Monday 29 March 2010

I haven't fallen off the face of the earth...

As the title suggests, I am still here (you don't get rid of me that easily)

If I am not updating its because I am having too much fun for my own good! I have done loads of exciting things over the past few weeks that each deserve their own blog, but I just don't have time. So here is a quick run down!

  • I went to the x factor meet and greet... met them all, loved Jedward and got some fab pics (if you are on facebook you will have already seen them)
  • I went to London for 5 days ON MY OWN - this wouldn't have been possible before. I stayed with the lovely Charlotte Hogg for 3 nights and spent my last night with the fabulous Emily.
  • I met some amazing people in London - catching up with my mentor Oli Barrett as well. I have started making plans for Donor Day 2010 and will fill you in when I can.
  • It was Jess' 21st Birthday the day I was staying with Emily... we released blue and white 21st birthday balloons with Sunflower seeds attached to them (this is what me and Em threw on Jess' beautiful pink coffin at her funeral) we also attached a note to ask the person who finds them to plant them in her memory.
  • I went to see Peter Kay at one of his intimate gigs for Haiti. He was hilarious!
  • I am loving my new trustee role for Live Life Then Give Life
  • Work is going well and I am getting my head around all the paper work!
  • I am in the spring special of Pick Me up, talking about the gift of life campaign and battlefront!
  • I jumped off the Royal Liverpool Hospital for the big zip in aid of the Linda McCartney Unit and the St Pauls eye unit. I hated jumping off the ledge but loved the actual zip wire and would definately do it again!
  • I've booked to go and see Lady GaGa in June :)
  • I can't remember if I mentioned this in one of my previous blogs but I am thinking of moving out of home (mum still thinks I am joking) but I am not and I want to make it happen in the coming months. (I will have to take some overtime on at work but I am sure it will be worth it)
  • Rachy is doing well after her double lung transplant and I hope to see her when I get back off my holiday!

On Wednesday I am off to Ireland for a family wedding! The last time I went over for a wedding (2 years ago) I was on dialysis, had to fit the wedding in around this, obviously couldn't eat or drink what I wanted and felt nausious the hole time. My Mum had to pull the car over for me to be sick on the way home from the reception! So this year, it will be all different, I will be eating and drinking and no doubt showing the dance floor some of my moves!

Sorry that this was so brief. I will update more about that when I get back... I will hopefully do a photoblog sometime soon with pics of some of the above events.

Wednesday 10 March 2010

Rachy got the call...

Just a quick update to say my friend Rachael Wakefield got her call for a double lung transplant today :) I got a text at 4.20am this morning and have been on tenterhooks all day waiting on any news, constantly checking my phone, facebook, blogs and twitter! Finally the news came through at 5pm that it was all a go and she was off to theatre!

I am so thrilled for her and her family, she really does deserve this second chance. Rachy had recently been put on the urgent transplant waiting list and I was extremely worried about her as it brought back so many memories of Jess! Of course Rachy is not out of the woods, she has got a long operation ahead of her and an even longer recovery. She is one tough cookie though, and I know she can do it!

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_PG4HQ3XfQA8/S2nOP-ep9kI/AAAAAAAAAks/e271pwcvfzU/s320/Holly+and+rachy.jpg

She has promised to take me to TGI Fridays and I have promised her a night of cocktails, she best keep her end of the bargain, cos I will definately be keeping mine! Keep up to date with Rachy's progress here and of course on her own blog here.

I am of course thinking of the amazing family who said yes to Organ Donation at such a devestating time for them. You could do something amazing today and save someones life... sign the Organ Donor Register and give people like Rachy a chance. Thank you x


Monday 8 March 2010

I am now a Trustee!

I am now a Trustee for Live Life Then Give Life! Woop!

I am mega excited about this, I have been doing stuff for them since 2006/7 and officially became an advocate for them in 2008 so I am really chuffed that they want me on board as a trustee! The AWARD WINNING team is great and I am looking forward to getting to know them better and working with them more in the coming months.

All the trustees have been affected by transplantation/organ donation in one way or another and so can put their personal experiences out there to help others. You can read more about them here. I am well aware of the charities aims and work but I am looking forward to getting more hands on in organising events, Stands, talks etc. I hope I can make a small mark on Live Life Then Give Life and maybe even a small mark on the world of Organ Donation through my role as trustee for this fantastic charity!

So a few places to point you to... obviously the Live Life Then Give Life website
The Live Life Then Give Life Forum - Intoto
The Live Life Then Give Life Blog

Thats it for now, will keep you updated on how its all going, and again, I can't actually believe how lucky I am to be doing all these things. My job and now the trustee role in LLTGL... 2010 is starting to look up... and more news on that in my next blog ;) I'll keep you in suspenders (oops I mean suspense) until then.....

Sunday 7 March 2010

Rough week...

Just a quick update to say that I'm still alive!

Blogging has taken a back seat while I started work and got settled in, I promise to keep it more up to date when I can. I am liking it at the nursery but have seemed to have picked up a bug from some of the snotty children! I got sent home from work on Tuesday afternoon but had been feeling ill for almost a week before that! I went to my GP on Thursday (I changed my working day to the Friday thankfully) he didn't seem too concerned and gave me some anti-biotics and said take them if I need them and sent me to Warrington Hospital for bloods. I thought I would be ok but got the prescription anyway, I went to work on the Friday (7.30am start!) and felt really ill but was determined to get through the day... I started the anti-biotics at lunch time and today I still feel really ill, achy, cough, going hot and cold and I have no voice! I had to cancel plans with friends today which really annoyed me and reminded me of how I used to have to do this when I was on dialysis!

Anyway I am due at The Royal hospital tomorrow for Bloods and I may pop up to the renal ward if I am still feeling bad to see if I can see a Doc. I feel stupid for moaning about this when there are so many people out there that are so much worse off than me, including Rachael Wakefield... please pop over to the Live Life Then Give Life Ambassoders blog. Rachy is having a really tough time at the minute and has been told that without a transplant soon, she doesn't have long left to live. This pails all my problems into insignificance so ignore my ramblings above, read this blog about this inspirational young lady and then sign the Organ Donor Register if you haven't done so already.

Rachy's story and others like her spur me on to keep campaigning, I appeared in my local paper again talking about the Manchester Roadshow that Rachy, I and others attended to encourage people to sign the register. You can read this here. A few of us appeared on BBC North West as well which was immensly nervewracking but I was really pleased with the final edit.

When I read Rachy's blog, see her posts on facebook and watch her piece from BBC North West, memories of Jess come flooding back. I don't want to lose another friend just because people haven't got round to saying yes to Organ Donation.