Patient Story
Glen Desjarlais (excerpted from an account by Arlene Desjarlais)
I am thankful for the care my husband Glen received as a patient at Seven Oaks Hospital Kidney Health Clinic. Without that care, Glen would not have been able to live life to the fullest and on his terms over the last 4 years.
Glen had diabetes; he also had chronic kidney disease (CKD) Manitoba has the highest rates of kidney disease and diabetes in Canada. We need to start paying attention to CKD – it is a huge health concern in our province. It costs our health care system a lot. It cost me my husband.
If you have kidney disease, or think you do, the team at Seven Oaks is the best in the world. All the hard work and research they are doing here is to prevent outcomes like Glen’s. We need to start speaking up loudly for the team, the research and the care. If it wasn’t for the doctors, Glen would not have had the quality of life he had. Innovative approaches like Peritoneal. I cannot even tell you the freedom that gave us.
I don’t want his death to be for nothing. They need to keep doing this research. The work they are doing is changing treatment and helping others live better lives. Take it from me.