Secretary in need of another dual transplant

[Here's an example of an article with many inaccuracies - IMHO]

CHS principal’s secretary in need of dual transplant
BY CHRISTINA ROWLAND/ Staff writer
(Created: Thursday, April 2, 2009 11:53 AM CDT)

It was a typical day with an atypical cause at Feedstore BBQ.

The business was open Thursday, serving barbecue meals like any other night. But on this night, 10 percent of proceeds from sales were dedicated to Tracy Herzik, a former high school classmate of Feedstore owner William Lafavers.

Herzik, the principal’s secretary at Carroll High School and single mother of one, is set to undergo her second dual organ transplant. She will be receiving both a pancreas and kidney transplant in the near future.

Herzik, a 1986 graduate of Carroll High School, underwent her fist transplant surgery Jan.15. Several days after surgery, Herzik new that something wasn’t right with her new organs. She became extremely ill and doctors performed an investigative surgery and found that her body was rejecting the organs. They had to be removed and her old organs were reconnected, continuing to function at 20 percent of normal operation.

Her body rejected the first set of organs because of something in her blood, doctors said. She was somehow exposed to an antibody, possibly through a cut or scrape as a younger child, that is now in her blood.

To prevent the same thing from happening in the future, Herzik will be given the highest dosage of anti-rejection drugs for a better outcome.

Throughout the experience, her best friend, Christie Francis, has been by her side. They have been friend friends since they were born and their mothers were also best friends.

Herzik is in need of the transplant because she has Type 1 diabetes, being diagnosed at age 24. She takes insulin daily to help her organs function correctly, but her nephrologists (kidney doctor) said that her kidneys weren’t working well. If the functioning capacity of her kidneys fall to 15 percent she would have to take dialysis.

Herzik does not eat certain foods, including bananas and peanuts, to ensure that her organs function at 20 percent as long as possible. The alternative to dialysis was a dual organ transplant. She elected to have a dual organ transplant because of the longevity.

“Typically they (the organs) should be viable for 10 to 15 years,” Francis explained.

If Herzik only got a kidney it would not last as long because her pancreas would still not function correctly. After a successful surgery, she should also not have to receive insulin anymore.

The doctors are taking many precautions this time to ensure the surgery has a successful outcome. Herzik is undergoing additional testing this time. Once her testing results satisfy the transplant doctor, he will take her before the board of the hospital.

The doctors sitting on the hospital board have to agree that she is ready for the surgery and that her body can handle it again before they put her on the donor list. The next time the board meets is April 10 and she hopes to be able to go before the board then.

The doctors want to be sure the organs are going to the best possible recipient with the highest possible success rate.

Once placed on the list, it could be days or months until she gets her organs. The first time she was only on the list three days. The wait is typically shorter for a patient waiting for dual organs, versus a patient only needing one. In order for her to receive her organs, the family of a deceased person has to agree to donate the organs.

“It takes someone to lose their life to give her the gift of life,” Francis said.

Herzik wasn’t discouraged by failed results the first time and is not scared to do it again.

“I am more ready to get it over with,” Herzik said. “I look at every step as one day at a time and I am taking it day by day.”

Once Herzik gets approved and even receives a successful transplant, the battle will not be over. After surgery, she will have to take six pills seven days a week to keep her healthy.

She explained that the first three pills are anti-rejection medication and the other three pills combat the symptoms of the first three. She will also be going to the transplant center three or four days a week right after surgery.

The process for all of this is not only physically tiring, but also expensive, she explains. Her medication alone is estimated to cost about $600, after insurance co-pay, and she has to take it the rest of her life. She views it as a small price to pay for living.

Last Thursday’s fundraiser only begins to cover the medical expenses that she is plagued by. There will always be a need for additional funding to cover medical bills and medication. A campaign has been set up with the National Transplant Assistance Fund in Herzik’s honor. Donations can be made online at www.transplantfund.org or donations can be at Bank of America. An account has been set up as the Tracy A. Herzik Fund.

Herzik says she is very grateful to the contribution individuals and groups, such as the Southlake Woman’s Club, have made to her fund. Additionally, both Carroll ISD and Grapevine-Colleyville ISD held blood drives and all the blood collected was donated in her name.

http://www.southlaketimes.com/articles/2009/04/11/southlake_times/news/46.txt