In 1993, Dorothy began feeling ill. She rapidly lost 60 pounds and went into kidney failure. As a result, Dorothy had to start dialysis, but she was determined to keep living a normal life.

Working as a substitute teacher for special education elementary schools, Dorothy requested peritoneal dialysis.

“I went to work every day and I did my exchange in the classroom. I would do it while the kids were out for lunch. I did it in the morning. I did it in the afternoon. I did it when I came home from school, and then I did it at night before I went to bed.”

Although this routine allowed Dorothy to continue her teaching duties and her travels, she started having ongoing infections. She also developed scar tissue, which is common with peritoneal dialysis, and had to have it surgically removed.

Dorothy then went on hemodialysis. Her dialysis continued for five years, from September 1994 to June 1999. Dorothy explains how she was frustrated by the everyday inconvenience of this procedure.

“Oh, I went every other day, three days a week—Monday, Wednesday, and Friday—for four hours a day. At first, I had to depend on someone to drive me to the dialysis center, but then I decided to buy a car so I could drive myself.”

The dialysis, however, was so draining that Dorothy could barely drive herself home at times. “I even stopped putting my car in the garage because I didn’t think I had the energy to walk from the garage back to the house.”

At 69 years of age, Dorothy had pretty much given up on receiving a transplant: “I heard that they didn’t give transplants to people over 60 or 70.” But Dorothy never gave up hope and on June 14, 1999, she got the call that there was a kidney ready for her. She packed her bags in the middle of the night and headed for the hospital, where she had the surgery the next morning.

After her successful transplant surgery, Dorothy was put on Prograf and other medicines to protect her from rejecting her new kidney. Prograf is a prescription medicine used to help keep your body’s immune system from rejecting your new kidney or liver. Like all anti-rejection medicines, Prograf slows down your immune system. This helps protect your new organ from being rejected, but it also weakens your body’s ability to fight infections. “I haven’t had any problems with rejection,” Dorothy says, “I’ve been very faithful about taking my medicine.” Dorothy now shares her positive experience with dialysis patients, and she encourages even those, who are over 60 years of age or who have been on dialysis for a long time, to never give up hope.

“I talked to a lady the other night and she said she had been on dialysis for nine years. I said, ‘Are you waiting for a transplant?’ She said, ‘No, I don’t want to be bothered.’ And I said, ‘Look at me! I got a whole new life.’”

Now at 73 years of age, Dorothy goes about her everyday life. She’s able to continue her very rewarding teaching job, spend time with her family and friends, and enjoy her favorite hobbies like baking and shopping. She’s even planning another cruise to some exotic location. Thanks to her new kidney and anti-rejection medications, including Prograf, Dorothy feels as if she has been reborn.

Prograf^® (tacrolimus capsules and injection) is approved for the prevention of rejection in patients who have received a liver or kidney transplant. Only physicians and facilities specializing in transplantation should manage patients taking Prograf. Anti-rejection medications may result in an increased possibility of developing an infection or lymphoma, a type of cancer.

In clinical studies, up to 20% of patients taking Prograf developed insulin dependent diabetes after transplant, but in some patients, after two years, insulin was no longer required. Black and Hispanic kidney transplant patients were at an increased risk.

Prograf has been associated with toxicity to the kidneys and nervous system. Common side effects are tremor, headache, high blood pressure, diarrhea, nausea and changes in kidney function.

Prograf should not be used in patients allergic to tacrolimus. Prograf injection should not be used in patients allergic to castor oil.

Only your healthcare professional can weigh the risks and benefits of a prescription medicine and decide if this medication is the right one for you.

Prograf Prescribing Information
Prograf Patient Information
Prograf Safety Information

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