Today I had some news; I have finally been placed on the transplant list! This means that, following my impromptu heart operation, I have been given the all-clear for transplant. Most of you will know that my Mum has been matched as my principle living donor. She has been worked up over the course of the last few months and has been through the mill, but we are almost there. Once she is also given the green light, we simply need to set a date and get the transplant done. In theory I could be matched to a deceased donor before mum is ready; this would save her the ordeal of surgery, and while the chance of a third-party donor is small, the chance is still there. Consequently, at no time can I be further than two-hours away from Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Birmingham. Those dreams of sailing around the world will have to wait, but I see light at the end of the tunnel.
Over the course of the late summer and autumn I have been getting more and more impatient. I have also been feeling increasingly fatigued with a lingering and persistent tiredness that is continuously limiting. It feels similar to when I’ve missed a lot of sleep, and while I don’t sleep well these days, I have started to wonder if there are other factors are at work. Contrary to my reputation as a running addict, I have become largely sedentary in recent months. But we all know that exercise increases the blood flow, improves circulation, enhances your mood and leaves you feeling energised. I have not run a stride since July, and now I don’t know if I am a) too tired to run, or b) tired because I’m not running. There was only one way to find out, so last night I donned my trainers and went out for a run.
I hadn’t realised how much I’d missed it. I ran four and a half slow and chilly miles and absolutely loved it. Running and the Trentham Running Club family have been such a huge part of my life for the past decade, its hard to imagine life without them. My anaesthetist told me not to do anything (gutted) but my consultant, who knows me best, has quietly encouraged me to carry on exercising (hooray!). I am “not an 85-year-old cardiac patent” and, in her words “exercise is always a good thing”. Idleness can become a self-fulfilling prophecy and I am not the type to sit down and wait for time to take its toll. I may be back to square one on the fitness front (and boy, my legs know it today) but there’s no time like the present to start again.
#R24TRC 