Sometimes an individual doesn’t realize the incredible story of overcoming her life is until it’s pointed out to her. Lisa* is definitely one of those individuals.

* Her real name, used with permission.

Lisa’s aunt, her mother’s sister, was diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease when Lisa was 23. “Even though I didn’t have any symptoms, I knew I had it. I just felt it,” she remembers.

During her early 30s to early 40s, Lisa experienced many flare-ups in her digestive tract that was finally diagnosed as ulcerative colitis. At age 45, Lisa’s full colon was removed.

Each person who has polycystic kidney disease, a heredity disease, is affected differently, so the unexplained swollen ankle that developed into gout when Lisa was 5o led to the fact that she was in kidney failure.

Diagnosis of Polycystic Kidney Disease

After seeing 6 specialists, having 6 treatments, and 9 months of misdiagnoses, her primary care physician ordered blood work to confirm his belief that she had gout.

A call from a complacent nurse to come in to hear the results of the blood work ended with the words, “You’re in kidney failure. Your kidneys are barely functioning.” Her tone was neither calm nor comforting considering she was delivering such serious news.

Lisa’s diagnosis of polycystic kidney disease occurred at age 30, but because she’d never had any illnesses or complications with the disease, the news she was in kidney failure came as a complete shock.

Her doctor said the stage of her kidney failure passed the level where most patients are started on dialysis and put on the transplant list. He suggested an immediate evaluation with a nephrologist (a kidney specialist). He took additional blood work and told her it would take 3 to 6 months for her file to be reviewed.

Her Failing Kidneys

Two weeks after her blood work was taken at the nephrologist’s office, Lisa got THE call. The call that put her on the fast track, because her conditional was so critical.

A full day appointment not only included a conversation about the status of her failing kidneys, but also a class about the options of a lifetime of dialysis vs. a transplant, as well as chest x-rays, a mammogram and a stress test to make sure she was otherwise healthy enough to accept a kidney. An evaluation with a psychiatrist followed to determine if she was mentally, emotionally, and physically ready for a transplant.

Then, she had to go home and wait. “Waiting is hard, but I continued to live like nothing was wrong with me,” she remembers.

Her condition was serious, and she knew it. But, Lisa and her family have a unique perspective in facing unexpected and unexplained medical conditions because of their unique history with their daughter Mandy. (Read Mandy’s story here.)

Lisa shared, “I never cried or doubted my situation would be OK. I’m not a ‘why me’ kind of person, because I know whatever I go through will build my faith and character.”

Two weeks after her evaluation, she received the letter stating she was a good candidate for a transplant, but there were a few conditions she had to meet before she would be considered active on the transplant list. (The wait in Georgia is 3-5 years with 93,000 people nationally waiting for a kidney.) She was also asked if she knew anyone who would be willing to be tested to be a possible living donor.

Nine people eagerly volunteered. Including Lisa’s husband, Speed.

Lisa’s Perfect Match

After weeks of tests, Speed received the call that his studies were matching closer than any of the other potential candidates. Speed was elated.

Lisa, however, wasn’t so excited as she was concerned that something could happen to both of them and their daughters and granddaughter wouldn’t have either of them. His response was firm but confident: “It’s not your decision.”

His decision was an emotional event for her in that it was humbling to know he was willing to give so much to save her life.

On her birthday, the transplant clinic called to say Lisa’s perfect match for a kidney was Speed and their surgery would be scheduled. Speed underwent the same evaluation with the psychiatrist to make sure he was mentally, emotionally, and physically ready to donate one of his kidneys. He knew he was his wife’s only chance to survive. He was indeed ready.

Valentine’s Day

Valentine’s Day 2013 was not about red roses and silly professions of love for Lisa and Speed; instead, it was about sacrificial love – in the form of a healthy kidney for two diseased kidneys.

One of Speed’s healthy kidneys was removed and put in Lisa’s body. The new kidney immediately made urine, which was a great sign of a successful transplant.

Massive doses of anti-rejection medicine were given to Lisa in the operating room, which in turn began to kill her immune system so it wouldn’t fight off the foreign body – the transplanted kidney. (Without an immune system, your body is vulnerable to life-threatening issues and various types of cancer.)

