Kidney donation, part 12A

Yeah, I am a bit superstitious, I never miss bidding good morning to solitary magpies, hence titling this "part 12A".

We're pretty much there. For me it's the end of a 9 month journey, but for Jamie it's been considerably longer...well over a year.

I had a great weekend of walking and camping on Kinder with my pal Dale, which successfully distracted me from the job in hand. Thanks Dale.

We'll take the dogs for their daily walk this morning then, this afternoon, Chrissie and I will await a phone call, twixt 3.30 and 4:30, to tell me to go down to Manchester Royal Infirmary. I trust that's a formality cos Jamie's already ensconsed in Cardiff University hospital...preparing and waiting.

Chrissie will drive me down and tomorrow my operation is scheduled for 8:30 in the morning. I fully expect to be out of it for much of the day.

I'm nervous. Who wouldn't be? I have confidence, though, in the expertise of the renal transplant team in Manchester; the most experienced in the UK.

The operation involves three to four small cuts to allow access for tools and a camera, one being larger for hand access and removal of the kidney. Technically it's a laparoscopic hand assisted live donor nephrectomy.

Following the op my kidney will be transported down the motorway system to Cardiff. Jamie's op is scheduled for late afternoon.

Poor Jamie's been on dialysis pretty much every day for the past week and he'll be on it for all of his hospital recovery, two to three weeks. And, of course, Jamie's operation is significantly more complex. He'll receive "my" kidney but his existing two will remain in place.

Best guess, I'm hoping to be home by the weekend, but that depends on my post op recovery. There will then follow several weeks of careful rehabilitation to ensure my wounds heal well.

Many thanks to all who've been kind enough to give me moral support on this journey. Whilst I'm not seeking bouquets, I do really appreciate it. Special thanks to Chrissie; I couldn't have got this far without her support.

Next time I update on here it'll be post op.

I wish my friend Jamie well. 

Wish us both luck. Hold us in your thoughts.

Gratuitous happy pup pics to make you...

...smile.

To read the whole story go to my kidney donation page which you can access on the left side of this blog.