Nicholas's Story
It was just a standard medical check-up for a job interview — but the results changed Nicholas’ life.
Nicholas was told there was blood in his urine, and he needed a check-up with his GP. He was shocked to receive a diagnosis of kidney failure and discovering he would need to start dialysis.
A passionate traveller and keen fisherman, Nicholas felt trapped by his strict dialysis regime.
Nicholas says when getting prepared for dialysis, the impact of his kidney disease really hit him hard.
“I didn’t realise all the restrictions on what I could eat — however the impact on travelling and freedom was even more difficult to accept. I really struggled with the restrictive nature and impact of having to undergo dialysis three days a week, for five hours at a time, just to stay alive.”
When Nicholas and his wife Jan found out about the Big Red Kidney Bus, a mobile dialysis unit that visits holiday destinations across NSW and Victoria, they were overjoyed.
“The Big Red Kidney Bus was a godsend – it helped bring normality back into our lives."