pancreatic transplant

[homer190376]

Hi, has anyone here had a transplant? if you have it would be interesting to know the outcome and if it has improved your quality of life?

thank you

 

[Antje77]

Hi, has anyone here had a transplant? if you have it would be interesting to know the outcome and if it has improved your quality of life?

thank you

I don't know much about tramsplants, except they're usually only done if you need a new kidney as well, because the medication needed for life after a transplant has serious side effects.

But @Grant_Vicat has had one, and is always willing to share his experiences!

 

[Grant_Vicat]

Hi, has anyone here had a transplant? if you have it would be interesting to know the outcome and if it has improved your quality of life?

thank you

Thank you @Antje77 !
Hi @homer190376 At the risk of boring @ANTJE and others, I shall be as brief as possible:
Diagnosed July 1959 (11months)
Proteinurea started at least by 1973
Retinopathy similar
Both eyes lasered 1979-1983
Kidney/pancreas transplant August 13th 2013
Charcot foot October 2013

In other words I was diabetically in a bad place even though I was physically fit.
Antje is absolutely correct in every detail. It is difficult to be exact about the side effects of immuno-suppressants
since I already had delerium tremens in my hands before 2000. But they didn't shake enough to stop me playing concert organ pieces.
After my morning dose, which contains Tacrolimus (Adoport) and Mofetil (Mycophenolate) my hands can shake so much that I am often unable to play black notes with my outer fingers for the 10.00 service at our church. By lunchtime things are much better. I then have to take them again in the evening. When I was offered the transplant, I immediately said "Go for it!" and the 2 consultants said I needed to think very carefully as having a pancreas transplant is a serious risk; that I might think they are Ba....ds after I have been sent home several times (actually 6) and that I must discuss this with my family. I had already made my mind up, but they were unanimous in their agreement.

On the plus side:
I can get straight out of bed without having to stab myself in the finger or the abdomen!
I can drive a car without worrying medically
I can eat whatever I like except grapefruit, and I am advised not to eat fresh shellfish and foods likely to give me Listeria - in other words anything that might challenge my immune system. Having said this, in a family of 5, only 2 of us have not had Covid and I'm one of them!
My life expectancy is greater. I have just had the best test results across the board since 1959. They see me every 3 months at the hospital.

I must stress that it is extremely unusual for anybody to receive a pancreas transplant unless diabetes has caused increasing damage. I only know of one person who had such acute needle phobia that they agreed to do it. See:
https://www.phlebotomy.com/phlebotomyblog/fear-of-needles-leads-to-pancreas-transplant.html

My advice would be that poor control throughout childhood and adolescence led to where I am now, but tight control from 1979 onwards delayed the transplant considerably.

I wish you luck!

 

[homer190376]

Thank you @Antje77 !
Hi @homer190376 At the risk of boring @ANTJE and others, I shall be as brief as possible:
Diagnosed July 1959 (11months)
Proteinurea started at least by 1973
Retinopathy similar
Both eyes lasered 1979-1983
Kidney/pancreas transplant August 13th 2013
Charcot foot October 2013

In other words I was diabetically in a bad place even though I was physically fit.
Antje is absolutely correct in every detail. It is difficult to be exact about the side effects of immuno-suppressants
since I already had delerium tremens in my hands before 2000. But they didn't shake enough to stop me playing concert organ pieces.
After my morning dose, which contains Tacrolimus (Adoport) and Mofetil (Mycophenolate) my hands can shake so much that I am often unable to play black notes with my outer fingers for the 10.00 service at our church. By lunchtime things are much better. I then have to take them again in the evening. When I was offered the transplant, I immediately said "Go for it!" and the 2 consultants said I needed to think very carefully as having a pancreas transplant is a serious risk; that I might think they are Ba....ds after I have been sent home several times (actually 6) and that I must discuss this with my family. I had already made my mind up, but they were unanimous in their agreement.

On the plus side:
I can get straight out of bed without having to stab myself in the finger or the abdomen!
I can drive a car without worrying medically
I can eat whatever I like except grapefruit, and I am advised not to eat fresh shellfish and foods likely to give me Listeria - in other words anything that might challenge my immune system. Having said this, in a family of 5, only 2 of us have not had Covid and I'm one of them!
My life expectancy is greater. I have just had the best test results across the board since 1959. They see me every 3 months at the hospital.

I must stress that it is extremely unusual for anybody to receive a pancreas transplant unless diabetes has caused increasing damage. I only know of one person who had such acute needle phobia that they agreed to do it. See:
https://www.phlebotomy.com/phlebotomyblog/fear-of-needles-leads-to-pancreas-transplant.html

My advice would be that poor control throughout childhood and adolescence led to where I am now, but tight control from 1979 onwards delayed the transplant considerably.

I wish you luck!

Hi Grant_Vicat,

thank you for your very quick and informative reply, I'm off to see the diabetes nurse tomorrow so have and have added some notes to my list of questions. question? did you also have a kidney transplant as well, from what i have read they would normally do both at the same time?

thanks again

Jon

 

[Grant_Vicat]

Yes, my kidney function was very poor and Just a kidney transplant was suggested at first (missed dialysis by 8 days!). Then a pancreas expert came to the transplant discussion and bingo! They're gods!