I've had a few volunteers willing to speak to the media and set up their own Donor Desks, keep them coming! The more the merrier!

So I am busy contacting various people about Donor Day, creating lists and lists of things to do! As well as trying to fit in some uni work!

I appeared in my Local Warrington Guardian today, click here to see the article. Battlefront got a mention which was great. I deliberately didn't mention Donor Day as I thought I could milk it and maybe get another mention in the paper nearer the time haha!

My Mum and Dad managed to get in on the action too with a picture of them with me in recovery! (not very flattering of me, but hey!)

Other news...

Today is Abigail's (my neice) half birthday! Can't believe how quickly the past 6months have gone!
She had her first suck of chocolate to celebrate! Here she is before....

and after....

I decided that I needed a break from the campaigning stuff and Uni work! I felt like I hadn't done anything FUN for a while or anything too strenuous since my transplant so I went Ice-Skating!

Mum and Dad took me and decided they would skate too! Well that didn't last long, Mum stood on the ice (not moving) for 5 minutes and then got off. Dad made slightly more progress and shuffled about 5 yards and then gave up! As for me... I had a great time and didn't fall over once!

Here is me on the Ice...



I would never have been able to do this pre-transplant! It has made me think about other stuff that I want to do in the future. I am going to make a list and post it as a blog when I get round to it! Planning things in advance was a no-no before transplant and so was being spontaneous so it was a lose lose situation. I can't believe how much my life has changed!

As I said in the article... I couldn’t be spontaneous before and just go away for the weekend because of the dialysis. I feel much healthier now. I don’t know where the donor came from but they have given me a second chance for which I will be grateful for the rest of my life.

Wow! What a week! I don't know where to start!



Well filming for Battlefront began on Thursday... Rosie and Tom from the team arrived at 12.00noon and we got cracking straight away! We did an interview in my room and then the "cribs" tour of the house, going into each room and looking at funny things, whether it be related to Battlefront or me in general, so that was quite amusing! At this point my folks and I didn't know if we were going to make it down to London as it was saying on the news not to travel as the snow was really bad there! Thankfully we heard the roads were clear and Rosie and Tom left and so did we about half an hour later! I was a bit apprehensive at this point, as I have not travelled this far since being diagnosed with Kidney Failure 4 years ago, as I was never really well enough to travel and often got travel sick!



So we set off and the journey was fine, we stopped at some services along the way and had a bite to eat and eventually arrived at the travelodge around 8.30!



The next morning we got up early ready for a busy day of meetings and filming, the journey into London was a bit of a nightmare, it took us over 2 hours as there were delays due to signals failing! But we arrived in Camden town and Mum and Dad left me with Rosie and Tom, ready to meet my mentor Oli Barrett in a cafe up the road!







I was nervous at first, I didn't know what to expect! I was soon put at ease, he is a lovely chap, really motivating and inspiring! We talked about the aims of the Gift of Life campaign which are;

1. To raise awareness of Organ donation and educate people on the importance of it, clearing up misconceptions along the way.

2. Get as many people to sign up to the Organ Donor Register as possible

We devised an action plan and certain things to focus on including creating a viral game to encourage more people to sign up as well as national sign up day which will hopefully involve some celebrities! Oli asked me ideally who I would like and I said Take That in particular Gary Barlow, visualise it and it will happen Oli said so fingers crossed hey! I can wish anyway....



I don't remember how long we were talking for, it went by in a flash and I was so engrossed in the conversation that I completely forgot to take notes!!! I left the meeting feeling like I needed to get cracking and go and do a million and one things! Oli was really supportive, passionate and motivating, it's great to have him on board and I'm looking forward to our next meeting and working together to get more people on the Organ Donor Register!



