Pancreas Transplants

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Comment by Steve Diamond on October 16, 2009 at 3:25pm

Candie,

I had a Pancreas only and still have my native kidneys. I waited a total of 6 weeks for my Pancreas so you might check out other centers because 2 years sounds way off to me.

My thoughts on doing both at the same time are why not go through only one surgery. Granted it makes it a bigger surgery but I was out of the hospital and doing well ten days after transplant.

I was transplanted at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago by a brilliant surgeon named Dixon Kaufman.

Comment by Marie-Agnes Cederborg on October 13, 2009 at 6:35am

The new World Kidney Day Website is there!
Please visit www.worldkidneyday.org and sign up now!

Comment by Candie on October 11, 2009 at 3:40pm

Just wanted to say hello to everyone and hope all is going well. Have to share this with you Tracy....saw one of the renal doctors on Friday and I brought up the kidney and pancreas transplant. Explained to her that I have a live donor for a kidney but never was told about a kidney AND pancreas transplant ever since I started dialysis in 2005....now that I'm towards the end of knowing if we (my donor and myself) are OK for surgery, now all these doctors are bring up all this still to me AFTER the fact. She said that usually you need to have both at the same time. She "thought" that the wait for a pancreas after kidney would be a 1-2 year waiting list but she didn't think that may hospitals around here does them...???? All the time she's talking, I'm thinking YOUR A DOCTOR!! She asked that I contact the UNC transplant unit and discuss it with them....I just laughed. Can you believe that?? But have truly got some great feedback of information that I really needed and some good advice. But wanted to share the story with you anyways...

Comment by Candie on October 7, 2009 at 5:13am

Good morning! Today is treatment day so I'm up and about:):) It's just kinda strange that my doctor didn't mention the pancrease when discussing the kidney. He said that the best route for me would be a tx since I'm still young and couldn't see me being on dialysis for the rest of my life. I told him that there was no way I would want to be on it for the rest of my life. At that time, he could of said something to me. But since we get our labs drawn each month, my labs have always came back fine. So maybe that is one reason he didn't think about bringing anything up...?? Who knows. It would be nice to not have to worry about anymore complications though:):) Well I better go get ready....have a great day and will talk to you soon. --Candie

Comment by Tracy & Nancy on October 6, 2009 at 10:38pm

Hey Candie ...Well that is so way cool you're getting a Kidney tx soon:) You will feel so much better!.....and remember down the road a pancreas only (pancreas after kidney) is an option for you. Keep me posted on how all that goes OK...Tracy

Comment by Candie on October 6, 2009 at 6:44pm

Hi Tracy-thank you for the information. I am also a Type 1 diabetic and have been for 23 years. But I really do wish now that I think about it, my doctor would of at least talked to me about it. I would of really just wanted one surgery. And not be placed on the list. (for a pancreas) Due to my diabetes and having it for awhile, I have had some complications, but now my sugars are under control. But thanks for your all your information. I know that dialysis is no longer an option for myself as I've been on it since June 2005. If everything goes well with my live donor, it'll be a go! I just want to get off dialysis! ---Candie

Comment by Tracy & Nancy on October 6, 2009 at 6:17pm

ooooppps a typo I ment Type 1 not 2

Comment by Tracy & Nancy on October 6, 2009 at 6:16pm

Hey Candie,
I think for a Type 1 Diabetic the Kidney/Pancreas is the only way to go! Now since you have a living donor you have a couple of options...1. a living donor kidney transplant then a pancreas later ( I know some transplant center will do that) or stay on Dialysis for a bit longer and go for a SPK simultaneous pancreas kidney transplant from a cadaver. One of things you need to think about on this is the waiting time for a spk~~I know in my last SPK transplant (6/4/09) my wait time at UW (univ wisconsin-madison) was only 36 days but I was #1 on the B blood type when I was listed...I was also listed (double listed) at UCSF (univ calif. san francisco) and the wait was going to 1-4 years~~so alot to think about on this. But most defintely the Kidney & Pancreas is the way to go :) That's a bummer your Dr. didn't share that option with you. I got Type 2 Diabetes when I was 12 (1971) recieved a SPK tx in 1990 (at UCSF) and the Pancreas lasted 18 1/2 years!!! And having normal blood sugar levels 'from the tx pancreas' really helped reverse some bad Diabetic complications I had :) well I hope that helps you a little~~~God bless you, Tracy

Comment by Candie on October 6, 2009 at 10:17am

Hello all. I'm new to this site but have a question....I've been a diabetic for 23 years now. I have a live donor who is in the process of going through all the testing. Questions is, do you feel that a kidney/pancreas transplant is the best option or just a kidney? I've been on dialysis since June 2005 and my doctor never mentioned anything about having a pancreas transplant (along with a kidney)...?? Now I'm confused and don't know if this is something I should bring up with my doctor. I was hoping to only have one major surgery and that would of been my kidney transplant. And with a pancreas transplant, do you have to be on a waiting list also? Thanks for any advise----Candie

Comment by Tracy & Nancy on September 26, 2009 at 4:23pm

Well I just recieved my 2nd Kidney/Pancreas tx on Aug 4, 2009 ! :) Yes I am doing great and its nice to have a Pancreas again:) My first pancreas lated 18 1/2 years but failed July, 2008. Anywhos God bless and I hope everyone is doing great! Tracy

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