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.
Day +6 [Sunday]: The road to recovery is not necessarily a smooth one. There will always be bumps along the way and realistically speaking, these bumps are to be expected. Nothing could dampen my general sense of gratitude but there was definitely a certain amount of anxiety that is generated by these unexpected forays into the unknown.
Day +4 was a day of genuine progress. A lot went on and it was an emotional roller-coaster. I was being held together largely by contact with friends and loved ones... and by the near constant physical and emotional support from the staff on Ward 726.
Day +3: Every day is a learning experience; every day is a mini adventure. This is uncharted territory for me and to say that I was unprepared for the call is an understatement. But as I had no preconceptions, I had n choice but to take everything in my stride.
I am attempting to record my personal experience of kidney transplant in these pages. Memories fade but I am hoping that this will serve as a record of the events as they unfolded for me. It's been a surreal couple of weeks and my life has changed forever as a result.
Today I started my new routine of dialysis from the comfort of my own home. Frequent dialysis is better dialysis, however the treatment provided at the kidney unit really is the minimum they can get away with; roughly the equivalent of a single kidney working at about 5% capacity. Since lockdown I had been receiving … Continue reading Coming Home
I’m still tired. Race to the Stones took more out of me than I was prepared to give, but when you’re up on the ridge you have no option but to dig deep. I put my trail shoes on the other day and those pressure points around my ankles were still painful a month on. … Continue reading Strategy and Pressure Points
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