It was two years after his kidneys failed that Jeff Costley hit his emotional wall.
He thought he'd adapted pretty well to the changes in his life - dialysis in hospital four times a week, permanent disability leave, new medical expenses, isolation and brain fog from the treatments - but it eventually caught up to him.
"At the start I must have been in denial because I seemed to be doing pretty good," Costley remembers. "Then I really had a crash moment. I was definitely confused, asking myself, 'Why is this happening to me?'"
After six months of suffering and searching - and not getting what he needed from a social worker, a psychologist, group therapy and his family doctor - Costley finally connected with a psychiatrist who helped him accept his new normal.
Now, Costley and other Albertans receiving dialysis are working to ensure others don't have to struggle alone.
