By Mary Sheppard

When you’re young, you sometimes feel invincible. Life is grand and everything is possible. But life isn’t a fairy tale. I was 23 years old, happily married with a young daughter when my dreams were shaken. I applied for a job with a telephone company. As part of the process, I had to take a physical examine. I thought I would do just fine. Remember, I was young, seemly healthy, I did not smoke or do drugs. However, the results from the physical were not what I had expected. The doctor told me I had albumin (protein) in my urine. He sent me to an urologist and wrote on my application, “NOT RECOMMENDED FOR HIRE.” I was crushed. Not only had I found out I may have a disease I knew little about, but I was sure the company would not hire me.

Fortunately, I was hired by the phone company. The company nurse told me to drink plenty of cranberry juice and make an appointment to see an urologist. I did as she suggested. When I met with the urologist, he told me I had a major kidney problem and should not have anymore children. I sought a second opinion. My gynecologist referred me to another urologist. He ran more tests and came up with the same diagnosis. I was losing my kidney function and would be on dialysis in four or five years. The doctors put in a fistula about six months before I had to use it, so it would be ready. I was very nervous and sad because I knew there was no turning back. My life would be different.

My own mother died when I was only 22 months and I did not want that for my daughter, Tina. My husband and I tried to make Tina’s life as “normal” as we could. We took her to Disney World as often as we could; even if I was so tired I had to sit while she and her friend would ride the rides or see the shows. I participated in her school activities, took her shopping, all the things mothers do with their daughters. I also kept the job at the phone company. It turned out to be the best decision I ever made.

My bosses allowed me to work around my treatment schedule. Eventually, I learned about home hemodialysis and decided home hemodialysis would be a good treatment method for me and my family. I trained for home hemodialysis with my husband. I used this method of treatment for nearly four years before I received a kidney transplant on May 11, 1982.

Getting a kidney transplant changed my life dramatically. I say this because it led to me living a normal life. I had the energy to do things I had not done in years. I was able to go back to the University of South Florida and earn a degree. I’ve gone on fabulous trips; London, Paris, Spain, several cruises, a trip to Hawaii and on a cross country road trip. These trips would have been almost impossible without the transplant, not to mention seeing my little girl grow up, graduate from college and start her life. I even became a long distance runner and won several trophies for my age group which I am very proud of, all while continuing my job with the phone company. I retired after more than 29 years. I thank God for the miracle of transplant.

I kept my donated kidney for 22 years. On March 1, 2005, I lost my transplanted kidney. I opted for peritoneal dialysis (PD) as a treatment method and it has worked great. I hook up around 8 p.m. and dialyze for nine hours. I am able to watch TV or work on the computer while I dialyze. I can even sleep while the machine does its job, and the next morning I unhook from the dialysis machine and go about my day without thinking much about it.

My husband is my biggest supporter. I asked him one day how he has put up with me all these years, and what he said means everything. He said, “No matter what you have gone through, you have always kept a positive attitude.” I am back on the transplant list. An angel offered me one of her kidneys, and while we are not a match we have been put in a database for paired kidney donation. So who knows, we may be the first in Tampa Bay to undergo a paired kidney transplant. 

This article originally appeared in the September 2008 issue of aakpRENALIFE.

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