Kidney donation, part 14

It's now operation day plus 8.

My admission into hospital last Monday was not without problems. I never got the call to go in, as promised, and instead ended up researching the correct ward on the internet and phoning them direct, twice, before they agreed I could go in. On arrival Chrissie and I were left, out of sight, in a day room for 45 mins before I was taken to my bed. Having now spent four days there I can begin to appreciate the understaffing on wards and why I wasn't attended to straight away.

The operation, early on Tuesday,was successful, though I wasn't quite prepared for how rough I would feel once I came round. There is proper focus on the statistical risks of the operation but it would probably come over quite negatively if you were told just how shit you'd feel. However, that lasted only for a day or so before I began to feel a bit better. To be fair it was mostly discomfort, rather than pain.

I'd awoken with a drip into my left hand for self-administered morphine, a catheter to allow draining of urine, a drain from one of the wounds in my tummy and a mask providing oxygen. Phew!

All of these were removed on Wednesday and I was able to get up and go to the loo. Laxatives helped restore my bowel movements and I began wandering up and down the corridor on Thursday, glad of the feeling of exercise. My appetite was poor though. I managed only a small amount of food at each meal.

Each day prior to Friday I was visited by my transplant surgeon, a different surgeon stopped by on Friday. Every day I saw a member of the transplant coordination team, who are all specialist nurses, and Dr.Anna, my researcher for the follow up I'd agreed to. All of this made me feel very well supported. I referred earlier to understaffing. None of this being a criticism of any individual. My experience was that all NHS staff work hard in strained circumstances. There's lots of waiting though for stuff to be done and it was nice that the transplant coordination nurses and Dr.Anna often stepped in to perform tasks in lieu of ward staff, for which I was very grateful.

On Friday morning I was told I'd probably be able to go home but there then followed a long day of waiting for a blood test result, analysis by the ward doctor and waiting for medications to take home. As a result, I eventually left with Chrissie at around 7:45pm.

Every day since coming home I've managed a short walk through our village. Slowly at first. Yesterday I walked around a mile and a half. This is allowed, walking being self-limiting. I'm not allowed to carry a rucsac, nor to cycle until I've seen my surgeon in about 3 weeks from now.

Yesterday Dr.Anna picked me up and drove me back to MRI for another mri scan, blood and urine tests, this being part of the post op research. Anna is very kind and gave me lots of encouragement.

Today, all my pain has pretty much gone. I took only two paracetomol yesterday morning. My appetite's still not good. Something's affecting my taste buds. Coffee, which I love, tastes crap as did the one beer I tried on Saturday night. Bleurgh! I'm not enjoying my home made bread either. 

My main sensation is weariness. I'm in bed by 9pm but managed 10pm last night, after episode 3 of Shetland, which I'd been looking forward to.

Forgive my grumblings. I'm just trying to give an honest picture, particularly for readers who might be taking a similar journey. In short, I've survived and am improving every day.  Being discharged three days after the op gives a better technical answer as to how well I am. This unseasonal weather is helping too, making my wanders through the village a delight.

But, more important than all the above, is my friend Jamie. I can't speak in detail of how he is, though we're in regular contact, but his operation was a success. He was expected to be in hospital for two to three weeks following the op but he went home yesterday, after just seven days! My/his kidney appears to be working well but he has to return to a clinic on Friday and again each week to check how things are going and, critically, for any signs of rejection. But, Jamie is off dialysis...for the first time in around 12 months. I'm very pleased.

Since coming home I've cried often, usually as a result of seeing Jamie's progress. My emotions are heightened right now, but I do feel positive for both myself and Jamie.

As always, I wish Jamie well.

And God bless Chrissie who is pandering to my every need at the moment.

I'll finish with some positive images of the last few days, when I've been out and about and visited by our precious Noah. The Sunshine Squad (aka Pebbles and Islay) are never far from my side, oozing healing love from every pore.

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

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.

It's Spring...in February!

Regular readers will know I have an appointment at Manchester Royal Infirmary tomorrow for an operation on Tuesday, so I'm pleased when Dale asks if either us fancies a camp this weekend. This'll be my last chance for a while.

