It’s hard to believe that it’s been two months since I wrote a blog, especially since so much has happened in that time.
I’ve had my kidney transplant,
I’ve stopped dialysis
I’ve adjusted to my new medical regime (well, mostly at least),
I’m starting to pick up my regular life, including this blog, my podcast, and my speaking career.
Considering all that, perhaps a quick update is called for.
The kidney transplant took place on 9 June. The surgery went extre went extremely well for both me and my donor. There are no words to express how grateful I am to have been given this second chance at a life beyond dialysis, thanks to my amazing friend and kid(ney) sister, Melanie.
It probably comes as no surprise that I feel strongly about building awareness of chronic kidney disease, dialysis, and organ donation. When I received the diagnosis almost two years ago, I had no idea of what to expect and how to best prepare myself and my family for what was to come. Talking to others with chronic kidney disease, I wasn’t alone in that lack of awareness.
For now, much of my work is around this topic. I hope to help others understand that a diagnosis of end stage renal failure need not be a diagnosis of death. That there are treatments. And that there is hope.
I’ll begin blogging about my transplant and what my experience was like. For the moment, I’m still having to consider my energy levels carefully when looking at what I can do in a day.
In the meantime, I’ve started sharing short videos on my YouTube channel at https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLSY0asV4YSMyn5PAi4UkOngiezfSSrpsj&si=vsidubHfSdDIUrSx
In the videos I answer questions like:
Did they remove my existing kidneys during the transplant? If not, where did they put the new one?
What has surprised me most following the surgery?
What dietary restrictions did I have before and after the kidney transplant?
How was my type 1 diabetes affected by dialysis and the transplant?
Even if you have no direct link to chronic kidney disease, I would encourage you to watch one or two of the videos – kidney disease is far more common than most people realise. Learning a little now may be helpful in your future.
Here’[s that playlist link again:
Thanks for reading. Chat to you in the next one!