So after that we left the cafe and headed to Waterloo to meet the fabulous and also insiprational Miss Emily T! I haven't seen her since my transplant, so we had a lot to catch up on! Emily did (and is continuing to do) a great job in helping me with my campaign, it's great to have her on board as I know she is as passionate about this subject as I am! There were lots of giggles and chatting, as well as a massive chip butty (you can see evidence of this on my Battlefront page when the video goes up)! Filming with Emily was great, I think the more people hear personal stories about people receiving transplants and waiting on the list the better, they are more likely to do something about it!



Mum and Dad then came to meet us at the cafe and spent the afternoon with Emily while I went off with Rosie and Tom to meet up with Oli again, he wanted me to meet with someone that afternoon! I wasn't being told much about who it was or what was happening, I was intrigued! We went to a place called 1 Alfred Place, a posh members only club (I felt a right scruff bag when I went in)! So I met up with Oli there who then took me over to another set of offices (the home of smarta.com) where I met some other really helpful people including Shaa Wasmund...



Oli and I quizzed her on the best way to get the message about my campaign out there... she said the two main things were to get a celebrity on board and to get it into the media! We didn't film with Shaa but she said she would be willing to be filmed in the future if we needed too, which is great! But Shaa wasn't the person Oli had planned a meeting with, that just happened by chance. The person he wanted me to meet was the founder of Bebo Michael Birch!







What a great person to ask about social networking sites and how to get my campaign out there! It was fascinating chatting to him, he was really down to earth and helpful. He liked the idea of a viral game and suggested ways in which we could promote the campaign and Organ donation! Oli finished the meeting asking Michael if he knew Gary Barlow, my eyes lit up when he said yes, turns out it wasn't THE Gary Barlow... shame!



So that topped off a really busy and inspiring day! I can't wait to get cracking on with the campaign and organising the sign up day!



I met up with Mum, Dad and Emily at Waterloo (kindly escorted by Tom) we sat down for a quick cuppa and a chat but I felt like I could just drop off to sleep there and then. So about half an hour later we said goodbye to Emily and got on the train back to the travelodge... where I spotted a funny sign which said... "Peak hours may necessitate that you let other people sit on your lap"Thankfully no one did, well I wouldn't have said no to Gary Barlow!



We got back and had an early night ready for the journey home yesterday! We were originally going to back into London but I couldn't face the journey back in. Hopefully it won't be too long before I am back down again and can do all the touristy things! Instead we stopped off at Windsor for a bite to eat and a walk round the shops... I'll leave you with a few pics...











What a tiring but fantastic trip, I would never have been able to do this before my transplant... I must have walked miles! I remember the last time I went to London I was one of those people standing on the right of the escalators, this time I was on the left walking up the escalators! Little everyday things like that, that people take for granted... thanks to my donor and their family I can now do those things!

The Day I received "The Call"...

So I have been promising for a while to write about "The Call" , Ironically it is exactly 4 years ago to the day that I started dialysis. Who would have thought 4 years down the line I would be writing about receiving a transplant. So here goes....

24th October 2008. - 3.15pm

It was a normal day, me and Dad were out and about running a few errands, one being getting new windscreen wipers for my car! We had been into Halfords and the nice young chap was starting to fit the wipers when my phone rang. The caller display said "unknown" and I just presumed it was maybe my brother ringing from work. The I heard this voice saying "hi its Helen from the Royal we think we've found a suitable kidney for you!" After that her words just merged together and I had to pass the phone to my dad as I couldn't hold back the tears! I felt sorry for the poor lad fitting my wipers - Dad was talking seriously on the phone, taking all the information in and following the instructions, whilst I was having hysterics.

The poor lad from Halfords wondered what was happening so we felt obliged to tell him, he wished me good luck and we were on our way home, with a thousand thoughts running through our heads. It was lucky that my dad was with me and was able to drive me home as I was in no fit state.

At first I was told to go to my usual dialysis unit at Warrington but then a second phone call came telling me to go to the Royal straight away. The transplant co-ordinator was lovely to me and asked if I was ok, as she realised I was upset when I was speaking to her the first time.

