A recent online survey of more than 10,000 transplant recipients across the U.S. and Canada found that ninety-two percent had side effects from their immunosuppressive medications. And while most patients trust their care teams, one in four skips doses because of their side effects. Four in ten skip due to cost. Today, I’m joined by Anne Bina, a kidney transplant recipient, and Nurse Practitioner, Nicole McCormick, to discuss the importance of immunosuppressive or anti-rejection medications and how to manage side effects associated with them.

In this episode we heard from:

Nicole McCormick is a Nurse Practitioner with AdventHealth Porter Transplant Institute in Denver, CO. She has been working in Transplant Nephrology since 2015, and she worked as a heart transplant coordinator starting in 2012. Nicole attended the University of Colorado for her Doctor of Nursing Practice as well as her Master’s, and she received her Bachelor of Nursing from Thomas Jefferson University. Nicole enjoys spending time with her family and fur babies. She enjoys strength training and teaches yoga in her community. Nicole is an avid reader and lifelong student.

Anne Bina-I live in Casper, WY but I was born and raised in WI. When I was 9 I had strep throat and a couple months later I was in the hospital with nephritis. Doctors told my parents that it could reoccur later in my life. I attended the University of WI where I met my husband. He was in the Air Force ROTC, so after we graduated he began his military career. I was blessed with two daughters - Jenny & Kris. Some 30 years later (1992)my husband was stationed at Whiteman AFB, MO. I had just completed my master’s degree, and I was diagnosed with kidney failure with FSGS - all related back to my case of strep. My husband retired from the Air Force in 1998 and we returned to WI. I was placed on the UNOS Transplant list in 1998 at U of WI Transplant Center. By August of 1999, my kidney function had gotten to the point that it it was time to start dialysis. For me at least, I was only on dialysis for less than 2 months when a coordinator from U of Wisconsin called me on Oct 15th 1999 that they had a kidney for me. She told me that my donor was a 16 year old that had been involved in a car accident. Later, I received a picture of “Ryan” my donor, from his family. He is indeed my HERO! Here I am almost 26 years later - LIFE IS GOOD! From 2008 till we moved to Casper in 2016 , I was the Director of a non-profit helping seniors in the Milwaukee area. And for the last 20 years I have been trying to “give back” by being a volunteer and public speaker, first in Wisconsin with the WI Donor Network and now here in Wyoming with the WY Donor Alliance. I have also become active with the National Kidney Foundation (NKF). Besides being an Ambassador with their on-line site, HealthUnlocked; I have also become a Kidney Advocate. This has involved working with the Wyoming Legislature trying to get the “Living Donor Protection Act”(LDPA) passed. Governor Gordon signed it into WY Law on February 24, 2023.

Transplant Information