My Story
Lynchburg's 
Organ Transplant 
Support Group

                                    The Sharon Sirocco Story
 
 

                           They say that one smile is worth a thousand words. and that is certainly true of  Sharon Sirocco. Her smile told me more that her words could ever say. Not once did I hear even a whisper of a  complaint. And yet as she told her story, I marveled at her strength and her faith. Because, here is a girl deprived of the things a normal young lady experiences. I felt her  unspoken pain. I had to fight to hold back the tears as she told me her story. A story, not of  regrets but of hope in a better tomorrow.
                           She was diagnosed with diabetes at the age of nine. Until her 30th birthday her life was almost normal. Her only medical problem during that period was diabetic retinopathy or bleeding of the blood vessels of the eyes.  She underwent laser surgery and that was the end of the problems with her eye. At the age of 30 her life took a detour and she would never be the same again.  She was working for Doctors Wilson and Kenny as a medical transcriptionist. In January of 1994, she went in for a routine physical. But it was not what she expected. Doctors found protein in her  urine and creatine that was higher than normal. The creatine began to climb higher over the next few weeks and for the first time her diabetes was uncontrollable. Her blood sugar would go from 52 to 300 or 400 without warning. Without warning, it would drop too low or climb to high.  She had several insulin reactions both at home and at work. It wasn't long before doctors decided she need a transplant.  In February of 1994 she went on the transplant list for a new kidney and pancreas.
                           Doctors sent her to Baltimore, Maryland for an evaluation. In July she was evaluated again at Medical College of Virginia in Richmond. Her transplant came quickly. Less than three months (10/10/94) after her MCV evaluation, she received a new kidney and pancreas. The new Sharon Sirocco returned home to recuperate from her grueling surgery.
                            She returned to work in January of 1995. Things went well for awhile. Then in April, her right knee broke and she was on crutches until June of that year. She was only off her crutches 3 days when her ankle broke. Sharon did not know her ankle was broken at first and  continued to walk painlessly on it. When she did see her doctor, she learned she had "charcot joint " disease. Screws were inserted in her ankle bones and that seemed to correct the ankle problem.
                           In May of 1996 as she walking into her doctors office her left hip broke. Sharon had been experiencing some pain with that hip and thought she had pulled a muscle.The next day surgeons put a plate and screws in her hip.  But within 2 weeks one  screw had slipped and went through another bone. She went back in the hospital to fix that problem. The doctors backed out the screw that had slipped and installed more screws to hold that one in place. She returned to work and worked almost 18 months, until October of 1997.
                           Those darn screws slipped again. Her hip bones did not have the density needed to hold the screws.  Her doctors decided they needed a new plan. They decided on a hip transplant and that was the end of her hip problems. The next month, November, she returned to work and worked until the next March (1998). Then she noticed her left ankle was swollen and red. X-rays revealed two broken bones in her lower leg. Doctors installed an external fixator to straighten the bones in her leg and keep them straight. The bones had a tendency to turn inward. The external fixator works similar to a clamp. Screws are screwed into her leg bone and adjustment screws are turned to pull the leg into alignment. By turning the screws doctors can keep her leg in perfect alignment. So Sharon spent the next three months out of work, again.
                          In May she returned to work for  two days. Then she noticed her left leg was warm and red. A visit to her doctor revealed no broken bones, but he put her on crutches anyway. The day she returned to work  a bone in that left leg broke. She had been back at work only 5 minutes.  This time doctors put a 12 inch rod in her leg and held it in place with 4 screws. That helped because she has not had any other  problems with that leg. This week she is being weaned off her crutches and hopes to return to work by the end of August. She is using an electric bone stimulator to make the bone grow faster and stronger.
                           Her right knee wants to lean in so doctors put a brace on that leg to hold the knee in place. Early on in her transplant, Sharon was on high doses of predisone and she feels that plus her diabetes has weaken her bones to thebreaking point.
                           Sharon lives in Madison Heights with her parents and her 6 year old nephew Jacob. She loves her family very much and especially enjoys her time with Jacob. Sharon told me she was very thankful for the things her parents had done for her and she loves them very much. For hobbies she sings in her church choir and tries to swim every day. As for the future, she would like to return to work  and to just do the normal things like walking around and doing things with her family. Her doctors want to do a Fosamax by  IV to increase the density of her bones. .This is a 6 hour drip done once a month as an outpatient.
                            Sharon has been through a lot, but you would never know it. She is always smiling and her attitude should be bottled for  sale to all the sour people in this world. Her parents Margo, and Donald, have given her tremendous support and I'm sure they  will have a special place in Gods kingdom.
                          I have met many transplant patients and most have a great attitude. But few can match Sharon's smile and appreciation for  life. "God" gave me a second chance at life with this transplant", she said. Perhaps God gave her another chance because He  knew she would be an inspiration to all of us. You see, God does know what he is doing, doesn't He?
 
 
 
TLC Home    |   My Story     |   Links     | View Guestbook   |   Sign Guestbook