Week +9: Goodbye Stent (and Dignity). This blog is very much intended to be a source of information for potential transplant patients, as well as friends and family and everyone who is interested in the kidney failure/transplant journey.
Week +8: This week kept me on my toes. I had my first bath in a long time, paid an unexpected and frantic visit to hospital and went for a walk in the country. A sign of things to come.
Week +7: I intend to give this kidney the best chance of longevity possible, so am thinking about health and well-being like never before. I daresay there will be challenges to come but the fitter and stronger I am the better placed I will be to meet these head on. I firmly believe this is the best way to pay tribute to my donor and to all of you who have supported me throughout my journey.
Week +6: Sugar for the Pills. Routine can be an anchor. No matter what’s going on in our day, the certainty of our routine can help us to manage the uncertainty that life can throw up. Coping with unpredictable periods of time can feel more doable when we have a little structure in place to look towards.
Week +4: I have been at home now for just over two weeks and today is 4 weeks post-op. In many ways I feel better than I have done for years. My recovery has various aspects and each is important to focus on. The road to recovery is a bumpy one and they never really tell you about the rough stuff. They generally limit it to what life is like after recovery (those rose tinted spectacles I was talking about) but as you'll see, getting there a mixed bag.
The day had finally arrived. I had grown very attached to the amazing staff on ward 726 but after 13 days in a room by myself, I was ready to go home and be with my beautiful family. I had missed them terribly.
Day +10: Origins. In contrast to my outward facing 'fitness freak' persona, many have asked how I ended up chronically ill and eventually on the slab receiving a kidney transplant. The story began two decades ago and my my eventual diagnosis which was due the curiosity of a particular GP I saw by chance and his desire to do good by his patients. Thursday was a day where I was waiting and did practically nothing - this is an appropriately long read.
Day +9 was a day of more positive news and moderate exercise, albeit tempered by more waiting and watching of the world go by. Sometimes you don't get exactly the news you had hoped for, but when it's for your own good you can't help but feel contented and grateful.
Day +8: Some time ago I made a pact with myself: To be as fit and active as possible and not to let my illness drag me down. My motto has been to 'only slow down when you have to'. Admittedly I was forced to slow down a lot, but staying active yielded tangible benefits. Exercise and healthy eating works. Trust me.
Day +7: Long Awaited Reductions - Monday became the beginning of the end of my stay on ward 726 - the end was now in sight. All I would need to see me through was a lot of patience, regular painkillers and and plenty of cardboard pee bottles.
#R24TRC 