MY STORY

I will be celebrating my 35th year as a renal transplant patient on September 28th 2004. In 1971 three months after leaving high school. I received a kidney transplant. During that time I was supposed to recuperate for a least a year, but the following January I enrolled in nearby Community College to study X-ray Technology. I graduated from Delta Junior College with an associate’s degree in 1976 and began working at my present job at Covenant HealthCare in Saginaw Michigan as a registered X-ray technologist. In 1978 I enrolled at University of Michigan- Flint campus and began the almost daily drive to classes after work. In 1983 I received a bachelor’s degree in health care education. While ignoring doctor’s orders may not be recommended road to recovery, I took a chance and that chance worked, I did get an education. My decision to return to school without letting my doctors know was a wise decision at that time. If I had waited a year, my motivation wouldn’t have been there. My faith came from the Bible, which help me through some trying times. My favorite passage is that nothing is impossible for those who believed.

I used that model and eliminate the word impossible from my vocabulary and went from there.

My problems began at age 15 when a family doctor diagnosed my kidney problems. Despite the severe sickness, I made it through High School without missing many days. But the problems got worse.

Eventually, I went to Ann Arbor’s University Hospital for an examination. I was diagnosed as having a disease call glomerulonephritis. I was found to be in such bad shape doctors kept me there. I spent six months on dialysis machine treatments. My condition and mental state were worsening so doctors decided a transplant was the only alternative.

The doctors tested everyone in my family except my father because at that time my father was in his mid-50s and had cirrhosis of the liver. But when none of the other family members had tissue compatible with me, my father volunteered to take the risk, even though in 1971 kidney transplants were still somewhat in their infancy.

At that time I would have died, even from the depression. Although, my father passed away in 1986. He is not forgotten. Because of him, I have a wife and two lovely daughters. My experience motivated me to enter the health-care field. Presently, I am the Imaging and Diagnostic Education Coordinator at Covenant HealthCare in Saginaw, Michigan. Despite my illness, I consider myself a blessed man today and advise other potential transplant patients not to fear the operation. You won’t feel good all the time, but it will put you back in society where you are not tied up to a machine. You can definitely contribute something back to society.

Also, My heartfelt thanks to all the doctors, nurses, and the staff within the University of Michigan Renal Clinic who helped me become the person I am today.

Howard William Rankins

3219 Traum Dr.

Saginaw, Michigan 48602

hrankins@chs-mi.com