Karen Sims' Search for a Kidney Donor

Karen Sims is not only an excellent businesswoman, coach, mother, grandmother, and friend, she is also one of the most kind, understanding, and welcoming persons. She is a constant representation of how important having a positive outlook on life is. Karen has CKD, which stands for Chronic Kidney Disease. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) means your kidneys are damaged and can't filter blood properly. Karen has started dialysis treatments in February while she waited to find a donor to mitigate this problem. She has been on the transplant list for two years. This GoFundMe was created to ease the financial burden for Karen as she goes through her battle with CKD. We greatly appreciate any amount that helps us meet our goal in supporting Karen. For Karen's story in her own words see below: 

2013 I was diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes (T2D). I understood I had to watch my sugar intake as my grandmother had Diabetes. More bloodwork was done and I was referred to my first kidney specialist. Due to lack of insurance, I had to travel to Newark Beth Isreal Hospital. There I saw my first nephrologist, who gave me a prescription for spironolactone. My only question was how long did I have to take this, he answered your whole life. I left and didn't think anything else about it, added it to my Metformin and blood pressure medicine, and continued as if all was good as long as I took my medicine. My health care provider didn't explain CKS, I didn't ask more questions, I didn't do any research or ask anyone else, in fact, I didn't even use the term CKD until 2019!
Moving forward my energy had started getting drained quickly. November 2018 at my annual lobster feast I couldn't keep up on the dance floor, I've always loved to dance would be the first on the floor and the last one off the floor.
December 2018 at the annual REALTORS convention I also had a hard time keeping up and started getting cold all the time. It was time to have a visit to the doctor again, as 20116/2017 I had been through a series of doctors, tests, and blood work as I had a hysterectomy March 2017, with all the testing nothing about CKD, of which going through paperwork 2022 I just came across blood work that my function was 52% back in 2017. Here we are again in March 2019 going to my local doctor, she ran blood work and everything was an immediate emergency. Metformin was immediately stopped as it does more damage once you have CKD stage 4. I researched another medicine called Januvia and found out that that medication can also damage the kidney as we stop that medicine. My nephrologist told me that in March that I would probably start dialysis in December of 2019, but Jehovah said not yer. I immediately gave up all alcohol, stop eating pork and beef, and added walking and drinking plenty of water into my weekly routine. I got some of my family and friends to walk all around Downtown, Jersey City and this worked, we were about to bring my function from 13 to 25% function. 2019 I also qualified as my kidney function was under 20% so I could begin to apply for the transplant list. I did many exams over the next few months almost a full year. I passed all my tests and was qualified in November 2020 to be put on the transplant list. I continue with my new routine until the pandemic hit in March 2020. I'm seriously beginning to think March is not my month, lol. When the lockdown hit and the world stip so did my routine. Depression set in, bills pilled up, and with that my kidney function fell under 20 again which put me back in line to be on the transplant list and in direct line for dialysis. My first visit to my nephrologist in the pandemic, she basically said Karen, go on about your routine, just make sure to wash your hands and wear your mask! And that was what I needed to get my mindset back on track, and I went to work. I refocus my mind on building my business, being present with my early morning training, keeping the TV off so I didn't focus on the woo's of the pandemic. I showed up and this help me get back on balance with moving and shaking while managing my diet, any exercise I can do via zoom, and staying on top of my medication, doctor appointments, and blood work. Evening taking on a new position.
August 2021, my levels were around 13% and my nephrologist felt it was time to get my surgery for my graft, to prepare for dialysis. While I felt good outside of being tired, which I learned to deal with the last 4 years, I felt I could push it and not get that done, as I felt if my mind was saying it's not time I can keep pushing it. It was until a friend convinced me with her experience not to wait.
September of 2021 I got my VA Graft installed. I passed my second set of exams in November of 2021 to recertify for the transplant list and this brings me up to January 2022. My bloodwork showed up at 7% functioning. This was the critical point my neurologist felt dialysis was around the corner.
February 18, 2022, I started my first session of dialysis.