Meet Lenore.

Life is still pretty amazing.

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 hemorrhaging in my eyes. 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, 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 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. Nine 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 destroyed my kidney. So now I’m back on dialysis for 15 months.

I’m getting assessed for a kidney transplant. They said no more pancreas transplants. So today, I live with kidney failure, dialysis, diabetes, high blood pressure & 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, 1 grandson & my great-granddaughter, Ellie. I love my husband, my home, and all of my friends - what I call “The Club” 3 times a week.