Mike Yoder/Journal-World PhotoThough she is dealing with mounting medical expenses and often experiences fatigue, Rachel Magario is trying not about to let her disease get her down.
“I don’t think it’s any easier to be blind and have a chronic disease,” she said. “I just can’t keep going and going like I used to. It’s frustrating at times, but I have to pace myself.”
Magario, a Sao Paulo, Brazil, junior at Kansas University, suffers from a form of glomerulosclerosis, a kidney disease doctors diagnosed a year after she and her guide dog were struck by a car while crossing Jayhawk Boulevard in 1998. The disease scars the blood vessels in the kidneys that filter urine from the blood.
Within the past month, she has undergone two surgeries on her left arm, where a new catheter will be placed for her dialysis treatment. Now she must wait to see whether her own reconstructed blood vessels will function before the catheter in her neck is removed. If they don’t, she said doctors will put a plastic tube in her arm that her body could reject.
“I try not to think about the horrible things that could happen,” she said.
Since her surgeries, Magario, 25, hasn’t been able to walk Hamlet, her chocolate Lab, because she trained him to walk on her left side. Although people have volunteered to walk her dog, she said it’s not necessary because her mother and friends help out.
Magario also is still waiting to see whether she can get a kidney transplant. Her parents are not good matches because of health reasons, but she said a few friends have volunteered to get tested to see if they would be.
“I feel very blessed,” she said. “That’s what gives me the strength to keep going. If they’re willing to go under the knife and give me part of their body, it means I mean something to them that I’m around.”
In the meantime, Magario said she can’t even get on the organ waiting list because her student health insurance won’t cover all the expenses and she doesn’t have enough money. She said she has asked the Kansas University Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan., to allow her to start filling out the transplant paperwork.
“Time goes by, and I’m not on the list,” she said. “The more time I’m out, the more time I’m losing.”
The KU Brazilian Student Assn. has opened an account at Commerce Bank to help pay for Magario’s medical expenses, and donation jars have been placed around town.
Magario said she also is creating a Web site, www.moviesoflife.com, where she will talk about her illness, post updates and accept donations through a secure connection.
She said she’s been told a transplant could cost roughly $150,000, but the cost depends on whether there are complications. If the transplant is successful, Magario must take anti-rejection medication for the rest of her life. Still, doctors have told her that patients who receive transplanted kidneys can need further transplants in the future.
Magario said she would like to get a job, but she said she fears it would be too exhausting while going to college and studying. It already takes her longer than the average student to study because she must listen to her textbooks on tape that people have recorded. She said her hemodialysis treatment takes about four hours three days a week, at a cost of about $3,000 each month, and makes her tired.
She said she tries not to complain too much about her illness, especially because she’s received a lot of support from friends, family members and her professors.
“I just have to live with the new style of my life, and I just have to hope for a miracle,” Magario said.
Mike Yoder/Journal-World PhotoThough she is dealing with mounting medical expenses and often experiences fatigue, Rachel Magario is trying not about to let her disease get her down.
“I don’t think it’s any easier to be blind and have a chronic disease,” she said. “I just can’t keep going and going like I used to. It’s frustrating at times, but I have to pace myself.”
Magario, a Sao Paulo, Brazil, junior at Kansas University, suffers from a form of glomerulosclerosis, a kidney disease doctors diagnosed a year after she and her guide dog were struck by a car while crossing Jayhawk Boulevard in 1998. The disease scars the blood vessels in the kidneys that filter urine from the blood.
Within the past month, she has undergone two surgeries on her left arm, where a new catheter will be placed for her dialysis treatment. Now she must wait to see whether her own reconstructed blood vessels will function before the catheter in her neck is removed. If they don’t, she said doctors will put a plastic tube in her arm that her body could reject.
“I try not to think about the horrible things that could happen,” she said.
Since her surgeries, Magario, 25, hasn’t been able to walk Hamlet, her chocolate Lab, because she trained him to walk on her left side. Although people have volunteered to walk her dog, she said it’s not necessary because her mother and friends help out.
Magario also is still waiting to see whether she can get a kidney transplant. Her parents are not good matches because of health reasons, but she said a few friends have volunteered to get tested to see if they would be.
“I feel very blessed,” she said. “That’s what gives me the strength to keep going. If they’re willing to go under the knife and give me part of their body, it means I mean something to them that I’m around.”
In the meantime, Magario said she can’t even get on the organ waiting list because her student health insurance won’t cover all the expenses and she doesn’t have enough money. She said she has asked the Kansas University Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan., to allow her to start filling out the transplant paperwork.
“Time goes by, and I’m not on the list,” she said. “The more time I’m out, the more time I’m losing.”
The KU Brazilian Student Assn. has opened an account at Commerce Bank to help pay for Magario’s medical expenses, and donation jars have been placed around town.
Magario said she also is creating a Web site, www.moviesoflife.com, where she will talk about her illness, post updates and accept donations through a secure connection.
She said she’s been told a transplant could cost roughly $150,000, but the cost depends on whether there are complications. If the transplant is successful, Magario must take anti-rejection medication for the rest of her life. Still, doctors have told her that patients who receive transplanted kidneys can need further transplants in the future.
Magario said she would like to get a job, but she said she fears it would be too exhausting while going to college and studying. It already takes her longer than the average student to study because she must listen to her textbooks on tape that people have recorded. She said her hemodialysis treatment takes about four hours three days a week, at a cost of about $3,000 each month, and makes her tired.
She said she tries not to complain too much about her illness, especially because she’s received a lot of support from friends, family members and her professors.
“I just have to live with the new style of my life, and I just have to hope for a miracle,” Magario said.
