Amber, age 27

MMA, Mut 0

I am 27 years old; I have been working at BB &T Bank as a wholesale check processor for the past five years.  I have 27% kidney function and have been evaluated for a liver/ kidney transplant (LKT).  I will be the first MMA patient to have this transplant at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.
                 
I am currently in Dr. Venditti’s research study at NIH in Bethesda, MD.  Out of 100 people in the study, my MMA levels are one of the three highest at 9,000 micromoles.  About two months ago, I developed optic nerve atrophy.  The vision in my left eye is 20/400, and my right eye is 20/50.  The doctors at NIH and Hopkins think this is due to the high MMA levels.
                 
I am on dialysis while waiting for placement on the waitlist for the LKT.  Before dialysis, I was eating 37 grams of protein per day.  I am now eating 60 grams per day.  It is predicted that I will be off all MMA and kidney medications after the double transplant.  I am very nervous about this because I have never had an operation.  Luckily, two of my friends have had the double transplant successfully.                


Best wishes,
Amber, MMA, Mut 0
Bowie, MD

From the October 2011 OAA Newsletter