Climbing Life’s Mountains: Finding Strength in the Face of Chronic Illness

Overcoming adversity is something every one of us will face, probably multiple times throughout our lives. We often tell ourselves that there’s always someone out there dealing with something worse, so we should suck it up and get past our own. But in reality, each and every one of the adversities we face, is like a mountain placed in front of us that we have to figure out how to get around to a brighter valley. It doesn’t matter how high the mountain may be or whether we choose to climb it or go around; the challenge is still the same.

The tallest mountain I’ve faced so far is chronic illness. If you’re lucky, severe chronic illnesses are not something you have to worry about until your later years or you face it with elderly loved ones. But for me, it’s been a mountain my family has been facing for a very long time. When I was 8 years old, my mother was diagnosed with Polycystic Kidney Disease.
PKD is one of the most life-threatening genetic diseases. 1 in 500 Canadians are diagnosed with PKD, and yet we had never heard of it. Mom was told she had fluid-filled cysts growing in (not on) her kidneys and liver, and that was why she was noticing lumps in her abdomen and wasn’t losing her baby belly after my brother was born. She was devasted to find out that because it’s a dominant genetic disease, there was a 50/50 chance that myself and my two siblings could also be diagnosed with PKD. There is no cure for PKD.

From 2002 onwards, with the support of our amazing community, we have fundraised and raised awareness about PKD, hopeful that someday scientists and researchers will find a cure. Each case of PKD is different, which is why it is so hard to find a cure. One of the main symptoms is high blood pressure. My brother and sister both discovered they had high blood pressure in their early teens and were diagnosed with PKD not long after. I have been a lot more fortunate, still to this day, my blood pressure has remained normal. I chose to go for an ultrasound at 18, and they found 4 cysts on each of my kidneys, a diagnosis is 3 or more cysts. So, I, too, was diagnosed with PKD. The cysts have continued to multiply on my kidneys but so far are not causing the same symptoms that my mother and siblings have been facing for many years, which I am extremely grateful for.

What started as what may have seemed like a medium-sized mountain being placed in my mother’s path, having genetically mutated the disease herself, grew into a much larger one when the three of us were diagnosed. We are grateful we are all still healthy and able to live our lives normally. My mother, however, faces more challenges with her large liver, which makes her look like she’s 10 months pregnant, and the side effects from all the pressure in her abdomen. She also struggles with her appearance and limitations to her physical abilities. Organ transplants are certainly in her future, as there very well could be for any of the three of us.

Now, how does all this relate to overcoming my own mountain of adversity? It’s challenging watching the struggles my mother and siblings face every day. I often feel guilty that I haven’t had to be put on any medication yet and can still live almost carefree each day. I sometimes feel like I’m in denial about it as well. I was really frustrated with the universe when I was diagnosed, especially because I had no symptoms. It could’ve given one of us the chance to be able to donate a kidney to whoever needed it first. But it wasn’t meant to be.

Decisions to start my own family were also more challenging,  as I would never wish this disease upon anyone. I would never want my own child to have to face making the decision I had to make… is that 50/50 chance of passing the disease along worth it? For my sister and I, it wasn’t. My mother took us to many conferences and education meetings that taught us not only about the disease but also all the different options available to us for ensuring the next generation will be PKD-free. The disease started with my mom and hopefully will end with us.
This is a choice our family has made. Many take the chance, and that’s okay too! Everyone climbs over and around their mountains in their own ways.

This mountain is one of many I have climbed in my 30 years of existence, and I’m sure there are many more to come. When I stop to think about everything my family has faced that could have driven us into a deep black cave, I’m so proud of the strength we’ve found together to avoid the cave and climb the mountain. I wouldn’t be who I am or where I am today without the amazing support and strength of my family, friends, and community. I have learned to see and appreciate the beauty life offers, to reach for the other side, and to push through the challenges thrown in my path.
It’s important for all of us to reach out for the support we need to climb our mountains and avoid the dark caves we could fall into!