Father and grandfather Michael Munro has a lot to be grateful for in life, and much of that gratitude stems from a kidney transplant operation and the care of the PA Hospital.
Michael’s kidney problems, which would lead to a transplant in in 1977, actually began from birth, after being born without a neck for his bladder. This condition led to surgery at another Brisbane hospital, a surgery which is no longer a standard of care. That surgery led to complications which seriously affected his kidney function.
Michael’s kidneys deteriorated so much that he would eventually need dialysis at the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital, which was then known as the Royal Brisbane General Hospital.
Living in Tenterfield in NSW and just 19 at the time, Michael would begin making regular trips at least twice a week to receive dialysis, clocking up to 1200 kms each week at the wheel.
He’d eventually be transferred to the care of the PA Hospital, where staff would train him in how to conduct his dialysis at home so that he could treat and care for himself with the support of his wife Carol back home in Tenterfield.
Michael’s home dialysis would take place in all places in the back of a pub, with his parents owning the Roya Hotel in Tenterfield.
He would eventually be offered a life changing kidney transplant at the age of 24 and not long after go on his first holiday with Carol to visit family in Geelong.
“It was a godsend,” Michael said of his transplant.
“For dialysis, it was only seven hours a night at the general, twice a week. Then I went to PA and that was two days of up to 14 hours at a time back in those days.
“Then because, Dad was in the Air Force and he got shot down during the war, Veteran Affairs took over my care. They bought the machine and fixed up the room at the back of the pub to be just like a hospital room.
“I had put the machine in the back of Mum's car. They were massive machines back then and take it back to Tenterfield, then put it all together. I then did dialysis at home supported by Carol for four years until I had my transplant.”
Michael who now lives in Brisbane with Carol to be closer to their two daughters and their grandchildren has also stared down some troubles with skin cancer, has amazingly had two spleens grow inside his body since radical surgery as part of his health journey.
“In 1972, the professor at PA said my kidneys were that bad. They took both my kidneys out, my spleen and my appendix. So I had nothing inside me,” Michael said.
“The funny thing is, two years ago, I had this lump in my stomach. They tested me there and found out the spleen had grown back, plus another little one.”
Looking back on a complicated health journey of four decades Michael is incredibly thankful for the life he’s been given thanks to the PA.
“I was well and truly over the dialysis, so the transplant really was a god send for me,” he said.
“Our first holiday away together was so good. Not having to be close to the hospital two or three times a week for dialysis. It was just like having the weight of the world lifted off my shoulders.”