So whilst my Dad drove me home, I rang my Mum who was doing what she does best - shopping. I asked her to come home as quickly as she could. Because I was crying on the phone she thought I'd had an accident in the car. But not wanting to miss a bargain or even her place in the queue, she still managed to buy 2 t-shirts in the 70% off sale! I phoned Andy (my brother) in work but he hung up on me because he was busy but he managed a quick text to ask what was up as I don't usually ring him in work. On hearing the news that I had received the phone call he immediately phoned back.

I was determined not to look scruffy when I got to the hospital so on arriving home I quickly jumped in the shower and washed, dried and even managed to straighten my hair but passed on putting the makeup on! Mum arrived home from shopping with bags in tow, Dad was in the loft getting my suitcase down (pink of course). Despite waiting over 3 years for the call nothing was prepared, my mind just went blank about what I needed to take, so I phoned good old Emily T who told me a few essentials that she found useful during her transplant journey, she was very reassuring and managed to calm me down!

At this point Mum (despite having purchased her bargains) was as white as a sheet but insisted she was fine. All things considered though we were all quite calm.

4.30pm

We set off for Liverpool at 4.30 sending a few texts on the way. Despite it being the Friday rush hour we arrived at the Hospital about 5.10pm and went straight to the ward where we were shown to a little room and left for an hour with no-one explaining what was happening. We expected to be rushed in and lots of hustle and bustle but it was totally the opposite. After an hour (it felt more like 5 hours) the registrar came and introduced himself and said that the bed was ready for me to have my dialysis. I was told that they would take my blood whilst I was on the machine and use it for the purposes of cross-matching and tissue typing. I was pleased about this as I'm not good at parting with blood as my veins are rubbish.

6.40pm

I started my dialysis treatment, so what were my Mum, Dad and I to do for the next 3 hours, what do we talk about? Guess what mum did when I was safely on the machine - she went to the hospital shop on the pretext of getting something to eat. Dad and I resorted to doing a crossword in a woman's magazine with me providing the answers while dad wrote them down (as I had my dialysis needles in my fistula in my right arm).

8.45pm

Andy arrived to see me. Meanwhile a different nurse came on to the night shift and introduced herself as Lucy. She was really friendly and we had a good old chat about her kids. I was then seen by the transplant surgeon who really didn't have much to say to me, never mind I thought if he is good at his job that's all that matters! Looking back now I realise he was probably just as stressed as I was! Next to come along was the anaethetist who introduced himself and filled in yet more forms.

At this point we still didn't know if the transplant would go ahead or not.We had to wait for tests to be completed and results to be checked and we were told that we would know either way at around 10.30 at the earliest. I was nearing the end of my dialysis and the next person to appear at my bedside was the registrar. He was very friendly and explained exactly what would happen during the operation. He told me that as soon as my dialysis was over I would need an ECG to check that my heart was ok as well as a chest x-ray.

10.35pm

I finished on the machine, my arm stopped bleeding and I had the ECG which was fine. Then yet another nurse come along and says "right it's all go! Blood tests, cross-matching and tissue typing are all ok and we are going ahead as soon as possible" He produces a sexy gown for me to wear along with netty knickers and even more sexier stockings to put on. No time for the chest x-ray, as I am told to go and have a shower and put my sexy outfit on asap. The surgeon came back and hovered by the bed while I went to the shower room. No sooner had I got out of the shower and returned to my bed that he appeared again and said"right were off" at the same time throwing all my belongings off the bed!

11pm

By now the surgeon was in such a rush that he and nurse Lucy pushed me in the bed themselves, no time to wait for porters! I said my goodbyes to my Mum, Dad and Bro, at the ward, the surgeon made it clear that they weren't getting any further, not even to the lift! I surprised myself at how calm I was, only a few tears, Lucy was great at reassuring me and gave me a big hug and a kiss as she left me in the pre-theatre room!

This is it I thought... my life is about to change....