Mike Yoder/Journal-World PhotoThough she is dealing with mounting medical expenses and often experiences fatigue, Rachel Magario is trying not about to let her disease get her down.
“I don’t think it’s any easier to be blind and have a chronic disease,” she said. “I just can’t keep going and going like I used to. It’s frustrating at times, but I have to pace myself.”
Magario, a Sao Paulo, Brazil, junior at Kansas University, suffers from a form of glomerulosclerosis, a kidney disease doctors diagnosed a year after she and her guide dog were struck by a car while crossing Jayhawk Boulevard in 1998. The disease scars the blood vessels in the kidneys that filter urine from the blood.
Within the past month, she has undergone two surgeries on her left arm, where a new catheter will be placed for her dialysis treatment. Now she must wait to see whether her own reconstructed blood vessels will function before the catheter in her neck is removed. If they don’t, she said doctors will put a plastic tube in her arm that her body could reject.
“I try not to think about the horrible things that could happen,” she said.
Since her surgeries, Magario, 25, hasn’t been able to walk Hamlet, her chocolate Lab, because she trained him to walk on her left side. Although people have volunteered to walk her dog, she said it’s not necessary because her mother and friends help out.
Magario also is still waiting to see whether she can get a kidney transplant. Her parents are not good matches because of health reasons, but she said a few friends have volunteered to get tested to see if they would be.
“I feel very blessed,” she said. “That’s what gives me the strength to keep going. If they’re willing to go under the knife and give me part of their body, it means I mean something to them that I’m around.”
In the meantime, Magario said she can’t even get on the organ waiting list because her student health insurance won’t cover all the expenses and she doesn’t have enough money. She said she has asked the Kansas University Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan., to allow her to start filling out the transplant paperwork.
“Time goes by, and I’m not on the list,” she said. “The more time I’m out, the more time I’m losing.”
The KU Brazilian Student Assn. has opened an account at Commerce Bank to help pay for Magario’s medical expenses, and donation jars have been placed around town.
Magario said she also is creating a Web site, www.moviesoflife.com, where she will talk about her illness, post updates and accept donations through a secure connection.
She said she’s been told a transplant could cost roughly $150,000, but the cost depends on whether there are complications. If the transplant is successful, Magario must take anti-rejection medication for the rest of her life. Still, doctors have told her that patients who receive transplanted kidneys can need further transplants in the future.
Magario said she would like to get a job, but she said she fears it would be too exhausting while going to college and studying. It already takes her longer than the average student to study because she must listen to her textbooks on tape that people have recorded. She said her hemodialysis treatment takes about four hours three days a week, at a cost of about $3,000 each month, and makes her tired.
She said she tries not to complain too much about her illness, especially because she’s received a lot of support from friends, family members and her professors.
“I just have to live with the new style of my life, and I just have to hope for a miracle,” Magario said.
Mike Yoder/Journal-World PhotoThough she is dealing with mounting medical expenses and often experiences fatigue, Rachel Magario is trying not about to let her disease get her down.
“I don’t think it’s any easier to be blind and have a chronic disease,” she said. “I just can’t keep going and going like I used to. It’s frustrating at times, but I have to pace myself.”
Magario, a Sao Paulo, Brazil, junior at Kansas University, suffers from a form of glomerulosclerosis, a kidney disease doctors diagnosed a year after she and her guide dog were struck by a car while crossing Jayhawk Boulevard in 1998. The disease scars the blood vessels in the kidneys that filter urine from the blood.
Within the past month, she has undergone two surgeries on her left arm, where a new catheter will be placed for her dialysis treatment. Now she must wait to see whether her own reconstructed blood vessels will function before the catheter in her neck is removed. If they don’t, she said doctors will put a plastic tube in her arm that her body could reject.
“I try not to think about the horrible things that could happen,” she said.
Since her surgeries, Magario, 25, hasn’t been able to walk Hamlet, her chocolate Lab, because she trained him to walk on her left side. Although people have volunteered to walk her dog, she said it’s not necessary because her mother and friends help out.
Magario also is still waiting to see whether she can get a kidney transplant. Her parents are not good matches because of health reasons, but she said a few friends have volunteered to get tested to see if they would be.
“I feel very blessed,” she said. “That’s what gives me the strength to keep going. If they’re willing to go under the knife and give me part of their body, it means I mean something to them that I’m around.”
In the meantime, Magario said she can’t even get on the organ waiting list because her student health insurance won’t cover all the expenses and she doesn’t have enough money. She said she has asked the Kansas University Medical Center in Kansas City, Kan., to allow her to start filling out the transplant paperwork.
“Time goes by, and I’m not on the list,” she said. “The more time I’m out, the more time I’m losing.”
The KU Brazilian Student Assn. has opened an account at Commerce Bank to help pay for Magario’s medical expenses, and donation jars have been placed around town.
Magario said she also is creating a Web site, www.moviesoflife.com, where she will talk about her illness, post updates and accept donations through a secure connection.
She said she’s been told a transplant could cost roughly $150,000, but the cost depends on whether there are complications. If the transplant is successful, Magario must take anti-rejection medication for the rest of her life. Still, doctors have told her that patients who receive transplanted kidneys can need further transplants in the future.
Magario said she would like to get a job, but she said she fears it would be too exhausting while going to college and studying. It already takes her longer than the average student to study because she must listen to her textbooks on tape that people have recorded. She said her hemodialysis treatment takes about four hours three days a week, at a cost of about $3,000 each month, and makes her tired.
She said she tries not to complain too much about her illness, especially because she’s received a lot of support from friends, family members and her professors.
“I just have to live with the new style of my life, and I just have to hope for a miracle,” Magario said.
