In 1995, Lisa Myers’ life took an unexpected turn when a seemingly minor health issue set her on a challenging path. What began as swelling in her feet quickly escalated into a diagnosis of kidney disease. For years, Lisa grappled with the physical and emotional toll of living with the disease, the hardship of two failed transplants, and more than a decade on dialysis. Yet, through every setback, Lisa kept fighting. Her kidney transplant story is one of determination, hope, and the support of a compassionate community that rallied around her during her darkest moments.*

An Unexpected Diagnosis

In her early thirties, Lisa was shocked when what appeared to be harmless swelling turned out to be something far more serious. “I put my feet up that night to see if it helped,” Lisa recalled. “It didn’t, and my urine looked like soapy water the next morning.” A visit to her doctor revealed protein in her urine, and soon after, a nephrologist  told her that the filtering units in her kidneys were failing, and diagnosed her with nephrotic syndrome.

“I felt there were only two ways forward–go down or continue to live,” she said, and instead of succumbing to despair, “I chose to continue living.” Determined to manage her health, she became a registered nurse and kept her condition under control for a decade through diet, exercise, and medications.

Despite her efforts, Lisa’s kidneys continued to decline, and in 2005 she began peritoneal dialysis and joined the substantial crowd of people on the kidney transplant waiting list. Just four months later, however, she received the call that a donor kidney was available.

A Community Comes Together

Lisa’s first transplant came from a five-year-old deceased donor, and although it wasn’t a perfect match, the new kidney gave her three years of better health. When the new kidney started to fail again, she also developed a rare autoimmune disease called epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA), which caused painful blisters all over her body, including inside her mouth. “It can happen if your kidneys are crashing or your immune system is struggling,” she explained.

During this difficult time, Lisa’s colleagues rallied around her, with a large group of her coworkers getting tested to become her living kidney donor. One turned out to be a perfect match, but complications during the transplant led to the kidney not taking. Lisa made the painful decision to have it removed.

A Happy Ending

Fortunately, Lisa’s journey didn’t end with the loss of two transplants. In 2018, while finishing her Master’s Degree, a friend suggested that she list herself at a second transplant center. The new center offered her renewed hope. 

“They determined my last kidney failed from blood loss and not rejection,” Lisa said. “This mattered.” Knowing that her body hadn’t rejected two kidneys gave her confidence to try again.

Soon after her graduation, Lisa got the call—a new kidney was available, and this time the transplant was successful. “When I woke up from the surgery, I saw a bag full of urine,” she said. “The kidney was working!” 

Several years later, Lisa’s kidney is still functioning. She works as a school nurse, volunteers in her free time, speaks with a therapist to work through her past trauma, and is writing a book to share her story, so that others on dialysis continue to hope, don’t give up, and “know that they aren’t alone.” 

*National Kidney Foundation. (2024, February 13). Three Times Kidney Transplant Recipient: “Third time’s the charm.” Retrieved from https://www.kidney.org/news-stories/three-times-kidney-transplant-recipient-third-time-s-charm 

Image source: Lisa Myers. National Kidney Foundation, National Kidney Foundation.

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