A Double Transplant Patient KO's Diabetes

Originally Published in Advances Volume 5, Issue 4

“I would have been dead a long time ago,” says Rob Heltzel. “Diabetes caught up to me and was kicking my tail. I don’t mind telling you.” But Heltzel had the tenacity and the willpower to tough it out. Serious about athletics since childhood, throwing in the towel was simply not part of his vernacular. And in the end, with the help of the physicians at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, he beat diabetes.

When Heltzel was 17 years-old and trying out for the high school football team, he took the mandatory physical and was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. “I had the symptoms but simply didn’t recognize them,” says Heltzel. He began taking a daily shot of insulin, stayed active, and led a normal life. He was, however, a brittle diabetic, and it became increasingly difficult to keep his blood sugar consistent. As the medical field learned more about diabetes, Heltzel increased the frequency of the insulin injections to better control his blood sugar. He would take up to four injections of insulin a day and eventually he ended up using an insulin pump. “But I lived my life despite the inconveniences,” says Heltzel. “Even after 20 years I was still very active, doing taekwondo, jetskiing, working out at the gym, and raising my kids.”

Round Two: Eyes and Kidneys Take A Beating

But diabetes is an insidious disease and mounted aggressive attacks on Heltzel’s body. He began experiencing problems with his eyes. The blood vessels in the back of his eyes were swelling and threatening to burst. They had to be cauterized, and he ended up needing this treatment on a regular basis. “I had this type of laser surgery about ten times on each of my eyes,” says Heltzel. “But it wasn’t until about 2002 that my eyesight was seriously compromised.” The vision in one of his eyes became cloudy and he needed a vitrectomy, a procedure in which the vitreous fluid of the eye is replaced with a gel that prevents the blood vessels from expanding. It seemed that the disease was relentlessly punishing him. Then came the blow that put him on the ropes. Doctors told him his kidneys were shutting down and that he needed to look at alternative therapies. “I researched dialysis a bit,” says Heltzel, “and flat out refused.” That left only one option: organ transplant.

Stephen Bartlett, MD

“We learned about the great work in transplantation that was being done at the University of Maryland and decided that was the place to go,” says Heltzel.

He met with Dr. Stephen Bartlett, the Barbara Baur Dunlap Professor and chair of Surgery at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and chief of Surgery at the University of Maryland Medical Center. The University of Maryland’s organ transplant program is one of the foremost transplant centers in the world and among the largest kidney transplant programs in the United States.

“I was impressed with Dr. Bartlett from the first,” says Heltzel. “I am a no-nonsense person and Dr. Bartlett is serious, direct, and confident. He told me exactly what I needed to hear. He didn’t mince words. He told me the truth. I liked that.” Despite his sobering demeanor, Heltzel did get Dr. Bartlett to laugh at one point. “My brother Paul was taking notes, as he is wont to do, and Dr. Bartlett wanted to know if he was my lawyer,” says Heltzel.

By the time Heltzel received the call for the pancreas, he was ready. He had lost 28 lbs. The donor was a 17-year-old girl from the west coast. “At the time my daughter was 17, too,” says Heltzel. “It was kind of tough.” Rob's brother Eric would donate the kidney.

Transplant Division Delivers KO Punch

Heltzel met Dr. Bartlett at 1:00 a.m. when the pancreas arrived in July of 2003. They prepped him all night. The surgery took nine hours and Heltzel received both the donated pancreas and the kidney from his brother, Eric. He spent two days in intensive care and then he moved to the Gudelsky Transplant Center for the remainder of his stay. “I was home in 12 days,” says Heltzel. “I never had a problem with either organ. They have worked wonderfully from day one.”

Within three months he was back to work, sports, and fitness activities. “I have not had to inject insulin since July 2, 2003.” Heltzel is no longer a diabetic. He has beaten the disease. Today Heltzel tells everyone who will lend an ear about his long bout with diabetes and his victory over the disease. “Half the battle with this kind of stuff is attitude,” says Heltzel. “You must be willing to fight back.” Heltzel talks with other transplant patients. “You find people who want to give up. I tell them you can’t quit. I am doing OK and you will too.

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