Hostess Rise'
Forum Leader Username: Risa
Post Number: 10517 Registered: 05-2003
| Posted on Sunday, October 11, 2009 - 08:56 am: |
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My name is Alese. I am married 37 years to a wonderful and outstanding man. He is my support, caregiver, and driver! We have two very handsome and successful sons. They make their parents proud! I am a former Realtor, however, I don’t drive and can’t read small print, so I have retired. We live outside Fort Lauderdale, Florida, approximately 45 minutes from UM/Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami, where I had my Pancreas/Kidney transplant due to Diabetes on April 22, 2003. I started with kidney disease (spilling protein in my urine) until finally kidney failure. I went to the dialysis center for approximately 13 months, before the Gift of Life call. On April 21, 2003, I received the best call of my life. A transplant possibility was at hand. We drove down to JMH for preliminary testing and were told to return home. I received the call to return at 5 pm. Surgery began at 11 pm, and ended successfully after 12 hours. I thank the teams of Dr. George Burke for the wonderful care and their masterful skills, and I thank the fantastic nursing team on the transplant floor at JMH for their continuous care and understanding. My home recovery was a bit slow and not anything I have ever experienced. Four long months post transplant, I began to be me again! The worst part was the tremors, but as the meds were reduced, the tremors began to subside. I still have residual mild tremors in my hands, most noticeable by others when holding a cup or writing with a pen. Most of the post transplant feelings—weakness , lethargy, and mild depression—are so deep in the past that it is hard to remember. I do continue to struggle with low blood pressure (orthostatic hypotension) and hypertension, anemia and the retinal damage remains. I can’t complain, I’ll take what I do have. I take Florinef for the hypotension, Procrit injections for the anemia and Nifediac for the hypertension along with a myriad of other meds including CellCept and Prograf, b.i.d. My birthday is April 1st, so you can imagine, my transplant was a true gift, 20 days later. I enjoy reading, needlepoint, being with family, friends and boating all year in the many waterways including the Atlantic Ocean nearby. I love southeast Florida with its beauty and a wonderful place to live and vacation. To all transplant recipients and donors, may we continue to enjoy good health and long life.
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