Caroline Baker
Caroline was born in 1965 – for the first two years she suffered from cystitis and her doctors treated her with antibiotics accordingly.
Diagnosing the real problem was difficult as scans were not available then as they are today. A change of doctors prompted further investigations - Caroline’s ureters were found to be too long – and this had caused the reflux and subsequent scarring to her kidneys.
When Caroline was 10, she had an operation to shorten her ureters and re-implant them into her bladder. Many years of medication followed as Caroline’s kidneys were failing. In 1986 she needed more medication to control high blood pressure then, towards the end of the 90's, Caroline needed conservative management for diet and lifestyle.
This was enough to keep Caroline off dialysis. Caroline was told that she would never have children, but she has a teenage son, Alex. Alex was born with a dilated ureter, which was treated. The condition resolved itself and Alex is now a happy, healthy teenager.
By March 2006, her kidney function had dropped to 13%, so Caroline was placed on the transplant register.
Three people were tissue typed, her younger brother (then 30) proved to be a match and Caroline received his kidney on 4th October 2006.
Caroline said at the time:
“My surgeon at the Royal Free Hospital knew I was interested in all the details of the transplant process so showed me my brother’s kidney before it was transplanted into me! The vision of a pink, plump, healthy kidney is one which will be with me for ever. I have the greatest respect for my new organ which my Transplant Team tell me is a ‘beautiful’ kidney, and because my brother is a strapping 6’4”, said it was like putting a ‘3 litre engine in a mini’!!
A few weeks later Caroline wrote an article about her transplant experience which was used at the Royal Free Hospital for prospective transplant patients and also in the Royal Free Kidney Patients magazine. Please follow the link to view My Journey to Transplant and Beyond!
Both Caroline and her brother continue to do well. In December 2006 she contributed a case study to the VUR Conference and now has contributed her case study to Kidney Heath Information, so we can continue to raise awareness of Kidney Disease.
