Ireland Part 1

Well where do I start? I’m back from N. Ireland after an amazing week away! We managed to fit so much into one week! It didn’t get off to a great start as our plane was cancelled and we had to get on the next one which meant a two hour delay, I managed to find some computers and logged onto the internet to kill time, so all was not lost. Our flight eventually left Liverpool at 10.45pm instead of 8.30pm and we arrived at my Auntie’s house in Armagh well after 12.00 and went straight to bed.

The following morning we took a walk round Cabragh which is where my Mum was brought up and where I remember spending lots of time as a child. We walked through the fields that my Auntie owns and made friends with some cows! We then went for a Sunday lunch at a posh restaurant, Mum, Dad and Auntie D had a four course meal, I just had the main. After lunch we visited the church at Loughgall village where the wedding was going to take place on the Thursday but more about that later. That night we were invited round to my Mum’s cousin’s house to see their son’s wedding presents. This is a tradition in Ireland apparently, people are invited to see what everyone else has bought (Mum loved this bit, she’s very nosey). So we had tea and cake and chatted till about 11.30 that night.

On the Monday we did some shopping (my favourite pastime) in a local shopping centre and had lunch there. We went home for a little rest before setting off again for Daisy Hill Hospital for dialysis. It took half an hour to get there we set off at around 5.45 and my shift started at 6.30pm, the nurses were so friendly and really professional, I was on every night before 6.45.

On the Tuesday we went to the local town (Armagh) for a little look at the local shops and in the afternoon we went to Lisburn (about a 45minute drive) to see my mum’s Auntie, who is in her 90’s. It was great to see her and she is looking really well. We spent a couple of hours with her and then headed back to my Auntie’s house where I treated my mum, dad and Auntie to a Chinese takeaway, which was delicious.

I decided on the Wednesday to take it pretty easy as the following day was going to be a hectic one with the wedding. So we had a little walk round the Mall (a green area surrounded by trees in the middle of the town where the local cricket team plays) We used to always do this when I came to Ireland as a child so it was nice to be able to do it again. In the evening I obviously headed off to Daisy hill in Newry again for dialysis which went ok although I did experience some clotting about an hour before the end, but thankfully it held out to the end of the session and I didn’t need to come off early.

Just a quick blog to let you know that all went well at the appointment with my consultant. My calcium is a bit high, due to me taking calcichews and alphacalcidol so he has stopped both of these, the calcichew permanently and the alphacalcidol temporarily. So my phosphate binders have been changed (yet again) this time to Alucaps, I have taken these before a few years ago so I should be ok with them.

I asked him about my arm but he seems to think it looks ok (I still think its getting bigger) I told him that the ultrasound people hadn't been in touch about another scan so he gave me the number direct to ring them when I got back from Ireland. By coincidence, they rang later that day to book me in, so I'm having it on the 21st July, fingers crossed all is well and I won't have to have another angioplasty.

So thats about it really, I spoke to him about my aranesp and he suggested I could inject it myself on the saturday to save me taking it with me, I think the look on my face told him what my reply was! Theres no way I could do that, and my Mum n Dad couldn't either, so I'll take it with me and have it through the machine on Monday.

So I'm running around like a headless chicken, getting everything ready for goin, cramming everything in my case (although it still won't close) getting my meds sorted, and I also have to take my dialysers with me too, which is the artificial kidney that clips on the machine and filters the blood. So thats something else to remember!

Anyway best go and carry on, so much to do, so little time (you can tell I'm not used to going on Holiday.)

Going to try and get to an internet cafe during the week, will update if I can, if not, See you in a week! x

Two blogs in one day, aren't you lucky....

Yesterday I had a rough day, I was sick in the morning, I think this was due to the over exertion the day before with all my walking. It was well worth it though as it got people signed up to the organ donation, raised awareness of Kidney Disease and raised money for Kidney Research!

So today and yesterday I have had a cough and have been feeling a bit chesty, I am going to see my consultant tomorrow anyway, he usually checks my chest and heart so he'll be able to tell me if I am A-OK! I am also going to ask him about my Fistula (in my arm) as since my operation I feel its getting bigger (where the needles go in) maybe its just me as I am really aware and self conscious of it! Would like to put my mind at ease though and ask him to have a look, as the surgeon that did the procedure on my arm said that I should have a scan and check up in a month but I have heard nothing since and its been a month already!

I am also going to ask the consultant about my aranesp (this is an injection into the machine to help maintain the correct level of HB in the blood) as I am going on holiday to N.Ireland on Saturday and need to take some Aranesp with me as I receive it once a week, this needs to be refridgerated at all times! I am also unsure as to whether I should take it in my hand luggage as I don't fancy getting stopped by security on the way in, carrying a syringe that looks a bit dodgy! I'll see if he will give me a letter to go along with it!

Really excited about going away on Saturday as it will be the first proper holiday since I was diagnosed and more importantly the first time my Mum and Dad have been away! We are staying with my Auntie (Mum's sister) and we are attending a family wedding next Thursday so that will be good to catch up with everyone! I will also have 3 dialysis sessions while I am away at Daisy Hill Hospital in Newry (sounds nice doesn't it), I am a little nervous about this as I have never dialysed away from the unit before and am a bit weary of new nurses needling me, but I'm sure it will be fine.

