Bella Soul

“If God brings you to it, He will get you through it.”

This is one of my favorite quotes. Although I know people have many different religious views, I think that this motto speaks to anyone and everyone that has faced hardships in their lives.

I’m working through my struggle right now.

My name is Lauren Wilmet, and I am a currently finishing up my sophomore year at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I am studying Life Sciences Communication and working toward a certificate in Gerontology in hopes of being accepted into Physician Assistant graduate school. I always knew I wanted a career in healthcare (I was doomed because both of my parents are in the medical field), but I never knew my calling until I was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease called C3 Glomerulonephritis.

Early August in the summer of 2012 I began to not feel like my normal, peppy self. That uneasiness soon turned into flu-like symptoms, as well as swollen joints, hot flashes, and moments my body was so cold I was numb with blue lips and skin white as snow. I felt better for a week, but the symptoms suddenly got worse, and I had spiked a fever that was out of control.

For almost a week I visited the hospital every day, feeling like a rat in a study lab. I went to multiple doctors, had so many medical tests performed on me (I can’t even count on two hands), and the doctors still couldn’t figure out why I was so sick. I was being treated for a kidney infection, but when my health wasn’t improving I was referred to a nephrologist, a doctor that specializes in kidneys. My lab work showed that I had over 20 times the amount of protein and red blood cells in my urine than normal. Before I knew it, I was at Bellin Health Hospital in Green Bay, Wisconsin getting my first of two kidney biopsies. Yes, I was lying there wide-awake while the doctor took tissue samples right out of my kidney!

My nephrologist was convinced I had Lupus, a disease where one’s body fights its own tissues and organs. The doctor said I wasn’t allowed go to college unless the results proved that I didn’t have Lupus. This was the WORST news I had ever heard. I was about to start my freshman year as a Wisconsin Badger; my dreams were instantly shattered. We waited over a week to get my biopsy results back from Mayo Clinic. We finally received them the morning I was supposed to move into my dorm. The odds were ever in my favor; I was not diagnosed with Lupus, so off to school I went! Yet, I was diagnosed with acute kidney failure and a very rare kidney disease that I can still barely pronounce.

C3 Glomerulonephritis (C3GN for short) is defined by inflamed glomeruli of the kidneys. A glomerulus is a “knot” of tiny capillaries that functions in filtering the body’s blood, turning its toxins into urine as well as reabsorbing cells, proteins, and other essential molecules of the human body. Because my glomeruli are swollen compared the usual tiny network of capillaries, I specifically have the inability to reabsorb my body’s proteins and red blood cells. Therefore, I excrete these important substances along with my body’s toxins as urine.

I have been prescribed a variety of medications in order to keep my body healthy and stable; some of these include corticosteroids, immunosuppressants, and blood pressure treatments. On average, I take about 10 medication tablets per day. This number may vary, though, due to my susceptibility to sickness from my surroundings as a result of my immunosuppression. I was once taking up to 17 pills per day!

I will never forget my freshman year because I was taking 60 milligrams of Prednisone, a really nasty but helpful steroid. I gained 30 pounds of water weight, didn’t fit into my clothes, and couldn’t even wear boots in the winter because my ankles were so swollen. I had a hunchback, chipmunk cheeks, and got enormous stretch marks on my body that still look like leeches. The amount of food I consumed each day was disgusting, and trust me, I absolutely love to eat. My stomach was a bottomless pit on this medication. These days were both emotionally and physically draining. Growing up a competitive dancer, I was always aware of my body image. I had performed on stage in skimpy costumes, so watching my body transform in ways I didn’t know it could from medicine was very disheartening. I became a total introvert my freshman year of college. I suffered from anxiety and depression, which I am now on medication for and am doing great! These are only side effects from one medication, and I battle side effects from other prescriptions every day.

Since then, I have weaned off of Prednisone and my kidney disease is under control. I feel great mentally and physically. I currently weigh less than I did in high school. I was never one to care too much about my weight; it was always about being fit and feeling good in my skin. The past few years I have not been comfortable with my body in the slightest, but I can finally say I feel good about it regardless of the scars that cover it. These scars just prove that the past is real (Papa Roach “Scars” reference), and that I successfully fought through the hardest time in my life.

Being a full time student with a rare kidney disease is a struggle, but my friends and family are the best encouragement in the world. They are the people that keep me healthy and motivated each day, and I cannot thank them enough. I never thought I’d say it has been a blessing being diagnosed with this disease, but if I hadn’t I wouldn’t have grown to be the person I am now. I have learned and matured so much throughout this journey, and I have realized that I want to help others that suffer from kidney diseases. Recently I have been accepted into a research study at the University of Iowa Hospitals and am extremely excited and fortunate to contribute to science.

The latest blessing in my life has been being introduced to Bella Soul. I’ve always wanted to put my story out there, but I’ve always felt as though no one is interested. Bella Soul has shown me that there are people around me-people I’ve probably passed on the way to class-that have been through as much as I have. This huge bump in the road has forced me to grow up, almost to a point where I feel as though I have nothing in common with those around me. I have not lived the typical “college experience” that everyone talks about, and it is so relieving knowing that I’m not alone anymore. I hope that my journey inspires others to share their own stories. I also hope that everyone, not just those with chronic ailments, find this organization as beneficial and enlightening as I do!