"I had fibulary glomerulonephritis, a rare disease in which the body produces a large volume of unusual proteins. It’s a disease that is most common in people at an older age, which is why it went undiagnosed for so long. I’ve had blood and protein in my urine for 15 years and nobody put anything together, and it was because I was so young.
"My blood pressure shot up high a few years ago, and that was when things started to become a little more clear. When my blood pressure went up, I had just changed family doctors and he wouldn’t leave it alone until he found out what was causing it to be high. When he ordered the biopsy, that’s when they figured out what I had. Not long after that they sent me to UAB.
"When it came to dialysis, I was pretty lucky. I had the port put in when I got down to 18 percent kidney function, but I was transplanted before I had to start dialysis treatments. It was about 2-3 weeks after the fistula was put in when they called me for a transplant, which took place on Oct. 12. My time between the fibrillary kidney disease diagnosis to transplant was just a little over a year. I know that’s not very long compared to what happens with a lot of people, so I’m definitely fortunate.
"When it was known that I was ultimately going to have to have a transplant, my sister, Melissa McIntyre, was tested. The doctors knew she was a match for me before I even had my second interview with the transplant team. But Melissa is so much smaller than me that they had to find someone else for her to donate to. That was definitely a curve for us. When that happened, we figured it was going to be a long time down the road before I would be able to be transplanted.
"We didn’t really know that UAB’s transplant program and the UAB Kidney Chain was going to keep things moving for us. Melissa got a letter that she was going to be a donor, including an appointment date and time, before I had heard anything about a transplant. It was about three weeks later when they told me that they had a donor for me and that my transplant and Melissa’s donation would happen on the same day.
"My biggest fear in this really was just the recovery. How long would it take me to get back to work? I work for Freight Zone in Decatur and drive a truck, travelling to 48 states. I usually leave on Sundays and get back on Friday night or Saturday mornings. It’s how I make a living for my family, and I really hoped the recovery would be smooth, and it has been, really. The whole process was smoother and easier than I ever imagined it would be.
"My quality of life now is a lot better than it was. I feel like nothing was ever wrong with me. I had gotten to where I was tired all of the time and didn’t want to do anything. And now I feel great and want to do everything, but they won’t let me lift over 10 pounds just yet. In January, I get to move up to lifting 35 pounds and then I can start driving again, and go deer hunting. I am definitely forward to it.
"When I sit back and think about this process and the kidney chain and how it all works, it’s just amazing that people will do this. You never imagine someone you don’t even know to do that for you. You kind of expect your family would, but not a total stranger. It changes your outlook on people.
"My donor was Zach Taylor, and what he did was just unreal. It’s unreal that people would donate to a total stranger. He was donating so his friend could get a kidney, but he still could have said no. He could have backed out and decided not to do it. But he didn’t. It’s an admirable thing. He lives in Oregon. We had dinner when he was back down here recently, and we text and talk. He’s just a real good guy. We all pretty much stay in touch.
"You never think about things like transplants until you need it. It’s an incredible thing to have something like UAB’s transplant program and this kidney chain right here in Alabama. Everyone at UAB has been so helpful throughout this whole process. I’m just real appreciative for the doctors and everybody involved."