Ted Puska has a new lease on life.

The Ladysmith resident, a well-known sports personality around Ladysmith and Chemainus, as well as from his many years of employment at the Chemainus sawmill, underwent a long-awaited kidney transplant on May 20 that ended eight years of wondering and waiting when that day might finally arrive.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 feeling great,B次元官网网址� said Puska, now 68. B次元官网网址淚 feel like a new man.B次元官网网址�

When Puska started dialysis a year and a half ago, he was down to 152 pounds. HeB次元官网网址檚 now at a much healthier 162.

The uncertainty began for Puska at age 60, but his kidney function could well have been an issue years before that.

B次元官网网址淏y the time they realized what was going on, my kidney function was down to 30 per cent and I was already at Stage 3,B次元官网网址� he said.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 been eight years since the time they found out till I went under the knife.B次元官网网址�

Puska worked a couple of more years after the diagnosis of his kidney failure and retired at age 62. His estimated glomerular filtration rate, a test that measures kidney function and determines the stage of kidney disease, was at about 24 per cent at that time and Stage 3.

Close monitoring continued for some time and B次元官网网址淚 got down to 10, most people go on dialysis at 10,B次元官网网址� Puska indicated.

He could hardly walk three blocks without huffing and puffing after a while and when his kidney function dropped to six per cent, that was the end of the line and the start of dialysis could not be put off any longer.

Related story: Puska coming to grips with urgent need for kidney transplant

That process for him began in October of 2019, with an eye toward getting a matching kidney donation for a transplant when one became available.

B次元官网网址淲hen I got on dialysis thatB次元官网网址檚 when you go on the list,B次元官网网址� Puska explained. B次元官网网址淲hen I put off dialysis, I was putting off getting a kidney.B次元官网网址�

A neighbour who was actually the same blood type offered a kidney to Puska, but had to go through the procedures first to see if that could happen. When Puska got the call that a kidney was available a year and a half later, he wondered if it might be from the neighbour, but it turned out to be a cadaver kidney.

He could have waited for a live donor where the odds of acceptance from the body might be a bit better, but decided against it in agreement with wife Heather.

B次元官网网址淲e talked about it for about three minutes and we said we cannot turn this down,B次元官网网址� said Puska.

The next day, he was at St. PaulB次元官网网址檚 Hospital in Vancouver and on the way to getting the surgery done. It took place in the early morning hours of May 20, a date that coincided with his youngest son JeffB次元官网网址檚 anniversary. May 18 when he went into the hospital was also the date of his mom and dadB次元官网网址檚 anniversary for those who believe in karma.

Puska came through the surgery successfully, and then went nearly 24 hours without eating and limited water afterwards.

B次元官网网址淓verything worked fantastic for me,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淪ometimes the cadaver kidney they give you takes a while to get used to its new environment. Everything for me started working perfectly.B次元官网网址�

Only five hours after Puska got back in his room following surgery, he went for a walk.

B次元官网网址淭he nurse goes with you to make sure youB次元官网网址檙e OK,B次元官网网址� he pointed out. B次元官网网址淪heB次元官网网址檚 saying B次元官网网址榮low down.B次元官网网址� I was motoring pretty good.B次元官网网址�

After five days in hospital, Puska was back home and been feeling fine ever since.

B次元官网网址淭hey figure another month or so and I should be back to normal,B次元官网网址� he said.

Because of COVID, Puska received some follow-ups by Zoom and is getting regular weekly blood tests in Nanaimo just to keep on top of things.

St. PaulB次元官网网址檚 will eventually pass on the follow-ups directly to Nanaimo once satisfied with his progress.

B次元官网网址淚f anything serious happened, if there was any problem, St. PaulB次元官网网址檚 would see me again,B次元官网网址� Puska clarified.

He was prepared to wait longer for the kidney, but is glad it all worked out.

B次元官网网址淚t was probably five or six months earlier than what I thought so the phone call from them was actually kind of a shock,B次元官网网址� Puska conceded.

HeB次元官网网址檚 not taking anything for granted at this point, but hoping for the best in the long-term.

B次元官网网址淚f I get a good 12 years out of this new kidney and I get to be 80, who knows after that? You have no guarantees, but hope everythingB次元官网网址檚 going to work out good.B次元官网网址�

Puska has given up running, something he did extensively during his earlier years, in favour of walking.

B次元官网网址淚B次元官网网址檓 at 15 minutes,B次元官网网址� he said. B次元官网网址淗opefully, in a few months IB次元官网网址檒l be back to 45-minute walks.B次元官网网址�

Puska received substantial support from the community for medical expenses. For each $40 received, he put an entry into a draw for a Doug Bodger National Hockey League jersey from his own collection. The winning ticket pulled belonged to Paul and Marion Williams.

Ted and Heather decided to donate leftover funds to the B.C. branch of the Kidney Foundation.

B次元官网网址淭hey treated us so good over there,B次元官网网址� said Puska. B次元官网网址淲e thought we needed to give some financial support, too.B次元官网网址�

While he was sitting in his St. PaulB次元官网网址檚 Hospital room, Puska thought about the long process finally being over, but actually a new chapter was just beginning.

B次元官网网址淓ight years when we figured out there was something wrong till now,B次元官网网址� he summed up. B次元官网网址淏oy, that went fast.B次元官网网址