The gift of life – 19 years later
The symptoms leading up to her diagnosis were troubling: loss of appetite, constant tiredness, increasing blood pressure. "At first they thought my heart was acting up, but that wasn't it. The lab work showed my kidneys were shutting down," says Carol Lemier, 47-year-old from Fargo. "It was quite a surprise."
In April 1989, at age 28, Carol began dialysis – the three-time-a-week process that mechanically performs the job of healthy kidneys. "I remember all I wanted to do was sleep," she says. "I didn't have the energy to do anything. I was very depressed, too, not knowing if this situation would ever get any better."
In May of that year, when Carol's older brother Paul moved back to town, the picture brightened. Paul volunteered to donate one of his kidneys. On July 6, 1989, following extensive testing to ensure compatibility, Carol became the Fargo transplant program's first kidney recipient. "My last dialysis session was July 5, and on July 6, I had a working kidney. It was a miracle," says Carol. "I knew it was my second chance for life."
Today, 19 years later, Carol continues to enjoy good health and quality of life, including working, bike-riding, reading and being an aunt to 23 nieces and nephews. "One of the biggest differences – and it's something I noticed immediately after surgery – is my energy came back, to the point I didn't know what to do with all of it. It's been that way ever since," she says. "When you feel better, you want to go out and do more things. I'm having a great time."
Since Carol's transplant, many more patients from the region have experienced renewed life. In March 2008, the 500th transplant occurred in Fargo. Now based at MeritCare, today's transplant program has expanded considerably – and the need for organs has never been greater. "Think really hard about becoming an organ donor – then sign up," says Carol. "I'm so grateful for the gift of life my brother gave me."