Unbeknownst to Lisa because she was recovering in a separate room, Speed developed blood clots in his lungs and was taken to the ICU. On the third day after their surgeries, she was told about Speed’s condition. She felt guilty and terrified. She remembered thinking, “My silent strength, the one I depended on, was suffering. The only thing I knew to do was pray.”

Speed had to remain at the hospital a few more days while the doctors monitored him. Lisa insisted on spending time with him at the hospital until he was released.

Kidney Failure

Just a month after her transplant, Lisa experienced kidney rejection. When I asked what that meant, she said, “The new kidney was beginning to die, and they had to stop the rejection.”

The doctors biopsied her kidney and determined she needed massive doses of chemotherapy, IVIG, and steroids to have a chance at stopping the rejection.

She was hospitalized numerous times over the next year with severe infections, but the source of the problems weren’t determined until early July of 2014. Her diseased kidneys were covered in poison filled cysts and were leaking toxins.

This was a life-threatening situation, so it was decided the old kidneys had to be removed. In late July, her two old kidneys were removed at a combined weight of 30 pounds. She remembers the pain after this surgery being much worse than that of the kidney transplant surgery.

Your House Is Burning Down

Two days after getting out of the hospital, Lisa’s life literally turned upside down.

Lisa heard a faint buzzing sound upstairs she couldn’t identify. She called outside to ask Speed to come check it out. When he opened the door at the bottom of the stairs, smoke billowed out into the kitchen. Now she could hear the smoke detector alarm, and Speed yelling for her to get out of the house.

The roar of sirens filled the air as Lisa hobbled out to the driveway. A fireman yelled, “Get across the street. Your house is burning down!”

For seven hours, Lisa, Speed, their children, grandchildren, neighbors, and friends watched as firemen worked feverishly to put out the fire. Ceilings had fallen in. Everything in their home sustained water and smoke damage. It was later determined that Mandy’s iPhone cord “turtlenecked” at the brick where it was plugged into the wall.

(Check your chargers right now! If the cord is bunched up like a turtleneck, replace it immediately!)

What should have been a remodeling project lasting several months to restore their home turned into an 11 1/2 month disaster due to a dishonest contractor.

Living in a hotel was challenging at times, but Lisa said they realized they enjoyed the simplicity and it caused their family to grow even closer.

Didn’t Get a Reprieve From Her Health Struggles

During that year period of being displaced out of their home, Lisa didn’t get a reprieve from her health struggles. She was hospitalized two times – once with an infection and dehydration and once due to her anti-rejection medications causing her to develop Diabetes with dangerously high glucose levels.

A week before our interview, Lisa had a squamous cell carcinoma (skin cancer) removed from her leg. This was the fourth case of skin cancer she’s developed since her transplant.

After listening to Lisa tell her unbelievable story, I again fall back on the disbelief that she doesn’t realize what an amazing OVERCOMER she is. Her reply: “I don’t let the struggles I’ve gone through affect my life or change the way I live.” Wow! Just wow!

Lisa’s Advice

One of the most important parts of my interviews with women OVERCOMERS is to learn their view on life and what they’ve learned from their struggles. I knew Lisa wouldn’t disappoint as she has overcome/is overcoming much.

Lisa’s advice: “I’ve learned over the years that God provides strength when my soul feels the weakest.  He gives me more than I can handle on a daily basis and that makes me lean on Him even more!

You can take a minute to wallow in your misery, but then you have grasp your new reality, pull yourself up, and fight the battle.  I believe staying down and depressed shows how little you’re allowing God to work in your life. Your trust in Him has to be bigger than whatever your misery is.

A positive attitude is 99% of every battle. What and who you surround yourself with is what/who you become. I try to surround myself with positivity and laughter. As scary as times may get, you have to bring your faith, positivity, and  laughter into it to survive.”

The picture below is of Lisa’s family. Two things are abundantly clear: They love each other. And they laugh together.

Leave a Reply (below): Lisa’s favorite verse is Jeremiah 29:11. It says, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” It’s obvious how these powerful words relate to Lisa’s positive attitude about ALL the struggles she’s faced and overcome. 

This verse is empowering in that God promises our struggles are meant to prosper us. Do you agree or disagree? Explain your thoughts.