Thank you Anna for supporting Recycle Me! Recycle Me supports organ donation and scientific research about organ donation and transplant.
Anna Ingvaldsdotter has a kidney disease called ADPKD. The disease affects the kidneys ability to filter waste products from the blood and also causes the kidneys to become enlarged which can lead to kidney failure. Today there is no cure for ADPKD, there are only treatments to manage problems caused by the condition. Anna lives a healthy and very active life; she is determined NOT to let the disease rule her life!
The kidneys are two bean-shaped organs that are located on either side of the back of the body, just underneath the ribcage. The main role of the kidneys is to filter out waste products from the blood and pass them out of the body as urine. The kidneys also play an important role in helping to maintain blood pressure at a healthy level keeping salt and water in balance making hormones needed for the production of blood and bone.
“Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) is an inherited condition that causes small, fluid-filled sacs called cysts to develop in the kidneys. Although children are born with the condition, ADPKD does not usually cause any noticeable problems until the cysts grow large enough to affect the kidneys' functions. In most cases, this doesn't occur until 30-60 years of age. When ADPKD reaches this stage, it can cause a wide range of problems, including:
tummy (abdominal) pain
high blood pressure (hypertension)
blood in the urine (haematuria) – which may not always be noticeable to the naked eye
potentially serious upper urinary tract infections (UTIs)
kidney stones
Eventually, kidney function gets worse and worse, until so much is lost that kidney failure develops.
Read more about the symptoms of ADPKD and diagnosing ADPKD.”
Text from; http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Autosomal-dominant-polycystic-kidney-disease/Pages/Introduction.aspx
