| Brielle Gazzara |
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Brielle's Story Just after her 21st birthday, Brielle Gazzara went to the hospital with kidney transplant probelms. She went home 3 months later weighing 68 pounds, hooked up to a 24 hour nutritional I.V., and back on dialysis. That was five years ago. Today she can leg press 400 pounds at the gym. Since she was 14 Brielle Gazzara has been on dialysis. At 15 her first kidney transplant rejected in the second month with disastrous side effects. Fortunately, through several months of self-rehabilitation and with absolute determination she began to slowly recover and move on. For the next several years the dialysis went well enough and fit in with her high school schedule, her job and her social life. By the time she was 21, the three hour dialysis sessions three times a week were just another part of her routine. That same year Brielle's brother offered to be a kidney doner and despite the disaster six years earlier, she decided to try again in June. Sadly, this one also rejected in the second month with nearly fatal results. The next three month were spent in and out of intensive care, "crashing" twice, and transferring between three local hospitals. Brielle continues her story: I transferred to to third hospital for treatment of pancreas complications after the previous surgeon threatened to perform a colostomy. A nurse there later told me that she assumed I was brought there to die because I was in such bad shape. At that point I had not actually eaten anything substantial for almost 2 months and I am sure that at that time I was literally starving to death. I was quickly placed on a nutritional I.V. and started to feel much better, despite my condition. The night before I was to be discharged with my nutritional back pack, the artery to my heart was punctured by the catheter placement. By the next morning my left lung had completely collapsed from all of the hemmorhaging blood and my heart was being pushed toward my right lung. A heart surgeon performed an emergency surgery to open up my chest and scoop out a pint of gelled blood. When I was finally sent home at Thanksgiving I only weighed 68 pounds and was just skin and bones. I could still not eat or drink for 3 more month. I was getting all of my nutrition through a heart catheter that was permanently hooked up to an I.V. bag and pump in the back pack that I carried with me everywhere I went. I slept with it next to my bed. As I gained more strength I started to drive myself and my back pack to dialysis three days a week. I was excited when my doctor told me in February that I could start out with hard candy. This was the first food of any kind that I had in months. I then started to have liquids, then soft food and finally regular food. It was a long drawn out process, but worth it because my pancreas recovered completely. I finally got back in the gym in March and started working out again and taking protein shakes every day. It takes dedication, a positive attitude, and the will power to do it. I started at rock bottom and slowly worked my way up to where I am today. Going to the gym and eating a well-balanced diet keeps me healthy and makes dialysis easier. I never feel washed out or drained after a dialysis treatment. I think that working out has a lot to do with that. I love to train shoulders and legs. I can now leg press 400 pounds. People at the gym call me "thunder mouse" because I weigh 100 pounds and can push 4 times my weight. I had the will power to get back to where I was before the transplant and I had a lot of people praying for me every day. If you ever feel discouraged by the events in your life remember - Never give up! Always stay positive. I know it is easier to say than to do, but when I was almost dead I really never thought that I was doing that bad. I am 28 now. I work full time as manager of a sports supplement store in Columbus, Ohio. I still go to the the gym 4-5 nights a week. I travel often -- the Jersey Shore in summer, California to visit my brother, Chicago and New Jersey to visit family, and recently to Las Vegas to work at the bodybuilding "Olympia" expo. Dialysis is just one more arrangement and one more stop in a busy schedule. That's all it has to be. |
| 1. What is your favorite scripture? One of my favorite scriptures is Romans 12:5 ~ Since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts in Christ's body, let's just go ahead and be what we were made to be. 2. Who were your childhood heros? My mom. She past away when I was a little girl from cancer. I looked up to her and wanted to be just like her. My dad tells me once in a while that I have her personality. She was so outgoing and bubbly. She had a heart of gold! I still miss her very much but once in a while she comes to visit me in my dreams! 3. If you could meet anyone from the bible, other than Jesus, who would it be? It would definitely be Mary. I guess I have always felt so close to her because I lost my mother when I was so young. 4. What biblical figure do you most identify with? I really identify with the bible as a whole and not a specific identity. 5. What trait do you like most about yourself? I like my ability to keep motivated no matter what! Once in a blue moon I have a rough dialysis treatment but, it just makes me want to get in that gym and train as hard as I can! 6. What trait do you like least about yourself? It is tough to say because I believe in Gods power of creation. I love all of the things the Lord has blessed me with. 7. How have you been able to represent God in your sport? Being in the public eye, people want to know how I get in great condition to compete in bodybuilding. No drug can push you to new heights and levels as much as having faith in God and in yourself! 8. If you could change one thing about your sport, what would it be? It would be to enhance the opportunities given to disabled people who want to compete and further themselves. " Greatness is the distance traveled not the height reached." My best friend told me this right before I went on stage for my bodybuilding competition. 9. If you were to die today and go to heaven, what would you like to hear God say? Brielle, you made me proud! |
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| Thank you Brielle for sharing your story
of courage and faith! You are a true
inspiration
for all! To find out more about exercising
and dialysis, visit Brielle at http://www.vincesmuscleshop.com/Brielle.htm Also read comments about Brielle on Iron Online Forum: http://www.davedraper.com/forum/showflat.php?Cat=0&Board=Home&Number=87836&fpart=& |
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