By Lori Brown

“Thank you for calling Chronimed. This is Lori. How can I help you?”

If you order your transplant medications from Chronimed Specialty Pharmacy, you may have heard me say this greeting. I work there as a patient specialist in the mail service transplant call center. What makes me uniquely qualified for this job is that I am also a transplant recipient. When I was 15-years-old, I received my kidney from a deceased donor. My transplant surgery was 26-years-ago and Henrietta, as I named my new kidney, is still going strong.

Let me tell you how I came to receive such a wonderful gift. At about age one, small symptoms began to appear and progressed as the years went on. A misdiagnosis until the age of 10 only made matters worse. Finally, I was diagnosed correctly with a rare kidney disease called nephronophthisis. There was not much known of this disease. However, one thing was for certain; both kidneys were functioning at only 10 percent and the filtration system of the kidneys was not working. My own body was poisoning me.

As a result, I had five heart failures in the next few years. These were either “corrected” by blood transfusions or extended stays in the ICU for peritoneal dialysis. The fifth and final heart failure was the last straw, as the blood transfusions were not working. It was time to start dialysis. I was on the hemodialysis machine three times a week for six to eight hours each time.

As a determined 12-year-old, I studied and learned everything I could about dialysis. My healthcare team was terrific in that they taught me to set up my machine, remove my own needles and even clean the machine, so that I was thoroughly engaged in my care, which was top priority to me. I believe that learning to listen to my body and tell my doctors what I am feeling has contributed significantly to my wellness. I tell others with kidney disease to learn to listen well, because who can know better about how you feel. It also makes it easier for the doctors to diagnose and make correct treatment recommendations.

During childhood, my parents, brother and sister gave up a great deal to support me through this devastating illness. As a child, their support was so natural and lovingly given that I did not realize until I was much older just how much they gave up in time and energy to care for the youngest member of the family.

My sister, who is 10-years-older, has been especially supportive, often going out of her way to help give my childhood some sense of normalcy. I will always cherish our three-day vacation to Washington , D.C.   She made certain that I did not become overly tired or eat too much of the wrong foods. Yet, we had a glorious time. The trip came at a cost for both of us. I am certain she was always on guard to protect my fragile condition. And, I spent three days in row, eight hours at a time going through dialysis in order to be able to take a break from dialysis long enough to make the trip.

As I grew older, my ability to go to school, let alone participate in sports or other activities, became increasingly limited. I wanted a kidney transplant. All it took was one call on Sunday, Sept. 11, 1977, from the University of Rochester at Strong Memorial in New York . The kidney, however, was only a one-in-five antigen match, at that time not considered very compatible. However, after being on the list for six years, nothing was going to stop me from taking the chance!

I was 15-years-old and a junior in high school, but I was being tutored at home because I was no longer well enough to attend school. I believe that being able to participate in the life-changing decisions with my family and healthcare providers is one of the key reasons I have survived and thrived.

How life can change in just a few short hours! On Sunday, from 9:30 a.m. when I left my hometown of Binghamton , NY , to coming out of the recovery room at 10:30 p.m., I became a completely new person. I was able to graduate in the top 20 percent of my high school class and complete college. This was only possible with a lot of support from very special friends along the way.

At 40 years of age, I decided to pull up stakes and move from my home in Upstate New York to Minnesota where my sister lives. I wanted to be closer to her as well as experience better employment opportunities. A job was my first priority. I have always been in customer service and love helping people. That is when I discovered Chronimed. This was my dream job, being able to help fellow recipients get the medications they need to survive. It is fantastic working for a company that I know feels the same way I do.

Starting or continuing a new life can be very stressful. The employees at Chronimed try to alleviate a little of that stress by taking care of each patient as individually as they can. I ought to know; I am not only an employee of Chronimed, but a patient as well!

Lori Brown lives in Brooklyn Park, Minn. She is 42-years-old and enjoys auto racing, soccer, reading and spending time with friends and family. Lori’s kidney was successfully transplanted more than 26-years-ago.

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