Happy New Year Everyone!

The New Year got off to a great start as I received a phone call on New Year's Eve to say that my blood results are the best they have ever been! My creatinine was 161 (previously 187, and when on dialysis in the 1000's) My Haemoglobin was 12, and my White Blood Count was normal. This is being closely monitored at the moment as they have reintroduced the drug (in a small dose) that made it go haywire before! This meant extra trips to the hospital for tests, but it is worth it in the long run, because as soon as I am settled on the drugs they will hopefully reduce my steroids and I will look less like a chipmonk! Lets have a quick game of spot the difference....




I spent New Years at my Brother's in-laws house which would not have been possible had i not received my transplant, as I would have had to attend dialysis with it being a Wednesday night! I had a great night, we had a takeaway and saw in the new year with some champers! Click here to see some pics of the evening!

While I'm here I also wanted to tell you that I received a reply from 10 Downing street regarding my Battlefront campaign and Organ Donation.

The letter wasn't written by the Prime Minister himself... but it did say "Mr Brown was sorry to hear of your health difficulties."

It went on to discuss the suggested opt out system...

"In its report, the Taskforce does not recommend introducing an opt out system for organ donation in the UK at the present time. The Taskforce felt that whilst it would have the potential to deliver benefits, it would present significant challenges that may not be necessary in order to deliver the desired increase in organ donation rates.

The Government has accepted this, but in the light of the Taskforce’s view that donor rates can be optimised successfully without a change in the legal framework, has set a challenge to see 20 million people on the Organ Donor Register by 2010 working towards 25million by 2013."

The reply was useful and it seems that the government are committed to increasing the number of people joining the Organ Donor Register...

"The Government is firmly committed to seeing organ donation rates rise significantly and is fully supporting the implementation of the recommendations in the Taskforce’s first report. A large programme of work is already underway, which includes:

• Each Trust appointing an organ donation ‘champion’ to discuss organ donation with families as part of end of life care where appropriate;
• Recruiting new donor transplant co-ordinators across the UK; and
• Establishing a UK-wide network of organ retrieval teams across the UK to ensure timely and high quality organ removal from viable donors."

I was however disappointed that the letter did not mention the campaign whatsoever,
No mention of Battlefront, nothing!!!

Oh well a reply is better than being ignored I suppose!

Bye for now 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

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

A message from Holly's mum last night passed on the good news that her WBC count has started to come up (slowly) of it's own accord - woohoo! This is really good news and confirms that it was the drug that caused the sudden rapid drop. Hopefully today she has continued to improve. She was awaiting an iron infusion too (to give her more energy) but they were having trouble getting venous access, so I'm unsure if she's received that yet.

I did some filming today! There are so many amazing people out there who want to help Holly with her quest that a few will be taking a far more active role....namely by being "Holly's Helpers". Watch this space to find out more! I did my first bit of filming today (ie, me hiding behind the camera and learning to work the thing!) so will get that up here asap so you can find out more :)

As always, keep spreading the word, checking in and passing on your wonderful messages of support....I know how much this is spurring Holly on so thank you :)

Emily x

Morning folks,

Emily here again today :)

Bit more information on Holly's latest hiccup: one of the immunosupressant drugs she was on caused a sudden drop in her white blood cell count (WBC count). They stopped the drug immediately and in order to bring it back up asap they are starting her on a specific treatment to help.

Having a very low WBC count like Holly does right now can be dangerous as it means the body is very vulnerable to infection as it has no defences, which is why she's in isolation and why the docs are working nice and fast to build some resistance back up again.

Understandably Holly is feeling pretty down about this as just as the kidney starts working, there is a new setback. However hopefully this new drug will kickstart her WBC count again and help Holly rebuild some defences asap.

Thanks for your continued wishes and support with her campaign!

