Dialysis & Tough Mudder

Well I have made it to 1 more day until the Tough Mudder. I feel very well trained for this event, after a near death stay at St Paul's Hospital in March and many days of dialysis without any major problems. FOR THIS I AM GRATEFUL. I have had my pump speed at dialysis raised to 459ml a minute, which has changed my recovery period after dialysis to a more distressful situation. I have some side effects, such as imbalance, major headaches and longer exhaustion periods.
I have to have dialysis a extra time this week and after the event because of the tissue tears , it pushes my potassium levels higher and caused me more electrolytes passing through my blood stream. It has been the hardest thing that I have had to do for my training plan getting ready for the Tough Mudder event on Saturday, at Whistler. My start time is 1:45pm.
My daughter Julia has arrived with my brother Corey, from Ibiza, Spain, so she will be travelling with me to Whistler. Julia has been a very important inspirational piece to my training. She has always been in the front of my mind, where I am determined to help get this information about Organ Transplant Awareness, and Registering to be a Organ Donor strongly out there in the Media.

I will have difficulty with the side affects from my Kidney Disease IGA Nephropathy, competing tomorrow in the Tough Mudder. However I know the extreme pain that I will be in after training and going through this process. I can't change it and it does not ever get easier, I know that it will be there tomorrow, when I compete, and I have now grown to accept this. The most painful part that I get is the deferred pain that I get from my blood leaving my vital organs and then it sends pain signals through my abdominal cavity that I could only explain by the history that I had when I just about lost my arm from a Hemotoma infection and my arm was dieing from the lack of blood to arms. I feel exactly the same pain and the darkness of the pain that I felt the same as when I was younger. It happens every time I have trained for this event, and it is my biggest worry, however I have such strong Faith that you just have to believe that my Angels will keep me safe.

I also have some Film makers from the BECAUSE I CAN PROJECT coming down to Whistler to film this story, in the hopes of raising awareness for our cause.

I hope they can show how much this affects your loved ones around your suffering. I have been separated from my girl Julia for almost 14 months now, and her sister Eva. this has been a steady stream of pain in my soul, that never can be understood unless you have been away from your children while fighting for your life.

I will start and I hope to finish with a good time and a safe journey.

PLEASE REGISTER TO BE A ORGAN DONOR AND ALSO SHARE THIS STORY WITH ALL OF YOUR CONNECTIONS IN THE HOPE OF GETTING CANADIANS TO RECOGNISE THE IMPORTANCE TO HELP FELLOW CANADIAN FAMILIES THAT ARE SUFFERING.

Thank you,

Sincerely Kevin Campbell

Tears, Exhaustion & Fighting on with Faith

This week I was and still am getting very exhausted with my Training for the Tough Mudder. This is the part that I am really mentally strong with. It is the waking up early to Stuff Envelopes for Sponsor ship letters to Company's. Sending out emails, tracking down Drug companys that distibute the drugs I use at the Kidney Dialysis Community center and replying to any emails that deserve a big Thank you. This is the part that makes me sometimes want to just take care of Kevin and my disease and just let this Organ donor awareness journey move forward with someone else. However I really believe in my heart of hearts, that I have been choosen to do this proactive task of reaching out for the people that I see at DIALYSIS every Monday, Wednesday and Friday and for all the people that I don't know or see, that are struggling with this same situation or slighly different problems, however don't have the strength that for some strange reason I can push through.

I seem to ask for more Faith everyday and to be able to help to help the people, and to show me the signs that will help guide my path of success in helping the less fortunate.

I need this and the help to keep moving forward. I am hoping to find some trusting people that are not out for self promotion or as I have found out in this journey that are there for a little and then leave you swimming up hill . I will move the mountains that form in my way of the goals.

Keeping strong.

Extreme Training on Dialysis

I have done a Seminar at Uvic with Let's Talk Science and Dr. Paul Zehr.  I wanted to bring forward this seminar to share information on how the Kidney works and how extreme training on dialysis affects on health. DR. Jane Gair had organised a Medical student to explain the functions of the Kidney and how dialysis works to clean the body. Second year medical student Andrew did a fantastic job and his presentation was very thorough and insightful. I explained the practical side of how it affects myself and Dr. Paul Zehr was finishing with what can happen to one self and if there is any detrimental affects to this training process that I put myself through with my workouts.

Sadly Dr Zehr could not find any real studies.
At this point I now know that I have to record everything that I am doing so this can help the medical science teams have something to go on. I will start tomorrow recording all of my blood pressure numbers before, during and after my training sessions. Which consist of running, yoga, swimming and resistant weight workouts. I will also be recording all of my food intakes and times. My blood work will then be recorded and with all this information, I hope to be able to find out if this fitness is a helpful healthy journey or a hindrance to my goal, of being super fit for the time when I might be able to have a Kidney Transplant.
I am feeling stronger everyday, and with my side effects from being anaemic and the pain I go through with training, I feel like I am on track for June 23-24 Tough Mudder in Whistler.
My daughter Julia is flying in from Ibiza, Spain with my Brother, who is flying down from Scotland to pick her up and chaperon her here on the 20Th of June. Just in time to be able to be there at the finish line at Whistler. She is my focus when I feel like I am to tired to train or just overwhelmed. She pulls me through spiritually, and I catch another blast of energy.
To all the Daddy's out there that are away from there daughters, I feel your pain. Keep focused and believe you are with her spiritually.
Need to rest, had a big day at dialysis and trained 2 times, once before and once after dialysis.
Please get up and move and if you are moving you might as well register for Oran Donation.

