So this is the first of two quick blog posts from today. Firstly to deal with what I assumed was going to happen and that is the cancellation of the planned transplant that was 2 weeks away. I probably should feel angry, upset, bitter and truthfully the feeling I have is relief. Not relief that the transplant isn’t going ahead but I think more that I now know what is going on. I have linked saved on my laptop that takes me through to an NHS site that tells me where the various Transplant sites are in the UK and more importantly which ones are open for living and which ones are open for deceased donors. I’d go on it each day checking and checking, which is kind of pointless as I don’t know which units are involved in my chain! So, I was expecting it be fair and after the phone call that inevitably came on Thursday 7th it’s allowed me to focus back on ‘normality’
Covid cases have been rising rapidly in the UK since Christmas so with 60,000+ new cases and with the UK plunged into a 3rd lockdown then I wasn’t expecting any different. It’s unfortunately one of those things that is out of my control and that, in one respect, probably helps me
As you may have read in previous bits I have wrote, this was a paired exchange Transplant involving 6 people, 3 donors and 3 recipients. Being based in West Cheshire puts me firmly in the Liverpool Royal Hospitals grasp and Transplant Team and again I can’t say enough how much trust I have in them. They told me straight, well straightish, and kept me posted every step of the way. Despite Liverpool being a Covid hotspot towards the back end of last year case numbers are at the place where the Royal was still happy to have me in there and transplanted, one of the other units involved in the chain is also still good to go but the 3rd and final unit is somewhere ‘down south’. I don’t have a lot of information due to GDPR and Data Protection Regulations and I understand that.
My main concern is that history is repeating itself. Our first attempted transplant chain was cancelled last April/May due to the Covid and Lockdown 1. When cases were than a more manageable level the chain was picked up but 10 days before was cancelled as an unexpected illness was found in the chain which meant we couldn’t go ahead with it. This was the first attempt at the new chain and although it’s not happening this month, the chain will remain intact and fingers are crossed that no one falls seriously ill until a time we can get it done, myself included of course!
We did discuss me being included back on the National Transplant register but whereas it increases my chance of a match, it may not be a good of a match that I have in the current chain, that’s something we have decided to leave alone for now but if it looks as though I’m heading towards dialysis later this year then it’s an option we may re-visit
It’s not all doom and gloom though, I’m still living an active life, I’ve not started dialysis as yet, the chain is still intact and the Transplant have arranged for both me and Stacey to have our Covid vaccinations, more about that latter point in next blog post!
So 3 down and I’m sure we’ll attempt a 4th time at some point in 2021. Until then it’s up to me to do what I can do to keep fit and healthy and hopefully, hopefully stay off dialysis
Living with Dodgy Kidneys! 