Emily x

Emily here :)

Quick update on Holly - that kidney continues to slowly rise from its slumber which is fab stuff! On the downside, Holly has been moved to isolation as her white blood cell count has dipped a bit. This is due to being heavily immunosupressed at the moment. She's feeling a bit poorly so any lovely messages of support would be very much appreciated I'm sure.

I went up to meet the battlefront campaign team today on Holly's behalf - they were all so lovely, eager to hear how Holly is doing and all asking me to send her lots of love...the main aim now is to really get Holly's campaign up and running for her!

Emily x

hi all!

Emily here again, just introducing myself properly to Battlefront campaigners and supporters. I am a double lung transplant recipient and am friends with Hols not only due to our transplant backgrounds but also due to our fabulous ability to pout with style ;)

I am helping Holly with her Battlefront campaign until she is up and running at full speed again.

News over the weekend was good kidney-wise (Holly has not needed dialysis for a few days now so it looks like the kidney is waking up!) but her white blood cell count had dropped so she was moved to isolation. Hopefully this should pick up again quickly; I will update further soon if Holly can't.

Campaign-wise, there are even more ways you can jump on board and support Holly now! Bebo users, add Holly's campaign page as a friend. On Facebook? Join Holly's campaign group!

Thank you so much for all your support; this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to get help from some of the best in the business on how to make a campaign really great - and Holly deserves this place so very much.

Emily.

Yesterday was definitely a good day as I got a few texts from the lady herself!

Firstly her mum texted saying Hols wasn't as sick or drowsy as she had been previously and was looking much more like herself, and then I received a few texts from Holly, saying she's not feeling too bad and that she managed to have a shower (any post transplant people reading will know how vital the shower bit is to start you on the road to feeling human again!) She has also been walking around with the physio and did some stairs yesterday!

Kidney still fast asleep but scans continue to show it looks absolutely fine. Anyone got an alarm clock...?!

Emily

There wasn't much to update yesterday; Holly was still in HDU but all the drains and necklines were removed (woo!) Another scan of the kidney revealed that all is well, even though it's still being stubborn.

Today Hol's has made progress and been moved out into the Transplant ward which is great! This naughty kidney is STILL not working however, and so she remains on dialysis. She is still feeling pretty sick too, so needs lots of warm thoughts heading her way.

Thank you for your ongoing support,

Emily

Holly's not had such a good morning, with sickness plaguing her and making her feel a bit rubbish.

The kidney is still not working but the good news is they did a scan to check everything and it all looks fine. She's on dialysis at the moment just to support her body till this kidney decides to wake up. Hopefully just a matter of time and as her mum said "it's now a waiting game".

Holly is in the Royal Liverpool Hospital in ward 9A if you would like to send a card.

Thanks for your ongoing support :)

Emily

Emily here again :)

Update from Holly's mum: Holly is still doing well. She sat out of bed for a bit this morning (yay Holly!) but felt quite weak and is still having some pain. She seems better tonight and everything is generally moving in the right direction....Mr Kidney still has to wake up and start working though.

Willing that kidney to kick in!

Thank you for those lovely wishes and thoughts, and do keep them coming, they are getting passed on to Holly by her family.

Em

Emily here! I've hijacked Holly's blog (I promise she asked me to do it!) in order to bring you the most exciting news!

Holly texted me yesterday saying she had been called with the news that they might have a kidney for her. Many hours passed with no news until we got the fantastic message that the transplant was going ahead! She came out of surgery in the early hours of the morning and everything went well.

Even more amazingly, I later received a text from Holly herself! She is doing ok, a little sore and feeling “quite dopey” but is sounding like her usual positive self. The kidney has not yet started working – this is quite normal, as it often takes a little while for the new organ to get going – but please send her all the positive vibes you can.

I will update here on Holly’s behalf but hopefully that won’t be for very long at all as the lady herself will be back as soon as she can.

Thank you for all your support for this wonderful lady – we are so proud to have her as a LLTGL advocate.

