Pancrease transplant!!!!!!!

[katoom]

I am thinking about getting a pancrease transplant . I am set on getting it done just need to come up with some more money. Any one know of any one that has done it? I have been talking to some doctors for some time now, and am sure I want to go on with it..Just would like to get some thoughts from some other people. Thank you!!

[HeatherP]

Hello and Welcome, Katoom! I've posted a link to another member's post about the same subject. Maybe you two can get together and compare notes:

http://www.diabetesforums.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1690

Good Luck!
HeatherP

[lgvincent]

I've been told the anti-rejection drugs are really expensive. I know 2 people (diabetics) who have had kidney transplants and was told so by them, but don't have an actual figure I can give since I never asked.

[Lorna]

Can't the anti rejection drugs cause other complications as well?

[notme]

I am friends with a lady that had one done two years ago. She had diabetes for 30 years and she had lost kidney function and was on dialysis. She got a kidney transplant first and then two months to the day she had a pancreas transplant. She is doing well. She has had a few scares, but she has not rejected either. The kidney was donated by her sister in law and the pancreas was from a 26 year old male. Her surgery was done in Maryland because they had done so many. Here in Northern California UCD Med had only done three.

So far so good. I can get any info you might need about her surgery for you.

Nancy

[SunniD]

My friend had a pancrease/kidney tx in 1999. Pancreases were only known to last 4 yrs. at the time but progresses have been made and they are now lasting 5-10 yrs. His is still working well.

Immunosuppresants are expensive and I remember the islet tx
docs in Edmonton telling me that each immunosuppressant drug cost approx $300 Canadian/mo. and those pts were on 3 immunosuppressant drugs. My friend is only on one immunosuppressant drug and he has only stated it costs him a lot/month but he does have some insurance so it helps out.

I have another kidney tx friend who lost her kidneys when she was snowbirding in the states one winter and caught a virus that knocked out her kidneys. The immunosuppressant drug she's on has caused her to have 21 surgeries since her tx so it can be hard on other organs but I'm sure that anyone considering
a tx will be informed of the risks so they already know the high risks of the procedure and have weighed the risk of complications
or a tx to make their choice.

I'm still watching the INGAP study as I like regenerating one's own islet cells and not using an immunosuppressant drug.
At least they're not using steroids as much anymore with txs.
unless necessary and those caused lots of side affects.

Wishing your dreams come true and all goes the way you expect it too. You are very courageous.

Take care, my prayers are with you.

SunniD

[Kathy T.]

I had a kidney transplant 5 years ago. I have lupus and it attacked my kidney and was born with only one...a story for another day/thread. I am doing fine. I do have a lot of meds I take daily and some of them have say they increase your chance for becoming diabetic. Do you have health insurance? If it weren't for Health insurance I would not be able to cover the price of the medication. One is something like $900 per month and the other is over $1,000. Luckily I only have to pay a $20 co-pay with each prescription. Good Luck. Please keep me posted. If you have any questions I can answer please feel free to ask.

[Mr_Peeps]

I found this.....

http://kptransplant.tripod.com/home.html

[Dewey]

Thanks for the interesting website Mr_Peeps :)

It sounds like there are both some risks and side affects from the meds and other aspects of a transplant. It is hard to say whether the benefits will outweigh the risks or not, as each individual is so different. Katoom, I hope that whatever route you choose, the outcome will be a good one. :) Don't let costs stand in the way of dreams, our health is priceless.