From Collapse to Comeback: Sheila’s Remarkable Kidney Transplant Journey
For most of her adult life, Sheila FitzPatrick lived at a pace few people could keep up with. As an international attorney focused on data privacy and employment law, she spent nearly three weeks of every month flying between continents. She swam two miles every morning, walked historic European cities in the afternoon, and built deep friendships everywhere she went.
But in 2008, her unstoppable energy began to slow. At first, she dismissed her fatigue as jet lag. Then her two-mile swims became two laps — and even that felt impossible. One weekend, her parents found her curled up on the couch, barely able to move. That moment marked the beginning of a journey she never expected.
A Sudden Diagnosis
Sheila’s symptoms quickly led her to a nephrologist in Sacramento. Within hours of arriving at the hospital, she was rushed into surgery to place a catheter and started on emergency dialysis.
Doctors told her that her life had been in immediate danger — her kidneys had nearly shut down.
But no one explained what long-term dialysis meant until after she was discharged. A call from the dialysis center made it clear:
Dialysis three days a week.
Three hours per session.
For life — unless she received a transplant.
The news was devastating. Sheila’s career depended on international travel, and dialysis tied her to one location. She lost much of her client base overseas and struggled to maintain her business while navigating her new reality.
Determination Runs in the Family
Sheila credits her resilience to her large Irish-Catholic family and her upbringing. She had always been taught to push forward, never to quit. That mindset became her anchor.
“I didn’t like being sick,” she says. “If I needed help, I’d ask for it — otherwise, I wanted to stand on my own two feet.”
Friends and relatives offered to donate a kidney, but Sheila hesitated. She feared exchanging one set of problems for another, especially the lifelong medications required after transplant. Still, she agreed to research her options.
Finding the Right Transplant Team
For 18 months, Sheila worked as intensely as she did in her career — interviewing nearly 30 transplant centers across the country. One name kept rising above the rest: UCSF. The program’s reputation, outcomes and leadership impressed her, especially the expertise of world-renowned transplant surgeon Dr. Nancy Ascher.
Even then, Sheila remained unsure — until she met Dr. Ascher in person. At a reception for the opening of UCSF’s Kidney and Pancreas Transplant Center, they were introduced. Sheila shared her fears, expecting a neutral response. Instead, Dr. Ascher looked her in the eyes and said:
“I would be honored to do your transplant.”
Days later, UCSF called to schedule her consultation. That phone call changed everything.
A Perfect Match… Almost
During her consultation, Sheila listed her requirements — minimal medications, a private room and a carefully planned approach. Instead of dismissing her concerns, Dr. Ascher agreed and assured her she would build the right team.
Her brother Terry volunteered as a donor and seemed to be an ideal match. Everything looked perfect — until two days before surgery, when tests revealed that Terry had high blood pressure. It wasn’t safe for him to proceed.
The news crushed her. Sheila felt her chance slipping away and prepared to spend her life on dialysis.
A Second Chance
A year later, UCSF called again. Behind the scenes, doctors had helped Terry safely manage his blood pressure. He had passed every test — and was cleared to donate.
The transplant was back on.
A Hospital Experience Unlike Any Other
The surgery was long and complex. Sheila returned to her room late at night, long after her group of supporters had left. Her new kidney, however, didn’t begin working right away — what doctors call a “sleeping kidney.”
Staff checked on her frequently, but one young physician stayed at her bedside the entire night, quietly waiting with her. By the next morning, the kidney began working. Sheila would never forget the kindness she experienced that night.
Even in the hospital, Sheila worked. She kept her clients updated, took meetings from her room and continued as though nothing had changed — most people never even knew she’d had surgery.
Life After Transplant
Recovery hasn’t always been easy. Sheila still battles side effects from her medications — including nausea, fatigue and anemia. But compared to dialysis, she says the transplant is “a far better life.”
Her UCSF medical team stays closely involved, reviewing lab results and adjusting medications regularly. “They worry about my numbers so I don’t have to,” she says.
Sheila has returned to traveling — cautiously, but confidently — always carrying extra medication and listening to her body when it needs a break.
And although her life looks different now, she has found strength and peace in a journey she never expected to take.
5555
Comments
Post a Comment