Comment by Matthew on August 1, 2008 at 1:49pm

Hi Kathy - I have been diabetic for 16+ years and just became listed for the Islet cell transplant at U of Wisconsin - Madison Hospital.

I am having second thoughts about the procedure due to the Anti-Rejection medication... so I am VERY interested in hearing about your progress.

Thanks for sharing!

Comment by Scott Strumello on August 2, 2008 at 1:09pm

Hi Kathy,

I hope you'll share more about your experience, everything from progress to surprises about the experience. I am also curious about the decision for an islet transplant vs. full pancreas transplant. Although islets are not as involved in terms of surgical vs. outpatient, sustained insulin independence is somewhat mixed. Also, have you heard about the UIC Protocol? Its a variation on the Edmonton Protocol, differentiated mainly by the inclusion of Byetta in the ongoing drug regimen, which apparently helps in islet function and replication.|

Anyway, please continue sharing your experience!

Comment by Kathy on August 9, 2008 at 5:46am

Hi,
I am still doing well. My total insulin needs are down to about 12 units/day now. I am working on a blog of the whole experience, and hope to be up to present day soon. When I am, I will let you know where it is. thanks so much for your interest, Kathy

Comment by Preta on August 20, 2008 at 9:02am

Hi Kathy,

I am definitely interested. I will be reading your blog and hopefully learning more. I had a liver transplant 7yrs ago, Matthew was saying he was having second thoughts about the anti rejection medication...do your research there are different ones. The first two I was on damaged my kidneys, the ones I'm on now are excellent so far. I hope this works for you Kathy!!

Comment by Clare on August 24, 2008 at 12:57pm

Hi Kathy,
I'm also really interested to read about your progress and experience. I'm like Matthew and am wondering about those anti rejection drugs and their possible side effects. I'm working on getting myself listed for a transplant.

Comment by Kathy on August 24, 2008 at 5:01pm

I am still doing well. I am down to 10 units of insulin/day now, and it is expected to decrease. After the initial blast of immunosuppressant drugs that lowered my wbc count enough to make me feel weak, I have not experienced much in the way of side effects. I now have 2 mouth sores, but they are not that bad. Of course, the true test will be the cold and flu season, but I plan to be extra careful and get my flu shot. Please feel free to ask any questions. I enjoy sharing this experience. Kathy

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