Well I've had a really busy week so far!

On Monday I had to get up early and head on up to the Royal Liverpool for a scan on my fistula in my arm, I was convinced that the bulge in my arm had got bigger therefore I would need more balloons meaning more surgery! However my theory was disproved as it hadn't got bigger at all (if anything its got smaller) and the great news is I don't need anything doing, well not at the mo anyway! I need to go back in 2months for another scan just to keep an eye on it! The surgeon did the scan himself and took some measurements for the trial I am part of! So all good news!

I then had a full day at uni on Tuesday and went out for a chinese with my friends Steph and Gary! It was my turn to drive this time so I picked Gary up on the way and headed on over to Frodsham which is about half an hour away. We had a lovely time chatting and laughing away, its good to see them away from the hospital and not just talk kidneys and dialysis.

On Wednesday I had another full day at uni, a big lecture on doing my dissertation! Very scary! The headed on over to Warrington Hospital for Dialysis, which was ok apart from the end when I felt a bit funny and got terrible cramp in my big toe! It brought tears to my eyes, the most annoying thing is that I can't move (get up and stamp my feet) the nurse was very nice and filled up a rubber glove with hot water to hold onto the cramp to ease the pain! Cramps happen when you are taking alot of fluid off or taking too much fluid off.

Felt ok today, a bit tired but not too bad, I think its all the early mornings and uni catching up with me. I went again today, just for the morning and then this afternoon we were babysitting our friends little boy Peter. We had fun playing trains and watching in the Night Garden. Andy brought Abigail round for an hour as well which was nice but they had to make a quick dash for it as Abigail was having a bit of a tantrum (hehe starting early)!

Also had a phone call this afternoon from Kelly at Raw Television (the battlefront campaign) she has asked me to fill out a CRB form online and I need to take my Identifications to the post office ASAP for them to check them, this is necessary for all the people that finished in the top 10. Kelly then went on to say that it was even more important that I do the CRB quickly as I had made the judges top 3!!! I need to speak to a psychiatrist/psychologist (can't remember which) on Monday at 4pm to see if I am a suitable candidate to make that coveted 20th spot inthe Battlefront! Really happy about this, just need to wait till 3rd November to see who wins!

Finally my plans for next week are...

On Monday I'm excited to say Emily from Live Life Then Give Life is coming to stay the night as she is up in the North West to do a talk at the Manchester Royal Infirmary on Tuesday. I might head up to Manchester in the morning to help her set up the LLTGL/Organ Donor stand before I go to uni in the afternoon (Can't wait to catch up Emily). Talking of Live Life Then Give Life they have a great new blog which you can visit here, I feature in their latest blog!

On Tuesday night I'm at my friends birthday night out, we're going bowling and then heading into town for a few drinks.

So thats all the gossip really, will keep you updated with the Battlefront competition!

Hi everyone! Wow what a busy few weeks... lots of things going on!

I'm enjoying being an Auntie and have been round to visit Mum, Dad and Baby lots. Its actually my Bro's birthday today so bought him a cake from Abigail saying "Happy Birthday Daddy, Lots of Love Abigail!"

The first bit of news is that Live Life Then Give Life won the Charity Times Award for "Campaigning Team of the year!" So big congrats to them, they do a great job of raising awareness of organ donation through talks and the media etc and supporting people who are waiting for a transplant (I know this first hand) The judges at the awards said they were"an outstanding campaign made up of many effective and innovative strands and approaches, achieving great success”! I say here here!

In other news the Battlefront campaign (on organ donation) is going great and I have been at number one from about 2 days after I uploaded it which is fantastic, so if you have voted, thank you I really appreciate it. Heres a bit more about the campaign...



"Did you know that 1000 people die every year because of the shortage of organ donors in the UK? In 2005 I went on the kidney transplant waiting list after a sudden illness caused kidney failure. I'm now kept alive by a dialysis machine which I’m attached to 3 times each week. For many others on the waiting list this isn't an option - for them an organ transplant is a matter of life and death. My campaign will raise awareness of organ donation and encourage more people to think, talk and do something about it. As a result, this campaign will save and transform lives, perhaps even my own. Waiting is tough! However I have seen the difference a transplant can make and this gives me hope for the future that I will be able to do the things I have dreamt of."

I have had loads of comments which are lovely to read too, the entries have closed now but you can keep voting until the 8th so keep going if your computer allows you to do it more than once! If you haven't already done so please vote here. An article appeared on a local website about my campaign, you can read that here. I get a phonecall on the 9th/10th to let me know if I have made it into the top 10 and if so then its over to the judges. So I'll keep you updated!

I also started back to uni this week, Its scary to think how the time has flown! I can't believe I'm in my 3rd year, doing my dissertation! Next year I'll be out in the scary wide world! So this is were the hardwork starts!

On Saturday me and my folks went to Blackpool for the day which was lovely, we went in the tower to see the circus which was fab but some of the acrobats left my heart in my throat!

Me and Mum on the Pier!

Me and Dad on the Pier!

