Pancreas envy....

[notme]

I went to do my final training at the SPCA yesterday and my mentor asked me if I had Diabetes. She saw my pump and said her son had one also. She told me that she "had" Diabetes and got it when she was seven years old. She had a kidney transplant after years of dialysis. Sixteen years ago she got a new pancreas. She has done great. She doesn't have Diabetes anymore and has had that pancreas with no rejection issues for sixteen years. She is blind in one eye and had a kidney transplant, but she is diabetes free.

For the first time in my life.....I had pancreatic envy. Sadly, her 18 year old son has type one also and is on a pump.

She looked terrific! She said she lost 25 pounds after coming off insulin. You can tell she has lost the vision in one eye, but other than that, she looks VERY healthy.

Just thought I would share.

[type1db]

wow, i've heard of people having up to two transplants. Which I don't see how, and they never took.

How do you get on a list for that?

[Tropical83]

I've thought about 'life without diabetes' but after so long I'm not sure how I would take it. It's something to think about and considering later on if I had the opportunity.

Thanks for sharing.

[LCD]

She had a kidney transplant after years of dialysis. Sixteen years ago she got a new pancreas. She has done great. She doesn't have Diabetes anymore and has had that pancreas with no rejection issues for sixteen years. For the first time in my life.....I had pancreatic envy. .

My late husand had a kidney/pancreas transplant in 1991.
Previously, he had been a brittle diabetic for years. He was on peritoneal diaysis for almost a year, before the transplant.
The pancreas only lasted for about a year and a half before he had to go back on insulin. The kidney transplant was still functioning in 1999. However, other problems arose.

That is wonderful that your friend's pancreas is still working and she is diabetic free.