the
ki ney
citizen
department, soon to find out that Illinois Medicaid had
approved the funds for the drug.
Trying to Turn the Lock
The journey was not over yet, she still needed a kidney with
specific criteria. Waiting patiently for a kidney and having
high hopes for a phone call, she heard the heartbreaking
news that UNOS (United Network for Organ Sharing) had
changed their policies. The policy changes resulted in Lana
having less of a chance to receive her phone call.
On June 9, 2015, Lana was in a motor vehicle accident,
breaking her foot in half. This accident took away more than
her ability to walk. It stole her hope. She was not allowed to
put any weight on her foot for four months; the transplant
was postponed. The healing of her foot was intense and
difficult, resulting in her health deteriorating even further.
Opening the Door
After coming to terms with the state of her health, she let
go of fighting and gave in to the circumstances. She told her
family and friends that she was exhausted and could not
fight anymore. She contacted hospice to discuss options.
They came on a Monday, and, on Friday, she received a call
that a kidney was waiting for her. Lana surrendered, which is
what opened the door for her kidney. She let go of the fight
long enough to accept what was happening. On January 30,
4
2016, she received her kidney transplant. After a long and
gruesome fight, she got her long-awaited kidney, and her life
has been changed ever since.
Once she received her transplant, it was my time to carry the
fight for her. She was exhausted from the stress that her body
had been put through. A kidney transplant is not a cure, it
does not take away the disease. Lana still experiences fatigue
and cannot complete the tasks that healthy people can. I no
longer helped her with dialysis, but even though she had
the transplant, I had to remember that she was not close to
death any longer. When you know that someone is close to
passing, there is a distance that you put between the person
and yourself; you prepare for the worst. Now that she was no
longer close to death, I had to readjust and rid myself of the
anxiety of what could happen.
From watching a parent fight this treacherous disease to
taking care of someone who had to give up their fight, I have
come to the conclusion that being a caregiver is a privilege.
Having a disease creates emotional walls inside a person so
that they can focus and push hard for what they want and not
let others discourage them in their fight. Being a caregiver
means you get to come inside of the emotional walls and
begin to understand the pain the person is going through.
They no longer fake a smile when you ask how they feel,
and they are bluntly honest about what they are thinking.
You are one of the people they choose to trust and let see
what kidney disease has actually done to their mind and
body. Whether you want to or not, you are one of the few
that can see what kidney disease truly is, and what it takes to
overcome the disease.
Lana is willing to talk with kidney patients’ about dialysis, her
journey and the drug that helped her receive a successful
kidney transplant. [email protected], www.
lanakidneytransplant.com
Emily Moore is studying psychology
at John Wood Community College in
Quincy, Illinois.
As a kidney patient caregiver for
over 7 years she has experience
understanding kidney disease and its
affect on patients and families.
Email: [email protected]