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26 years ago I had a bleeding ulcer so I've always had stomach problems. I figured that
was just part of it. The only way I could explain it is if you're
a woman and had morning sickness, that's what I felt like. 24-7-365.
I thought it was normal. It progressively got worse and worse.
My gastroenterologist he just didn't understand either.
I didn't realize it and the doctor didn't either that it was constant pancreatitis.
It was just not going away and I learned to live with it.
Until about 3 years ago when there was no living with it anymore.
I was curled up in a ball and just couldn't function.
When I have 5 grandchildren and couldn't play with them it bothered me.
They decided I needed to see Dr. Botha here at the med center.
He looked at all my tests and procedures I had done. He spoke to my gastroenteroloist.
He said I think we can fix this. What we'll do is remove your pancreas, send
it to a lab. They will isolate your islet cells which are the insulin producing cells
in your body. And then we will transplant your islet cells back in,
I was scared, but I was so miserable. If it would give me back my life that's what
I wanted. That's why we opted for it. It was a great option. Wonderful.
I'm pain free. Energy level... I'm doing everything I did before, but with no pain associated
with it. Not even having to worry about getting up
and saying I wonder how I'm going to feel this morning, should I have a cup of coffee
or is that going to make me sick? No. I don't have any of that.
I had such a great time here. I've told them so many times; thank you thank you thank you.
Dr. Boerner has been taking care of me since the transplant. I thank him very much. All
the doctors here at the med center, all the nurses, especially the transplant nurses were
just wonderful. It's a new normal.
It's what normal should have been for years. But now it is normal.