JoAnn Villanueva
[caption id="attachment_11455" align="alignright" width="250"] JoAnn and Suzanne’s story in the Daily Southtown[/caption] I write my PKD story on the 14th anniversary of my kidney transplant! I have two sisters, no brothers. I come from a LARGE Irish Catholic family (all...
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Lisa Towler
[caption id="attachment_11173" align="alignright" width="300"] Lisa Towler[/caption] This month marks 26 years ago I found out I had PKD. It was the second week of my senior year of high school. I'm adopted and several years ago I found some information...
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Rob Herman
[caption id="attachment_10425" align="alignright" width="300"] Rob (left) with his family.[/caption] PKD runs in my my mom's side of the family. It has been devastating to us. My grandfather died from a major stroke caused by PKD. My mom had a major stroke...
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Cheryl Flothe
[caption id="attachment_9838" align="alignright" width="300"] Cheryl and her husband, Glenn, on her first outing after her kidney transplant in 2007[/caption] PKD runs in my family through my maternal grandfather's side---he, his dad, sister, brothers and cousins had/have the disease. Most who...
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Glenna Frey
[caption id="attachment_9829" align="alignright" width="300"] Glenna with her husband and children.[/caption] I donated my kidney to a stranger April 2017. I have been a nephrology nurse for over 30 years and understand the challenges of living on dialysis. Also, my husband...
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Melissa Justice
[caption id="attachment_11394" align="alignright" width="225"] Abigail Musser[/caption] My daughter, Abigail Musser, was 86 days old when she passed away in July of 2017. She was a twin birth, born at 33 weeks. We found out about her diagnosis while I was...
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Noelia Canfara
I was diagnosed with polycystic kidney and liver disease 17 years ago. Since then, I have had several surgeries both on my kidneys and liver to deroof cysts and alleviate symptoms, but my kidneys continued to grow and decline in...
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Selina Borg
[caption id="attachment_9624" align="alignright" width="300"] Selina and her mom visiting with her dad in the hospital.[/caption] I am the fourth generation to be diagnosed with PKD in my family. I got my diagnosis in 2010 when I was 22. My dad,...
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John Vallarelli
[caption id="attachment_9443" align="alignright" width="250"] John Vallarelli[/caption] I was diagnosed in 1993. Initially hospitalized for diverticulitis, I had a CAT scan and the next morning, seven doctors showed up to my room and told me I have PKD. Was I shocked?...
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Renata Mendes
[caption id="attachment_9444" align="alignright" width="300"] Renata Mendes[/caption] I was diagnosed 10 years ago. I had low back pain for some weeks, so I went to emergency and they sent me to an orthopedist. After a few days taking orthopedist pills and...
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Tracey Barbour
[caption id="attachment_9442" align="alignright" width="250"] Tracey and her husband the morning of their transplant surgeries.[/caption] I found out I had PKD 10 years and 5 months ago, one month after I got married. A routine blood test showed I had a...
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Chris Dwyer
[caption id="attachment_9441" align="alignright" width="250"] Chris's scars from getting cysts drained.[/caption] I found out last year by accident. I had an arthrogram done for a torn hip labrum. Two days later the orthopedic surgeon called and let me know that I...
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