Please let us introduce ourselves; we are Karen and Sylvia Rongve. We are from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan,right in the middle of Canada. We are fairly new to peritoneal dialysis at home and are slowly, but surely getting familiar with the everyday ins and outs and new found freedoms.
We would like to share with you all one of our recent experiences speaking from the perspective of a chronic kidney disease patient and caregiver. At the end of October, we were invited to speak on behalf of the patients at our local renal centre, located in St. Paul's hospital, for the 30th anniversary of peritoneal dialysis in Saskatoon.
Dr. Pylypchuk was honored as one of the leaders in 1980 when this program began and for his continuing work in this field. It was wonderful to see all the doctors and nurses we have met over the years --in quite a different setting. Each wore one of Dr. Pylypchuk's flashy ties, which he has been known for over the years. We shared our experiences and graciously thanked them for the care they have given us over the last six years. Karen had them all laughing with his witty sense of humor and I sang them an impromptu song (Danka Shoen). We hope that the doctors who had the imagination to experiment with peritoneal dialysis have a permanent spot saved for them in our hearts. It is because of their tireless efforts that we are still here, living a wonderful life.
Sylvia and Karen Rongve
We would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has visited the ImPACKD website and have told a friend or family member. We are looking to reach out to as many chronic kidney disease patients and caregivers as possible.