Kidney disease leaves senior executive unable to work
A senior financial services executive has been left unable to work because of a genetic kidney disease, which has left him on the verge of needing dialysis treatment.
61-year-old, Nick Bladen’s world has been turned upside down over the past decade, receiving diagnoses of polycystic kidney disease (PKD) and prostate cancer. Although in remission from cancer, Nick’s kidneys have been severely damaged, pushing him close to kidney failure.
Severe symptoms caused by his condition have forced Nick to be signed off sick from work for the past two years.
Nick says: “I was working 60-70 hour weeks, travelling across the country. Now, I am so fatigued that I need to sleep for 12-13 hours each night, and one to two hours each day. I’ve got an active brain but have found my mental processing power and decision making have been severely affected. That has been one of the hardest parts.
“I also suffer from symptoms including sickness, nausea, anaemia, itchy skin and poor heat control, causing heavy sweats and chills. However, I don’t look visibly unwell, which can make it harder for people to understand. I really miss my team and find it so frustrating being unable to work, having worked non-stop for forty years in the rapidly evolving financial services industry. I’m fortunate my employer is supportive, and I have an income protection insurance policy to sustain my family financially.”
PKD and cancer
Inherited PKD has greatly impacted Nick’s family. His uncle and cousin are currently living with the condition, while his grandfather died from kidney failure aged 47, and his mum needed dialysis in the last few years of her life.
Nick had been given the all clear for the condition during his twenties, so it was a massive shock when a routine private medical examination in 2016 found that his kidneys were covered in cysts. A nephrologist confirmed the cause was PKD.
Nick says: “I didn’t have any symptoms before my diagnosis, I was completely blindsided. The only treatment I’d needed before that point was blood pressure medication. Suddenly I was facing the prospect of my kidneys failing.”
In 2018, Nick received more devastating news, when he was diagnosed with prostate cancer.
Nick says: “The cancer reached high grade in 2022, and required a radical prostatectomy the following year. That surgery led to acute kidney injury, rigors, sepsis and E. coli, which accelerated the deterioration of my kidneys, plunging my kidney function from around 30% down to 10%.
“I needed to go into intensive care and took antibiotics for four months to overcome sepsis. My kidney function bounced back briefly but has steadily declined over the past two years, I am now being prepared to have dialysis treatment, following a recent fistula operation. Thankfully, my cancer is in remission, but the prostate specific antigen (PSA) in my blood needs to remain below a certain level for me to be eligible for the kidney transplant waiting list.
“For the first time in my life, I’ve had to step back to take care of myself over the last few years. I have had to learn to slow down and live with what I’ve got, changing my routine completely, especially with my eGFR score down to 7. I’m limited in what I’m able to do, but I try to join in with aqua fit and yoga each week to try and maintain some fitness ahead of dialysis and, hopefully, a transplant.
“I have had fantastic support from family, friends and work colleagues as well as medical teams. The Hampshire support group of the PKD Charity has been a great source of support and information. Attendees share experiences from early-stage diagnosis, dialysis to post-transplant. I very much wish to thank them and Kidney Research UK for everything they are doing.”
Waiting for a transplant
Nick’s wife was determined to donate him a kidney. However, during the testing process, it transpired that she also had kidney problems and needed one removing because it was damaged and not functioning. As it stands, Nick will soon be starting dialysis.
Nick says: “The thought of dialysis worries me a lot. It’ll mean having treatment at least three times a week and restricting my fluid intake and diet. My lifestyle will be even more restricted, and what I’ll have to give up is a depressing thought.
“I’ll be married to a machine until I am eligible for a transplant. I have no idea if or when a transplant will happen. It could be several years. There are lots of ifs and buts. Our life has been completely turned upside down. Our dreams of retirement and being able to travel are out of the window for now. We’ll just have to cope as best we can.”
Receiving a transplant could transform life for Nick. It’s not a cure but could radically alter his outlook. Improving treatment options is a concern not only for Nick, but also for his two sons, both in their twenties, who may have inherited PKD.
Nick says: “It’s really tough to think that our sons may also be affected. We just stay hopeful that by the time they might need treatment, research will have moved on and it will not have the same impact on their lives as mine.”
Collectively common: the devastating impact of rare kidney diseases in the UK
Our independently produced report reveals the impact of rare kidney diseases.
The report shows that people with rare kidney diseases face significant diagnosis delays, inconsistent care and long waits for new treatments, with children in particular left at greater risk of medical, educational, and economic disruption.
