Some Goals and resolutions

• To make the most of my “Gift of Life” and enjoy being free from dialysis
• To go on holiday (I haven’t been abroad since I started dialysis)
• To go back to Uni, complete my dissertation and hopefully graduate with my friends
• To visit Emily T in London and go shopping!

Some resolutions and goals for my Gift of Life Battlefront Campaign

• To video blog as much as we can!
• To get some celebs on board
• To get our logo and pledge out there to as many people as possible.
• To visit as many schools/uni’s as possible to get the word out there about Organ Donation
• To meet up with Mentor Oli to discuss how to take the campaign forward
• To work on changing the law so that people have to make a decision on whether to donate their organs one way or another? No one suggests which way, but to change it so it is compulsory to make your wishes known - be it yes or no.
• To create as much hype as possible about 6th May. (The sign up day)
• To get as many people as possible to sign the Organ Donor Register

x Thanks for all your support in 2008 and all the best for 2009! x

Hey everyone! Hope you all had a lovely christmas day I spent time with my family, enjoying my first Christmas in 4 years free from dialysis and the restraints that came with it. I was able to eat and drink what I wanted and had lots more energy to enjoy the day and the festivities! (I was the only family member who didn't need an afternoon nap) Click here to see some pictures of Ivy (my kidney) and Abigail's 1st Christmas. We popped open the champers, that mum and dad received 3 years ago (for their 25th wedding anniversary). They said they would save it for the first christmas after my transplant! But whilst celebrating, thoughts of my donor weren't to far from all our minds, We released a Christmas balloon in memory of my donor to let them know we were thinking of them and their family. As obviously while we were celebrating my first Christmas with my transplant, they were experiencing their first Christmas without their loved one who gave me the greatest gift of all - The Gift of Life x

So sorry I've been quiet...

It just goes to show the difference IVY is making to my life already! I really don't know how I found time to dialyse before! I've been out and about shopping, doing uni work and on the 11th December I went in for a little operation to have the stent removed from my kidney (used to keep vein open where it is joined to the bladder), It was under General anesthetic, all went well and it was over in about 45mins.

I even a managed a night out on the town last night with the girls from uni! (Don't worry though I didn't over do it, I was in bed by 1am)! I have also been busy along with Holly's Helpers trying to push forward with the Battlefront - The Gift of Life campaign!

On the Kidney front, everything seems to be going well, my creatinine is 182 and my HB is looking more normal again! All in all I seem to have a lot more energy than before, I can cram lots of stuff into one day rather than having to pick and choose what to do, to conserve my energy! I went to the Hospital on Monday and spent most of the day there as I had to have my bloods taken before 10, had a ultrasounds scan on my fistula (which was fine) at 10.30 and then clinic at 1 (although it was nearer 2.30 when I went in.) So I'm down to weekly appointments now... although they have asked me to pop in for my bloods (before I take my immunos) so they can check the level of tacrolimus in my system, these results take 24hours and so they will be ready for when I go to clinic on Monday! This saves me going in on Monday morning to get them done and then waiting around for clinic in the afternoon.

The Battlefront campaign is coming along well thanks to Emily and Holly's Helpers, we have lots of exciting ideas on how to get the word about organ donation out there! I'm getting more hands on myself which is great. So here is what we have achieved so far...

• We are in the process of getting a logo made - (proofs can be seen on my bebo page)
• I have written to my local MP's, MEP's and even the Prime Minister Gordon Brown himself.
• We have announced our big "Sign up" day which will be 6th May 2009 and we hope to get some celebs on board with this, and of course you guys!!!
• The campaign has appeared in the National Guardian and the Big Issue.
• We now have a link to the organ donor register straight from my Battlefront page Click here to have a look. This will be a great way of measuring how many people have clicked through to the ODR via the link!
  
• I now have a mentor to help get the campaign going, Emily is hopefully meeting the man himself, Oli Barrett on Friday. Click here to read more about him!
• We have lots of videos and photos up on both the Bebo and the Battlefront pages, so go and check them out!

So if you have any more ideas on how to get the word out there please get in touch, via here, Bebo, or drop me a comment on the Battlefront page... its always great to hear your thoughts/views/opinions!

Battlefront

Here is my slide show to promote my battlefront campaign - The Gift of Life... enjoy and please pass it on.

Also here is a link to my Battlefront bebo page... click on it to get all the latest updates on the battlefront campaign and to read my bebo blog!

HollyBattlefronthttp://www.bebo.com/holly_thegiftoflife

Thanks for your support x

Hello strangers!

I feel really bad for neglecting the blog but things have been a bit manic recently!

So a quick update....

On the kidney front, things are going well, results are all going in the right direction and more importantly I'm starting to feel the benefits! I have had 4 doses of IV Iron to boost my Hemoglobin levels which are low. This seems to have helped, it's still not normal but it is much improved, I am also meant to have a drug called aranesp which will also build up my HB but my blood pressure has been too high for me to have this so we have to wait for that to sort itself before I can start on the aranesp. I have been put on 2 different blood pressure tablets to try and lower it but the docs think the main reason for it being high is the amount of fluid I have on board. At my worst I was 10kg over my dry weight!!!! Luckily I have been put on water tablets (frusimide) to get some of the fluid off, this is doing the trick and I can finally see my ankles!!! Sadly it won't do anything for my steroid "Moonface" but hey hopefully that will go down when the steroids are reduced, and anyway its worth it!

The downside to this is I'm going to the toilet every 15minutes, meaning I can't go out much, but hopefully I won't be on them for too long and I'll be able to get out and about again soon!

I went to the hospital today and I didn't even have to wait around for my blood results, which is great!!! They said they would ring... they haven't but I'm not worried as no news is good news! They told me I don't need to go back till Thursday so I'm down to twice weekly visits which is great! I've also been booked in for a little operation (day case) on 11th December to get the stent removed out of Ivy (my kidney). This will be done under General Anesthetic, but from start to finish should only take half an hour. Also going for an ultrasound scan on my fistula on 15th Dec, even though I'm not using it anymore it still has to be checked to make sure it's still working and not narrowing again.


In other news the Battlefront campaign is really going full steam ahead, thanks to Emily and "Holly's Helpers" to find out more click here. I also have a bebo page up and running so to have a nosey at that too click here and add me as a friend! All ideas are under wraps at the minute but I'll let you know as soon as possible about any developments!
I'm also busy trying to do a piece of uni work so I don't get to far behind! So its all go, go, go at the minute, I don't know how I managed to fit in dialysis before, the freedom is great! I can't believe its only just over 5 weeks and the difference is noticable already.

I promise to update this more often! Thanks for all your supportive messages! x