Kidney disease, diabetes and sepsis have put my life on hold
A service account manager from Cheshire has spent over two years waiting for a simultaneous pancreas and kidney transplant (SPK), which she hopes will free her from a strict dialysis routine and reduce the impact of diabetes.
The impact of multiple health conditions
Rachel Stuart, 33, is one of many kidney patients who are affected by multiple health conditions. Having lived with type 1 diabetes (T1D) since childhood, Rachel was then diagnosed with chronic kidney disease (CKD) in 2022. This is a common complication of T1D, affecting 30-40% of all patients with the condition.
Chronic illness, a weakened immune system and time in hospital, all put Rachel at higher risk of developing sepsis, which can be life-threatening. Unfortunately, that’s exactly what happened when she became severely unwell in 2022. The traumatic impact of these experiences and the ongoing restrictions of dialysis treatment have significantly affected Rachel’s mental health.
She says: “My life would be very different if I was not on dialysis. As much as I try to live a normal life, it has a huge impact needing treatment every day. I have always been very career-driven but I now work reduced hours to manage my care.
“Lots of things have been put on hold while I wait for a transplant, including big milestones like having children. That’s something I find particularly difficult. I have struggled with my mental health at times, but I am proud of how strong and resilient I can be.
“I could receive a call at any time, day or night, to go to hospital for an SPK transplant if a match becomes available. If the transplant was successful, I would no longer need dialysis to support my kidney function, or insulin injections to manage my blood sugar levels. That would be transformational for me.”
Living with chronic illness
Several serious kidney infections led Rachel to be admitted to Leighton Hospital, Crewe, in August 2021. She spent the next six months receiving blood transfusions, antibiotics and other treatments as she became increasingly unwell, finally receiving a diagnosis of CKD at the beginning of the following year.
Rachel’s health deteriorated rapidly, and by February a kidney infection had led to sepsis, leaving her in intensive care. She says: “I was used to feeling poorly, so when I woke up feeling pain around my kidneys I didn’t think too much of it. I just went downstairs to get some pain relief and got back into bed. Unfortunately, it got worse very quickly. By the time my partner and I reached A&E, I collapsed on the floor.
“I had a really high temperature but was freezing cold and shivering. I felt breathless and was vomiting. It was awful. I went into septic shock and was moved into intensive care for two and a half weeks, before being transferred to a specialist kidney unit.”
Rachel’s kidneys had stopped functioning, and she needed multiple treatments before she was discharged three weeks later. Doctors needed to get her blood pressure and potassium levels under control. They provided oxygen when her lungs filled with fluid, used a filtration machine, and carried out further blood transfusions.
Rachel’s kidneys briefly regained some function, but by August 2023 she needed to begin peritoneal dialysis at home. This is a relentless treatment which she still needs over two years later, taking nine hours each night, seven days a week.
Rachel says: “Dialysis is hard. I find I need to rest a lot because I experience anaemia and fatigue. It has affected my ability to work full-time and has put much of my life on hold until I receive a transplant.”
Multiple health conditions
Kidney disease often doesn’t appear on its own, and for Rachel, diabetes, kidney disease, sepsis and mental health have all been closely interconnected.
She says: “Diabetes and sepsis both led to my eventual kidney failure. Now, my kidney disease affects my ability to manage my diabetes because of the glucose levels used in peritoneal dialysis. It has been trial and error in getting my insulin levels right to combat this. It’s so important to understand how my different conditions relate to one another to be able to manage my overall health and try to prevent further problems.
“It's difficult to know how my future might be affected. The best possible outcome would be a successful transplant which lasts many, many years into the future and a good recovery. However, there is no guarantee that the transplant will be successful, which could result in more time on dialysis, more operations and more ill health. I try not to think too much about the various possibilities and just take each day as it comes.”
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