Peace & Serenity
Kevin

Sponsorship Letter for Tough Mudder/ Organ Donor awareness

Please Check out my Sponsorship Letter, I really need your support

Thank you to the helpers that had a part in putting together this Letter. It is appreciated very much, because at the end of everything, what matters most is to HELP TO HELP THE PEOPLE.

A Very Special Thank You to all my Family for coming together in any which way they can to support myself and my vision of helping this cause of Organ Donation and the Kidney Foundation.

To my cousin Kim, who has heroically came forward to give me the hope of having a future, and to see my daughter grow up.  I can't express how grateful I am. everyday I am getting needled with those huge needles, I feel that I have hope. For this Thank You once again Kim.

You, my Family and /friends are all my strength, the people I can count on.

The Sun is Shining Down on Me

Dialysis/Tough Mudder Training / Sponsorship Finally Moving Forward Consistantly

I would like to share the fact that after my last stay in the Royal Jubilee Hospital that I am feeling better. I have had a number of Dialysis Treatments that have gone through without any problems. They have been able to run my blood through to be cleaned at a speed o 400ml a minute. Last run through ( this is treatment term for cleaning the potassium and other electrolytes out of my blood ) that I have, I ended up cleaning 100.7 Liters of blood. the best so far. However with this process comes extreme fatigue.
I did still make it through a 6 km run, climbed Mt Doug Trail and went to the pool for a hour. It was great to accomplish this and it gives me the mental strength to know that I am right on track for June 23-24th in Whistler B.C. Tough Mudder..
I have been working hard getting information out regarding the disturbing reality that B.C. has the worst Organ Donor Program. We need every ones help to stand up and move forward in any which way they can think of to increase this problem.
I myself being a Kidney Dialysis Patient have had 2 people die that have been either beside me or in front of me that lost the fight because there was no Donor for them. I DON'T WANT TO BE PART OF THIS STATISTIC .
 I am available to do and SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS that people would like for me to share my story and journey of leaving Ibiza Spain for better health care, however finding out that the Organ donor program is so far behind many first world countries. I have left my girls and friends and my company to save my life here.
I want to say a big Thank you to Dr. Ganz and all the other Dr's that have been on the team to save my life so far. Next is to all the patient NURSES and helpers at the Renal unit at Royal Jubilee and the Renal Community Centre in Royal Oak.. They are really such Hero's. The after Care program in Victoria is fantastic, the social workers, the Nutritionists and of course the Handy Dart Service that helps get the patients back and forth safely.
To you all, THANK YOU.

I have had my SPONSORSHIP LETTER POSTED ON THE SIDE OF MY BLOG, please have a look. This does take alot of effort and time and I am open to any ideas that will help this movement move smoothly.
Feeling the HOPE AND FAITH coming through.
Thank you for taking the time to read my blog,

Fighting the ultimate fight,
Sincerely Kevin

My Angel to be the Best I can Be.

This is my little girl that inspires me so much when I am feeling that all this can be too much. I need a Kidney to be there for my daughter, as she needs her Dad.

Thanks Julia,

Love Always Daddy

Survived the Scare- Traing again for Tough Mudder

I am finally feeling better after my stint in the hospital at St Paul's Hospital. My recovery was longer than I thought, however I guess this is normal for having a double infection in my body ( Ecoli- Catheter ).

I also had my dialysis treatmnets come to a complete stop because they had blown my arm up in 3 places trying to needle my Fistulla. I was sent to Royal jubilee for treatmnet and they gave me a sonogram to measure the length and width of my Fistulla. they also sent over a new plan for the Nurses at the Community Dialysis Center for a change in needles and how they approached doing this needling.

 I was pretty sick missing out on Dialysis for a week, hower after 6 runs with out a problem, I feel like I am coming back to what might be a normal feeling with a Kidney disease.

I have now been back to training for the Tough mudder on June 24th. I am currently doing Yoga-Mt doug Hikes- Swimming programs - Running Stairs and Light weight Training.

It is feeling could to be in the fight again.

My little girl julia is coming over here on June 20th and will be my Shining Star at the end of the Tough Mudder Course.

 I vision seeing her at the end over and over when I am Training.  This keeps me moving forward when I am really hurting.
.
My Brother corey has very kindly offered to Fly from his hoem is Scotland to Ibiza, pick Julia up and then fly to London-Toronto-Vancouver and then Victoria.
What a wonderful brother, as I can't fly all those flights with my health.
So excited.

Raising awareness about ORGAN DONORS is what I want to share.
Please get yourself signed up to be a DONOR and also get out and be FIT! You never know when you might get sick and need that strentgh to pull through.

Peace and Serenity,

Sincerely Kevin