So today's news... I went shopping for a new digital camera to take with me to Ireland, I ended up getting this pink one, it's charging up at the minute I can't wait to try it tomorrow. Also It is my Gran's 84th Birthday today and so she and my brother and his wife came round for tea (a Chinese, with no salt for me, my contribution to the renal diet.) We got her a cake and sang Happy Birthday and she seemed to like all her presents!

Earlier today Emily from Live Life Then Give Life asked me earlier today if I could get hold of a video camera and film a video diary of life on the transplant list to present to the treasury. She said I would have to make it really emotional and sad, not too sure I would be any good at it because I think I'm quite a positive person, put waiting on the list to the back of my head and try to lead a normal life as possible! So not sure how convincing I would be to the treasury, haha! Emily also sent out some press releases to some local newspapers about transplant week and how I am waiting so maybe they will be in touch this week, to get the topic of organ donation out there, and get people talking about it.

National Transplant Week

This week marks the 18th National Transplant week, the theme of the 2008 campaign is "Jump on Board" the NHS Organ Donor Register and join the 15million people that have already signed up.

Transplants in Mind's aim is to get more than 80,000 new names on the Organ Donor Register. The launch is today at the London Transport Museum, the donor bus will be there encouraging people to sign up and volunteers will be on hand to offer information and advice.

Since 1 April 2008:

• 220 people have donated organs
• an additional 452 people have donated corneas
• 661 people have received the gift of sight
• 655 people have received transplants
• 7,757 people are still waiting for transplants
  

To join the Organ Donor Register and join the 15,500,596 people – 25% of the population who already have click here.

Thanks x

Well I did it, or I should say we did it!




We met up with everyone at the little Roodee Car park at 11.30 and got given a free kidney research bag with some water, crisps, biscuits and apple juice aswell as flags and balloons to carry with us on the walk.

We set off at 12.00 along the river, walking through some gardens and across the bridges! It took us around 45 minutes to do the well over 2 mile course. I didn't even sit down for a rest at any point, I was impressed (even if I do say so myself!) At the end of the walk there was a stand raising awareness of Kidney Research and events coming up as well as a stand to encourage people to sign up to the Organ Donor Register. Everyone that took part also got a certificate for their achievement.

So its completed and thanks to everyone who donated money to Kidney Research, it is much appreciated. I have raised £130 so far and it will make a difference, improving the understanding of renal disease, its causes, treatment and management as well as improving patient care. You can see some pictures of the walk here. I'll leave you with a picture of me and mum on the bridge.

I have added a Blog Roll to the right hand side, its a list of some of the blogs I read. They are all fabulously written and are all connected to the world of transplants, either the person is on the list and waiting like me or they have received their transplant... follow their journeys by taking a look.

It's been a busy week, can hardly remember what I've done!

On Monday I did a practice 2 mile walk to make sure I could actually do it, this is a big deal for me as I get tired really easily and I didn't want to ask people for sponsor money if I was unable to actually complete it! I did it in about an hour so thats not bad for me. So I'm all set now for tomorrow, I hope the weather stays nice! Thanks to everyone whose sponsored me (on and offline) I really appreciate it!

On Tuesday I had a fun day catching up with different friends, I went to a play barn with my friend Hanne and her daughter Ellie. This was great exercise running around after her and really tired me out, so I had a nap in the afternoon, ready for a night out with some other friends. Me and my friends Steph (whose had a kidney transplant) and Gary (who I dialyse with) went for a chinese and it was great to chat away from the hosp!

On Thursday I spent the whole afternoon at Warrington Hospital in the Opthalmology department! On a routine eye check about a month ago my optician said that my optic nerve was swollen and he was going to refer me. I was a bit concerned as this happened before about 2 years ago and I needed various tests and an MRI scan so I was worried that all this needed to be done again. We had to wait about 2 or more hours to be seen, I had to have special eye drops in that dilated my pupils (I looked like I was on drugs) and made my vision all blurry! I needn't have worried though, the consultant saw me and looked at the back of my eye and said it was scarring from the previous time it had swollen so it would probably always be like this! So all is good.

Finally yesterday there was a bit of a nightmare with dialysis, Warrington Hosp phoned and said that the unit had no water and so patients were going all different places to be dialysed, I was told I would have to go to Clatterbridge for 4.30. So we set off just before 4.00, but on the way there the unit manager rang and said a patient had got there before me and so he would get on first and I would have to wait until 6.30! To say I wasn't impressed was an understament, particulary because he was told to get there for 6.30!!! So we arrived at the unit after about 45 minutes and knew that we would be waiting well over an hour, which isn't the best feeling when you then have to have dialysis for 3 hours and then have to tavel all the way home again. So to kill a bit of time me, my mum and dad went for a walk to a nearby strawberry farm that we spotted on the way in! We managed to pick 2 massive ponnets of strawberries in 15minutes and I'm sure my mum ate as many as she picked! Everytime I turned round her cheeks were puffed out as she had stuffed another one in!

All the patients from my usual shift in Warrington also went to Clatterbridge so it wasn't so bad, I finally got on the machine at 6.30, there were no tellies so the time dragged and the patients actually talked to each other for once, as in Warrington the beds are set out at an angle that patients cant see or talk to eachother! So this made a change and killed a bit of time, but I'll not take the tellies at Warrington for granted now!

So I got home about 11, and watched Big Bro in bed!!!

Will let you know how I get on with the walk tomorrow! x