Friends and family, I would like to share my story with you.
I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 1992. I am considered type 1 and am completely insulin dependent because my pancreas produces less than 0.01% of the insulin that would be made by a healthy pancreas. Diabetes, especially type 1, causes extreme stress on many organs and small blood vessels throughout your body. For me, it has caused damage to my eyes, instability with my heart, neuropathy (numbness and sharp pains) in my hands, feet and legs, and now kidney failure. About 10 years ago, my kidneys started to show increasing damage. On June 1, 2018, after almost a year of struggling to prolong my last bit of kidney function, I went into acute renal failure and had to immediately start dialysis. Now, three mornings a week, I am hooked up to a life saving million dollar dialysis machine for almost 5 hours. The stress that dialysis has on my heart is the same as if I were running on a treadmill for that entire time! I come home from dialysis and take a long nap before I am able to function for the day. This is not a good way to live, although I am thankful that there is a way for them to keep me alive! A healthy new pancreas and kidney will be a miracle. I will no longer be a diabetic! I will no longer be checking my blood sugar levels all day long. I will not have to do math in my head every time i take a sip or a bite, trying to figure out how many carbs i may be taking in. I will no longer have to be hooked up to an insulin pump 24/7. I will no longer have to do dialysis. No more tubes or needles. No more running home in the middle of something because i need more insulin or new needles and wires. No more packing a bag of diabetic supplies, testers, and insulin any time i might stay out late. Truly, this will be more of a miracle than I could have imagined until now.
Updates (1)
July 20, 2019
Hi everyone! I just received my new pancreas and kidney on July 9th! It was a long difficult 10 days in the hospital, but I am starting to show some real improvement! I will be living by the hospital for a month now, so I can have appointments there almost every day. I will update again soon! Thank you for your continued support!
Photo Galleries (2)
Guestbook
March 14, 2019
Hi Sis-We love you and miss you! Sorry that I can’t hold your hand through this, but know our hearts are with you, Kirk, Samantha and Zach! Love-Joyce, Dave, and Boo
Joyce Webster
March 8, 2019
Hi Nikki, My name is Mary Jo. I received my first lung transplant on 7/1/2007 and my second lung transplant on 6/4/2015. I am also a donor family. While going through my transplant journey we met a lot of people that were struggling to pay for their medical expenses. My family and I decided to start a foundation to help people like you. We have granted you with our first donation towards your transplant journey. Please keep us up to date with your transplant success. Good Luck and God Bless, Mary Jo Lovely, Transplant Alliance Foundation.
Ken Lovely
March 5, 2019
Wishing you a complete recovery and a wonderfully bright future ahead!!.You are amazing!!
Maddy & Warren Kiersh
