Skip to main content

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 :-) 

Comments

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

    Kidney IgA Nephropathy

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Significant Milestones & the World Transplant Games!

SIGNIFICANT MILESTONES! Another year has passed but this year with several significant milestones!    In August I reached the ripe old age of 40!  I have no idea how I got so old so very quick!  Where has the time gone!   In December I celebrated my 10th year working with/for Frugi  they started out as one of my clients when I was self employed and now I'm their full time Finance Director.  A job I absolutely love!  (Most days!!)   Earlier this month Trev and I celebrated 15 years together!  We have such a laugh all of the time, no day is ever dull!   Finally today is the fifth anniversary of my kidney transplant, an important day in my calendar.  Everyday I live without the need for dialysis is such a gift.    I am fit, healthy and live everyday to the full.  I am so very privileged and wouldn't be in this position without my mum, my donor.  Thank you mum.   Mum and I at the...

How Quickly Has That Six Months Passed?

I haven't updated the blog for a few weeks as everything has been going to plan!  I had been feeling better and better everyday that passed.  My appointments at Derriford have been reduced to once a week and my date for transferring back to Treliske had been set. However, this week I have literally been knocked off my feet!  Sunday evening I had a somewhat restless nights sleep and I had a tickle at the back of my throat.  Here we go I thought, my first cold since my transplant.  I had already been told that a cold would floor me now due to the immunosuppresant drugs, but I was not prepared in the slightest for how I have been feeling!! Monday I carried on as normal but Monday night I had no sleep whatsoever as I was coughing all night.  Tuesday all I managed to do was lie in the dark all day with my eyes closed.  Wednesday, after another sleepless night I called the hospital and was told to go to Derriford straight away (with my overnight bag packed...

Pirate FM's Local Heroes Awards 2016: Sports Achievement Award

On the 23rd March I had a surprise call from Pirate FM .  Unknowingly to me, Trevor had nominated me for a Pirate FM Local Hero Award for Sporting Achievement and I had won!!  Trevor and I were filmed on the 6th April by Pirate FM and they created this clip to show at the awards ceremony as to why I had won this award: Trevor and I were given four tickets to the black tie awards ceremony so we took along my mum, without whom I wouldn't have won the award and my brother Jon. We arrived at the Tregenna Castle Hotel at 7pm where I was presented with a sash to show that I was one of the winners for the night and we then went into the lounge where there was champagne and nibbles on tap! Trev, Me, Mum and Jon on arrival at the awards After the drinks reception we proceeded through to dinner.  Each table had one award winner, the sponsor of that award and representatives from Pirate FM. We had a lovely meal and were then entertai...