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Seven Years with Kidney Disease 😱

So here we are on the first day of Organ Donation Week and seven years since I was diagnosed with end stage kidney failure and it feels like a lifetime ago! So what's been going on over the past year?

Harry 

Trev and I decided the time had come to hear the pitter-patter of tiny feet in our home and we would now like to introduce you to Harry who joined our home on the 21st January. He has made us so happy and is keeping us on our toes  ❤️

Harry at 8 weeks old

 Harry has had an enormous impact on our lives in the short time he has been with us, there is so much fun and laughter all of the time as we watch his antics and go for long walks along the fabulous Cornish coastline.

Harry is now nine months old and he comes everywhere with us :-) 

Harry and I at the end of August

Second World Transplant Games

I had the honour of being selected to represent team GB at the World Transplant Games once again and they were held in Malaga Spain.  At the end of June the fabulous Team GB made their way to Malaga to compete in lots of different sporting events.

 Once again I was participating in the swimming events which were held on the Wednesday and Thursday.  

 I was overjoyed to come home from Malaga with the following result:

🥈 Silver 50m back
🥈 Silver 100m back
🥉 Bronze 50m free
🥉 Bronze 100m free
🦋 4th 50m butterfly

With my medals in Malaga

 As with the first world games which I participated in, the friendships which I have made from all over the world has been amazing.  Below is Lisa and Rosaura who I met in Argentina and had the pleasure of swimming with again.

On the podium with friends from South Africa and Argentina

British Transplant Games

This year the British Games were held in Scotland at the end of July and they were the fourth games which I have attended.

 A small (but mighty) team from Plymouth attended the games and we had a fun packed four days.

 My swimming took place on the Saturday and I was super chuffed to have my own supporters! Rosemary & Francis (previously from Cornwall now living in Scotland) came along for the day and cheered me on, along with my Plymouth team supporters.

 Once again I was delighted with my result, coming home with a medal in each event:

 🥇 50m free
🥇 50m back
🥇 50m breast
🥈 50m butterfly
🥈 100m free 

My Medals from the British Games

 The small team of three from Plymouth came away from an impressive haul of 10 medals which really does make us small but mighty in my humble opinion ;-)

The Small but mighty Plymouth Team

 That's it for another year, I'm thankful to say that life is good and that I am fit and well and enjoying the gift which mum gave me to the full.

Mum is well and still non stop!  She exhausts me just watching her :-) 


Mum and I on Saturday

 On a final note, would you please consider signing up to the organ donor register. Three people die each day waiting for an organ which is devastating.  If you do sign up, please share your wishes with your family.  For more information about organ donation, please click HERE.  Thank you :-) 

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Location: Cornwall, UK

Comments

  1. Jack Ryan1 January 2018 at 14:08

    When I was diagnosed with kidney disease, my doctors pumped me full of Prednisone and Cyclosporine - drugs that were supposed to help stop my kidney failure. . . But all it did was give me awful acne and make it impossible to sleep . . . I was soon overwhelmed with mood swings, terrible depression and psychosis that put me in the hospital.

    That’s when they told me my kidneys were close to failing!

    Well, I found a better approach got rid of my kidney disease permanently...

    http://www.healthwise101.com/kidney_disease

    ReplyDelete
  2. darlenebuonaurou21 January 2022 at 09:20

    Awesome article with great information, thank you guys for sharing such a fantastic blog. Meanwhile check this out

    Kidney IgA Nephropathy

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