LIFE IS STILL PRETTY AMAZING.

Meet Lenore.

My name is Lenore Shoemaker. I was diagnosed with diabetes in 1959. I was 5 years old, and my parents took very good care of me. After 30 years, I started showing signs of bleeding in my eyes, and I didn’t know I had high blood pressure, so they started treating that and found out that I was in chronic kidney failure. I did everything I could to hold on in 2005, and I stayed off dialysis for 2 1/2 years by eating white rice, white bread, iceberg lettuce, and different types of meats, chicken steak, etc., but then in 2007, I had to go on dialysis. I only went 7 times, and then they called me for my kidney transplant. What a success. It was so wonderful to eat again and not have to go to dialysis anymore. 9 months later, I received a pancreas transplant, so no more diabetes. My pancreas lasted 13 years. I lost it in 2021, and they found out I had MGRS - monoclonal gammopathy of renal significance. I had chemo for 18 months, but it already attacked and killed my kidney.

I’ve been back on dialysis for 15 months, and I’m getting assessed for a kidney transplant. They said no more pancreas transplants. So today, I live with kidney failure, dialysis, high blood pressure, and MGRS that’s almost in remission, but you know……life is still pretty amazing. Very amazing. I love my family. 2 adult children, 4 granddaughters, and 1 grandson. I love my husband, I love my home, all of my friends, and I love my friends from what I call “The Club” 3 times a week.