Emily

So I have just got back from the scan of my fistula and the news wasn't as good as I had hoped. Turns out I have an aneurysm (big vein) then an area of stenosis (narrowing in the vein) that needs to be widened so I need a little operation. The procedure is called a fistulaplasty or an angioplasty and will include the injection of dye into my fistula and the use of an x-ray machine to watch the dye go in (fluoroscopy machine) they then see where there is the stenosis and insert a balloon to expand it in order to open it up. I have had this done twice previously, so I know what to expect but I also know that it hurts too!

So that's that then, they are going to be in contact in the next few days and I will go in, in the next few weeks! Hopefully they'll let me out on the same day so I won't need that much time off from work placement.

After the scan we went to see my transplant surgeon, nothing new to report there really. Mum of course made sure that I am actually activate on the transplant list (she worries too much) which of course I was and have been since 08/08/05...

Uni article...

When I was first asked to write this piece I was wondering how an earth I would fit 3 years of my life into one page but I’ll give it a try.

It all started just after Christmas in 2004. I was taken ill suddenly and was rushed into hospital. Various blood tests and injections took place and eventually a scan of my kidneys which showed they had shrunk and were no longer doing the job they were supposed to. I was told I had End Stage Renal Failure (ESRF) and needed to go on dialysis immediately and I would remain on this for the foreseeable future (3x a week) until a suitable donor kidney was found for a transplant. This came as a huge shock for both me and my family and we were all facing an uncertain future.

So 3 years on we are still facing that uncertain future - I am still on dialysis 3 x a week for 3 hours at a time and I’m still waiting for that phone call saying the transplant is going to take place. My mum went through the tests to see if she could become a donor for me but she wasn’t suitable. My family have been so supportive throughout this and I can’t thank them enough.

Having dialysis means I have to stick to a strict fluid restriction of 500mls per day and a special diet (low in phosphate, sodium and potassium) and also have to take various tablets each day. The dialysis itself is restrictive, time-consuming and has unpleasant side-effects. I have low energy levels, tire easily and suffer almost constant nausea. The actual haemodialysis itself takes its toll, it involves two needles inserted into my fistula which is a surgically enlarged vein (located in my upper arm).This provides access to the bloodstream for haemodialysis. The fistula buzzes all the time which is a good thing as this means the blood is flowing through it freely.

Haemodialysis removes waste products from the blood by passing it out of the body, through a filtering system called a dialyser and returning it, cleaned, to the body as well as removing fluid from my body (another job the kidneys should do) It leaves me feeling wiped out and very often light headed however it’s the only thing that can keep me alive unless I get a transplant.

It’s not all doom and gloom. I have met so many great people because of my situation, my fellow dialysis patients and of course the nurses who do an amazing job of looking after me and essentially keeping me alive. I try not to let all this get in the way of everyday life. I am enjoying my Early Childhood studies degree although I sometimes struggle fitting the work load in with my hospital visits however the lecturers have been sympathetic regarding my attendance. My social life is not that of a normal student but I can’t complain, I have understanding friends who are very supportive.

I am also proud to be an ambassador for the Live Life Then Give Life charity who do amazing work by promoting organ donation by putting on various events and selling cool T-shirts with catchy slogans on such as “I’d give you one”. (http://www.livelifethengivelife.co.uk/)

I would love to have my health and freedom back. I’ve got so much I want to do with my life but without a kidney transplant I just don’t know what the future will hold. I just have to keep hoping that one day I’ll receive the greatest gift of all – the Gift of Life. That call could come next week, next month or even in 5 years time! Over 8000 people in the UK like me need an organ transplant to save or radically improve their lives. However due to the chronic shortage of donors 450 people die each year waiting. The ever growing demand for transplants means that waiting lists are rising each year. When asked 90% of people say they agree with organ donation but only just over 20% have signed the register!

So it’s a waiting game for me now, for that phone call that will transform my life.

