Kindey

National Kidney Day

News now.

>> one of the most important organs in the human body, the kidney is responsible for first timing the blood and balancing electrolytes and filter waste and without them, it could be life threatening, our first guest received the gift of life because of a kidney transplant, kenneth sorensen.

And you're celebrating an anniversary.

>> on november 1st, 2015, i had a kidney transplant with an altruistic donor and i met her the day of the surgery.

>> so you're celebrating a year and a month with a new kidney and how has it been.

>> it's incredible.

I feel better than in ten years, i've gone back to school and working a little bit.

And i was on dialysis for about 5 years prior to it.

It's where blood leaves your body through tubes, and there are two different types, but that's probably the most normal way to get dialysis.

>> how often did you have to do it?

>> three times a week for four hours, you sit in a chair, and they stick enormous needles in your arm and it hurts very badly.

>> five years, did it ever become unbearable?

>> yes, in 2017, about seven months of that year, i was in musc.

Because i was so sick, i was in pretty bad shape.

By the time i got my transplant, i started feeling a little bit better.

>> what to this point?

>> it's from diabetes.

And a lot of people don't know, hypertension one of the main causes much kidney disease.

>> you had kidney disease, it was caused by the diabetes, and because of lifestyle.

>> it's a little bit to do with the lifestyle, and the cost of insulin is incredible.

Especially when you're not making a tremendous amount of money.

But a lot of it was my mistakes, and the great thing about the second chance my donor gave me, don't make them again.

>> so were you on the list to receive another kidney?

How quickly or how long did that process take between the time your doctor said we're going to put you on the list to the time you received the kidney?

>> mine is a confusing situation.

Because i was so sick, i wasn't really eligible to go totalis.

You have to be relatively healthy to get the surgery.

It's a huge surgery, so they don't want to put people at risk, obviously.

And there are so few donors, whether it be deceased or living, they want to make sure that 2 goes to someone who is only going to benefit the most from it.

I was only on the list for a year, and i was a backup for a deceased donor eight times within that year, and actually two days before i had a living donor, i was on the backup.

But as you know, i was on the dialysis for five years, and started trying to get on the list before n.

>>> we have a graphic on the screen showing people in need of a transplant, which seems to be growing year on year, and then people who get the kidney.

Not only does it have to be available, but it has to be your match.

Let me ask you with the coronavirus, covid-19 that is just now the world health organization has declared a world pandemic, are you worried at all about certain illnesses, viruses?

Do the doctors tell that you you have to be particularly careful?

>> they have not, i haven't been reached out to, but when you have a transplant, you're on drugs for the rest of your life that suppress your immune system.

So the flu worries me.

Before the coronavirus got bigger, i had a sore throat.

And i immediately went to the doctor and said test me for the flu, because a little thing like that can cause problems. i always have hand sanitizer in my pocket and i wipe things down.

So i'm taking the normal precautions.

They talk about the elderly.

>> exactly, and it doesn't sound like it's stopping you from doing anything, and we have a couple of seconds left.

Are you doing anything now that you weren't able to do a couple of years ago?

>> the school thing is huge for me, because i want to do something for the rest of my life to help people.

It's a lot of fun.

>> that's helping people have a good time.

>> but i want to do something to help someone in similar situations.

>> thank you so much for sharing your story.

And we're going to hear from