PERSONAL STORY
A Gratitude Attitude A reporter goes from telling the stories of others to telling her own story
by Cristina Howorun
My story isn’t actually that unique. It’s one that thousands of Canadians face, one that is often misunderstood. I am a daughter, sister, partner, friend, news reporter—and yes, I have kidney disease too.
E
very person facing a diagnosis can remember the moment they were told something was wrong. I was at a press conference. I felt so run down, that I couldn’t handle standing for 10 minutes. I’d been feeling this way for months. Exhausted. Itchy. Sleepless. That day, back in March 2018, my camera man was slowly following me back to our truck as I checked my messages. There was a call from my doctor’s office telling me to call them. I was too distracted by my story and just wanted to get to my next interview when my phone rang again. It was my doctor’s office. It was unsettling. How often does a physician’s office call you twice over the span of two hours? The receptionist immediately put me through to the
I had no idea how sick I had been until I realized what life felt like for so-called healthy people.
u Cristina and her cousin Christine following transplant
10 / Kidney Living / Spring 2020
kidney.ca