On sunday me and my friend Hanne along with her Daughter Ellie went to the open day at the local firestation, we pretended that we were taking Ellie but in reality we were looking for hunky fireman! We were really disappointed as they were all old! Ellie enjoyed the afternoon though and even got a sit in the fire engine!

Me and Ellie in the Fire engine!

On Tuesday night I met with the lovely Emma and Brad from Live Life Then Give Life! We had a lovely evening of chat (some intellectual and some not so) and a meal! We talked about LLTGL and the battlefront campaign, thanks for all your help Em. I have invited them to come up for a weekend in the future (Em if your reading this, I hope you take us up on the offer.) It feels like we have known eachother for ages and yet have only met twice, It would be great to spend some more time together! Heres some pics....

Emma, Me and Brad

Me and Emma

On the health front I've not been to bad, a few weeks back the nurses at dialysis were a bit concerned about my high pulse. They told me to go to my GP which I did, she checked it and it wasn't too bad but ordered a TFT blood test (thyroid function test) which came back normal, so everything is fine. I started getting a bit worried when one of the dialysis nurses said "Have you ever seen a heart consultant!"

As for my Fistula its still a bit sore on needling and you can still feel the stent under the skin, I will be asking the surgeon about this when I go and get it scanned on the 13th. I'm also seeing my dialysis consultant that week on the 15th so I'll see how everything is ticking along then. This months clearance was 75% which is good for 3 hours and the highest its ever been for me.

Sorry this blog has been a bit bitty with news...

Hi... Sorry I've been so delayed in updating! Still on a high from becoming an Auntie! Abigail is just gorgeous, not seen her today but will pop by my brothers house tomorrow to see them all!

Now to fill you in on my Fistulaplasty, it didn't go quite to plan as the narrowing was worse than they first anticipated!

I arrived at the Royal at about 7.30 and the nurse guided me to my bed at which two other ladies were sitting so I was a bit confused, she explained that (as usual) there was a bed problem, but because my mum had rang up and said we were on our way that the bed was mine! The nurse then took some blood, asked some routine questions, gave me a lovely sexy gown and that was it.... the waiting began. Breakfast came and I decided that instead of starving myself like last time I would chance a piece of toast, which I am glad I did as breakfast came and went and so did dinner (which I didn't eat). So more waiting and more waiting, (at this point I was having a kip on the bed.) I got changed into my sexy gown that flashes your bum and eventually went down to the radiology department about 2.30pm! I went into a cubicle, signed a consent form, and a form to say I was willing to take part in a stent trial (they are testing new covered stents) then I walked into the theatre about 2.45!

I was in the theatre for just over an hour this time as things weren't totally straight forward, the narrowing was bigger than they thought, It was a bit uncomfortable when they were pushing and pulling at my arm. Next they inserted a wire, a tube and a balloon into the vein and filled the balloon up with saline! At this point my toes were curling a bit and the nurse checked I was ok as it was very painful for about 30seconds but the pain went immediately when the balloon was let down! They had to do this with 4 different balloons to ensure the narrowing had gone (the surgeon was very impressed at how well I was handling the pain and said he would have been crying - typical man) A 4cm titanium stent (which is very expensive) was inserted through the wire and into my vein, it was then opened to the size of the vein to ensure the narrowing didn't return. I mentioned I was taking part in a trial before, this process is randomised and so at the begining of the procedure an envelope was opened to see which stent I would receive, turns out it was the plain old stent anyway so it didn't really matter haha! Although I think the surgeon will still take more interest in my scans when I return.

The tube was taken out and the nurse placed pressure on the wound for 10mins in the recovery room. I didn't even need a dressing on it. I went back up to the ward on the bed (I could have walked, but they insisted) I then immediately got dressed ready to go home and they said I had to stay till 5, but they could see I was dying to get away so at 4.15 the nurse said I could go. However a friend of mine (a nurse from another ward) turned up for a chat which was nice, so we didn't end up leaving till 4.45 anyway!

My arm is ok now, I can actually feel the stent under my skin which is a bit freaky! I haven't got a bruise whatsoever which is great. The only problem is, is when the nurses are needling my fistula it is alot more painful than it used to be, they have to push alot harder (its like they are hitting a barrier, or the skin is tougher) I'm not sure if this is them having to needle through the stent or not! Hopefully the procedure has been successful and I wont need anymore work doing on it in the near future, I have to go back for a scan in a month's time, so we'll just have to wait and see! Will keep you posted!

I am the proud Auntie of a beautiful baby girl called Abigail Louise Shaw, she was born this morning (05/09/08) at 7.15am weighing 7lb 8 and a half! She was born by emergency c-section which was a bit traumatic for Mum, Dad and Baby but all are doing well. I met her for the first time this afternoon, she had her eyes open and was so alert!

Theres some pics on Facebook, if you want to see, click here and here.

I'm the smiliest person tonight...wishing Fiona a speedy recovery x x x


PS - op went ok, It took an hour, 4 balloons and a stent, it was very painful but it's not feeling too bad tonight.