Douglas recalled feeling fine for the next eight years, taking blood pressure pills and doing regular checkups.
Douglas and his Nephrologist tried to prolong the inevitable of him needing a new kidney. Around 2021, Douglas did a regular checkup, where he found out one of his kidney functions was under 10 per cent, meaning he needed to go on Dialysis and get a new kidney.
To speed up the process of getting a kidney, Douglas’ Nephrologist called him once and asked if he ever thought of going into the kidney transplant program, which Douglas agreed to. The program matches kidney transplant candidates with potential donors.
Douglas remembers being told it typically takes from six months to a year for a person to receive a new kidney.
Hoping the process would be quick, Douglas started going on Dialysis, more specifically Hemodialysis. To receive Hemodialysis, Douglas would have to go to the hospital three times a week.
Douglas’ first experience receiving the treatment did not go well, as he recalled passing out and feeling really sick.
Even though Douglas started getting used to his weekly appointments, it affected the time he spent with his family.
"[It] was tough [for me] because I mean, my boy is in school during the day, and my wife works, and they come home at night, and then I have to go to the hospital. My boy played hockey, so I couldn't go to any tournaments or anything like that on the weekends," said Douglas.
Luckily for Douglas, the hospital changed his appointment schedule so he could be with his family more often.
While Douglas was waiting for a kidney, his wife, Karen, created a Facebook page, Corey Needs a Kidney, to spread the word about Douglas' situation.
From one of their post, six people reached out and said they would like to donate their kidney to Douglas.
Seeing such kindness, Douglas said, "I mean, that's really heartwarming just to know, like [people do care]. [I feel] that's a big ask for anyone, and that's why I never posted because I just, I could never ask them to do something like that."
The process of finding an exact match is long and requires a lot of testing to ensure both the donor and kidney transplant candidate won’t be affected after the surgery.
Because the process to find the right donor took awhile, Douglas switched from Hemodialysis to Peritoneal Dialysis (PD).
The difference between the two is PD doesn't require weekly appointments at the hospital. Instead, a person can stay at home, using a machine for daily treatment.
Every day, Douglas needs to plug a tube from a machine into his body for eight hours to cycle fluid in and out of his body.
Because there’s a tube in him at night, Douglas has trouble sleeping most days. Additionally, Douglas has felt less energetic since going on Dialysis.
Since he constantly feels fatigued, Douglas cannot always participate in the regular activities he normally does with his family. While Douglas wants to ensure his health, he also doesn't want to be a downer for his family.
Seeing as Douglas is limited from his normal physical activities, he praised his wife, kid and the rest of his family for being so supportive and helpful.
Around three years had passed since Douglas was in need of a new kidney. In Nov. 2024, Douglas received a call, where he was told they had found a donor that was a match for him.
In that moment, Douglas remembers crying. He called Karen, who was at the hair salon, and she started to burst into tears as well.
After receiving the positive news, another phone call came two weeks later. Douglas was informed the match fell through. He explained that any information about the donor, like why it didn't work out is confidential.
Once he received the news, Douglas remembers being "pretty heartbroken again." He added, "I had to tell my wife, and that was hard, and I think she was pretty heartbroken, too. I think she's even more emotional than me. I think, for a lot of the stuff [like the process of getting myself a new kidney], and [she] takes it harder than I do. So, she was pretty shaken up."
Unsure of when the next opportunity for a donor would come, around two weeks ago, Douglas got another call, where he was told they had found another match for him.
Douglas remembers being less "giddy" about the phone call compared to the one he received back in Nov., as he tried to remain more reserved.
As for when the operation could happen, Douglas said they are still conducting a few more tests to ensure his antibodies match the kidney he’s receiving. If everything checks out, Douglas is hoping by late Jan. or early Feb., he can get the transplant done.
When asked what it would mean to finally get a new kidney, Douglas said, "it will probably be pretty emotional."
Whenever the day comes that Douglas receives a new kidney, he plans to celebrate with his family and spend some time enjoying the moment.
Anyone interested in donating a kidney to Douglas is encouraged to check out
