A Patient Story: Nancy

Nancy (pictured, with husband Bob) underwent an islet cell transplant at UW Hospital and Clinics.

Nancy, more than most people, truly grasps the simple beauty of a walk on a warm autumn day with her husband Bob and dog Buddy.

A life-long diabetic, Nancy’s days are filled with frequent blood tests. She is dependent on insulin to try to maintain appropriate blood-sugar levels. Like many diabetics, Nancy’s kidneys wore out, and she received a transplant with a kidney donated by her husband. But Nancy is not a typical diabetic.

She also suffers from hyperglycemic episodes that cause her blood-sugar levels to crash without warning. These crashes cause blackouts and can be similar to seizures.

In an effort to end these episodes, and her dependence on insulin, Nancy is receiving islet cell transplants. Islet cells are sugar-sensing cells, found in the pancreas, that release insulin. In the islet cell transplant process, islet cells are extracted from a donated pancreas, processed and introduced into a vein near the recipient’s liver.

Ultimately, after one more islet cell transplant, enough islet cells will have reproduced in Nancy’s body to stabilize her blood-sugar levels. Nancy has completed one islet cell transplant and looks forward to life without constant blood-sugar level testing and unexpected blackouts and seizures. Nancy waits for her own gift of life, when the generosity of an organ donor will mean the opportunity for another islet cell transplant. Until then, Nancy will hope for more days filled with sunshine and walks down a quiet lane.