Meet Mary Baliker

Age: 45 Transplanted Organ: Kidney

For most patients, transplantation is a unique experience. For Mary Baliker, it is simply the way life has almost always been.

Diagnosed at the age of nine with proliferative glomerular nephritis—a kidney disorder caused by a particular type of inflammation inside the kidneys—Mary knew early on that she would likely require a kidney transplant at some point in her life. What she didn’t know was how close the connection between staying healthy and staying connected with her healthcare team would turn out to be.

Gradually, at the pre-transplant stage, Mary began to understand that the more her healthcare team got to know her, the more they could offer help in both big and small ways.

As a teenager, one of Mary’s favorite snacks was chocolate. Chocolate is high in potassium, and her dialysis treatments were causing a potassium imbalance. Instead of cutting chocolate from her diet, Mary and her team worked on scheduling and nutrition so she knew when she could have chocolate without affecting her treatment, allowing Mary to continue enjoying what most would consider a small treat.

One big help was having the same nurse throughout most of her dialysis treatments. As Mary puts it, “My small veins sometimes made the dialysis process difficult, so they let me have the same nurse for each session, which made things more comfortable.” Another big help was arranging for Mary to meet with the staff of a well-known transplant center so she could learn more about transplantation as an option.

At the age of 17, Mary received her first kidney transplant. Four years later, the importance of following her transplant team’s advice became startlingly clear. Although she had no symptoms, her lab tests indicated that she was going into acute organ rejection. Because Mary had followed her transplant team’s advice to always keep her medical and lab test appointments, a potentially life-threatening situation was discovered in time for her doctors to take the steps needed to protect her life.

Experience has taught Mary to talk to her healthcare providers often. Her advice to all transplant patients is to be an advocate for their own health. To Mary, this means educating yourself so you’re prepared to ask the right questions of your healthcare team. Ask your friends or other transplant recipients for advice when you need to. Also, when discussing major issues with your treatment team, bring a friend or family member with you and always take notes.

Remember that your healthcare team can’t give you the right treatment if you don’t tell them what is important to you. For example, when Mary asked if a proposed four-times-a-day medication schedule could be reduced, her team found a way to cut it in half.*

“I want the members of my transplant team to be people I can connect with,” observes Mary. She feels fortunate to have such great providers that respect her opinions and welcome her into the team as an active participant in her own healthcare. As Mary puts it, “I trust the members of my team and feel comfortable asking them any question I want to ask.“

*Never change your medications without first consulting your physician.