Appreciating 10 Years of Health Since My Last Transplant

At about this time 10 years ago, I was beginning to wake up from anesthesia after surgery to receive a kidney transplant, my third and God willing, the last that I will need in my lifetime. Like anyone getting an organ transplant, I had every hope and prayer that I would be lucky enough to have a "good outcome;" that I would be able to return to a normal life and enjoy the activities I did before getting sick. Fortunately, I had a better than good outcome: despite this being my third transplant, I am thrilled to say that I have never felt so good, so strong, and so healthy ever in my life. I owe that to the transplant team at the UW Hospital in Seattle for their incredible care, and of course to my husband, family, friends, and colleagues, for taking such loving care of me then and every day since.?

For anyone who has gone through an organ transplant or watched a loved one go through the experience, you, too, are part of the club that deeply understands that transplant is not a cure. While we may leave behind the complexities of end stage organ failure, we don't sail out of the hospital with our new transplants and a clean bill of health never to think about it again. Instead, we become part of the club who takes powerful immunosuppressants on a rigorous schedule every single day for the rest of our lives with the hope that we don't reject our organ. We accept the dramatically increased risk of cancer. And we learn to live with the ticking clock inside us wondering whether that new ache is because of the heavy planter we moved yesterday, or if it may be a sign our organ is rejecting.?

Despite the challenges, I have been so incredibly blessed… blessed beyond words, really, and not a day goes by that I don't think about it. When the first and second times came, both of my parents were generous enough to donate their kidneys to me, and after a six year wait, I received a kidney from a 32-year-old woman who passed away from a heart episode. I have been fortunate to have supportive bosses & coworkers, to have fantastic insurance, and to know how to navigate our healthcare system that can be complicated, confusing and at times, a bit elitist. I worry about patients and caregivers who may not have the blessings I have. How do they cope with the demands and challenges of life with a transplant? It quickly boggles my mind and reminds me that I need to do more than count my blessings. Engaging with transplant related groups involved in innovation, advocacy and lobbying have been educational and satisfying, and I find myself eager to learn where else patients as lucky as me can offer our time, skills, and experiences in service of the transplant community.

?With that in mind, I also try to demonstrate my gratitude by sharing my story with the hope that it may help someone who's struggling, by partnering with some of the country's best transplant centers to help them consider the patient impact of their practices & cultures, and by taking every opportunity possible to inspire innovation in the field of drug development with the aspiration that the next generation of recipients who come behind me will have the opportunity to skip out of?the hospital after their transplants with a truly clean bill of health, never again to face another transplant.

A couple of weeks ago some transplant friends and I had the privilege to speak about our experiences at the American Transplant Congress in Boston. An event typically devoted to the science and practical innovations in transplant, it was the first-time teams of recipients and living donors were invited to the ATC to speak about our experiences. While I won’t tag the other speakers here to protect their identities, we were thrilled at the reception we got from some of the most influential scientists on the planet. While one may not think that living donors and recipients have much to offer such an esteemed group, we all took away from that a renewed commitment to the need to continue the discussion… not to find fault or point fingers but instead to offer our time and energy to help make it better for others.

?Ten years out I can only hope and pray that the next ten years will be filled with as much strength, good health, and happiness as the first. And in case my future is different from my past, I will face the next set of challenges with gratitude for the good, and fortitude to face the bad. The science of medicine is assumed, but the art of medicine often is not as widely appreciated. While most humans appreciate that our time here is short, I think anyone who has faced a major health crisis is even more aware of how fragile our health is. As I reflect on the last ten years of health, I remind myself that every day should be spent making a difference on behalf of others, and I underscore my commitment to continue to seek out ways to be the voice for transplant patients who have not been as fortunate as me.

?And may I ask a favor? Next time you are renewing your driver's license and are asked if you want to be an organ donor, please consider saying yes. Because one woman did, I am still here.

All the best,

Molly