The ups and downs of a kidney transplant

While a kidney transplant is not touted by the renal community as a cure, 38,000 people are currently waiting for a chance to have one. There are pros and cons of being on dialysis versus having a kidney transplant: Dialysis means a 12-hour commitment each week, needle sticks, delicate care of your graft or fistula, and a careful watch on fluid intake. For transplant patients, flu and infections are a constant threat, as is weight gain, bone disease, and the lifetime cost and dependency of immunosuppressive medications. But most patients who have a transplant--and those who have had one and lost the graft--say they will take the risks of dealing with a suppressed immune system over dialysis. Marilyn Buck, a recipient of a kidney from her 24-year-old son in 1993, agrees. But it hasn't always been easy. Here is her story.