After spending eight years on dialysis, a Lee County woman recently underwent a kidney transplant. Just weeks after her transplant, Stella Odie-Ali can’t stop smiling, referring to her new kidney as Phoenix. “Right now, my main thing is to take care of Phoenix, because Phoenix and I have a long way to go. Everybody knows that Phoenix was the magical bird that rose from the ashes.”
Stella says the name describes her new beginning to life; a life without dialysis. “I’m happy that I don’t have to go to dialysis three days a week, that’s a plus. It gives me time to do other things, things for my family,” said Stella.
She spent eight years on dialysis waiting for a kidney transplant. A wait, kidney transplant surgeon Dr. Lynsey Biondi says can be common for patients. “It’s a long process. They have to come and get a lot of tests to make sure they’re safe, make sure they’re going to make it through the surgery and then do well afterwards too.”
During the four hour procedure, doctors typically leave the old kidney in, so patients actually leave the hospital with three kidneys. “We put in a third kidney actually on the vessels that go down to their leg, so it’s in the pelvis it’s not in the normal spot for a kidney, because it’s easier to get to,” said Dr. Biondi.
On average, a deceased donor kidney can last 10 years, giving patients like Stella a better quality of life. “Lifestyle plays a huge role, not in just whether the kidney lasts but whether you’re healthy enough to get a kidney,” said Dr. Biondi.
As Stella slowly returns to her normal routine, she says she’s focused on having a healthy lifestyle. “I’m just determined to give Phoenix a good life.”
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