To read more about my everyday life as a dialysis patient and life on the waiting list you can read my blog at http://lifeondialysis--waitingforthecall.blogspot.com/

And to sign the organ donor register you can visit
http://www.uktransplant.org.uk/ or ring 0845 60 60 400

A little about kidney transplants....

Over 1,500 kidney transplants are performed in the UK every year and many more could be performed if more kidneys were available. The first kidney transplant operations were performed in the 1950s. The operation itself is straightforward, and the success rate for kidney transplants is excellent and higher than for other kinds of organ transplants.

Tests before the operation….

Someone who is called into the hospital for a transplant is not guaranteed to receive it. Before the operation can go ahead, it is necessary to check that you are well enough to have the operation and will not reject the transplanted kidney.

o Physical examination - even if you have so much as a cold the operation could not go ahead due to risks and you may be sent home.

o Cross-match - the cross-match is a blood test that checks there are no antibodies (substances that normally help the body to fight infection) that would react with the donor kidney. High levels of such antibodies in the blood mean that the new kidney is likely to be rejected as soon as it is put in, even if it seems a good match.

The operation….

An operation to transplant a kidney requires a general anesthetic and lasts about two to three hours. The recipient’s own kidneys are usually left in place. The transplant kidney is placed lower down in the abdomen, just above the groin.

When the patient wakes up they will have lots of tubes coming out of them. These will include:

• a urinary catheter (a tube into the bladder)
• a central venous pressure (CVP) line. This is a tube which goes into a large vein under the collarbone or in the side of the neck, and measures the pressure of blood inside the heart
• an intravenous drip in the arm (to give the patient fluid and drugs if necessary); and, probably
• one or more surgical drains coming out of the abdomen (to drain off any fluid that gathers around the kidney after the operation).

In about one third of kidney transplants, the kidney does not produce any urine in the first few days after the transplant. This does not mean that the transplant will never work. If the transplant does not work at the start, dialysis will be required and the patient will need to play a waiting game until the kidney starts working.

Click here to see an animation of how a transplant takes place ...

The future after a kidney transplant…

The stay in hospital is usually about two weeks. After leaving hospital, clinic visits are very frequent for months - initially two or three times per week.

The transplanted kidney provides enough kidney function and after a successful transplant, there is no need for dialysis, provided the transplant continues to work well. A ‘good’ transplant provides about 50% of the function of two normal kidneys (compared with only about 5% from either type of dialysis). However, it is not a complete cure for all the problems of kidney failure. This is because it is necessary to take drugs to keep the transplant working, and these have side effects.

Patients who have a successful transplant should feel better and have more energy. There may still be a need to watch your diet to protect the kidney (but not half as much restriction as there is on dialysis).

If a transplant fails, you can go back to dialysis or have another transplant. Even a successful transplant may not last forever. You have to take a range of medication daily to prevent rejection (the process in which the body’s immune system recognises a transplanted kidney as "foreign" and tries to remove it) of the new kidney. These are called immuno-suppressants they are drugs that are used to make the immune system less effective, so that a transplanted kidney will not be rejected these are taken for the rest of your life.


Hopefully the call will come soon... and this will be a reality!

Introductions...

Well this is my first ever post so I better start with some introductions....

My name's Holly Shaw and I'm 20 years old... I am currently in my 2nd year at Chester University (Warrington campus) doing an Early Childhood Studies degree! I have made loads of ace friends who are very understanding and I love them to bits! I have Kidney failure and so have to have Dialysis 3 times a week. I am on the transplant list and so I'm waiting for the call that will mean I am able to lead a normal life.

Hopefully this blog will raise awareness of kidney failure and organ donation but be warned I will end up waffling on about friends, family and shopping.

I live with my Mum and Dad and I have a brother Andy who is happily married to Fiona and they live nearby. My family are a great support and I am truly grateful, I love them lots, without them I wouldn't have got through the last 3 years.

I hope this gives you an insight into dialysis and life on the transplant waiting list!

Enjoy.....