It's been mild and dry all week hereabouts, so we head out for a fairly high camp on the south western slopes of Kinder. Islay's with us and she enjoys bimbling about and helping Dale as we stop to filter water en route.

In a short while we're up at our chosen spot. Despite the lovely weather there's nobody here. Islay plays in the grass as we erect tents.

No sooner is the tent up than Choccy Paws is in her bed. For the very first time it's her ultralight Woof Bag, made with love by Chrissie. I relax with a brew.

Here's the ultralight Woof Bag packed in its compression sack. It weighs around 400g and proves plenty warm enough for Islay when she's wearing her fleece pjs, in a night seeing a low of around 5C. For more information see here.

It's a beautiful evening. There's a view down to Manchester, which makes me pensive about my upcoming stay there.

The night is windy. The flapping of tent fabric and a racing mind make for a fitful night's sleep.

Morning dawns bright and blue.

We decide on a route round the western edge path before returning to Hayfield. On the way, Islap poses at the Kinderlow trig point.

Again, it's bright and dry. Islay receives lots of compliments about her pannier carrying skills.

By lunchtime we're home. Coffee, cheese on toast, cake and chatter. Then, it's back to thoughts of coming days...

January on Bleaklow

It's a January weekend. The forecast is not the best. Rain, cold, windy and some snow.

Chris has come over from North Wales to join me for a camp, so I'm committed. We drive over the Snake Pass. Earlier in the week we had a dump of snow around here but the whole lot's been washed away by rain.

Chrissie drops us off and we set out on the track up to Alport Castles, stopping briefly before we hit the top of the landslip for a quick bite. Once we hit the top the wind increases. As we approach the nameless trig point on, sort of, Westend Moor I measure the strength as being around 30 mph gusting to about 48. With an actual temperature of 2 to 3C windchill was around minus 7C.

I took this picture for my friend Jamie, who hopefully will receive one of my kidneys in three weeks' time. On our last outing in the hills together I brought Jamie on a similar trip and have photo of him right here...on a MUCH nicer day.

It's a westerly crosswind, making walking difficult. But we press on. I'm pretty sure my planned campsite will be sufficiently sheltered, being down in the bottom of a bowl...in a secret place.

There's a little drizzle but we're actually dry as we hit camp. As predicted, there's nothing more than a light breeze at my chosen spot so we have no difficulty erecting shelters.

We filter water and make brews before the predicted rain comes in and hatches are battened down. At this time of year, wild camping is a solitary experience once tents are up and weather closes in. I settle to brews and snacks and reading on my Kindle app. Then it's dinner followed by a film courtesy of Netflix; Good Will Hunting, which I've not seen before. The closing performances from Matt Damon and the inimitable Robin Williams have me in tears.

I've brought my "winter" sleeping bag. More and more I'm finding my lighter, three season bag will take me down to minus 2C. The forecast was no lower than that. In my usual sleep attire I'm soon sweating as I bed down. I remove my clothing and I'm still too hot. I open the zip from top and bottom and I'm still sweating. It eventually cools in the small hours but I vow to continue experimenting with my lighter bag unless it's seriously cold. For those interested, my three season bag is a Rab Neutrino 600 and my winter one is a Rab Expedition 800 (no longer made). But remember, we're all different and, no matter the spec, what's warm for one may be cold for another.

This weekend, the forecast is remarkably accurate. There's heavy snowfall for a couple of hours between around 1 and 4 in the morning. At some point I wake and knock the substantial accumulation off the tent. Again as predicted, the morning dawns clear and dry. We've around three inches of white stuff on the ground.

Morning temperature is hovering just above freezing.

Once packed, we're off on a familiar route along a stretch of the Pennine Way over Snake Summit and Featherbed Moss to Mill Hill. Once again it is pretty windy on the exposed paths.

We're back at Crowther Towers by mid afternoon and I note that my Skywatch recorded the highest windspeed of the weekend...

...and we stayed dry!

Another trip over, in good company. 

Excellent stuff. Cheers Chris.

Kidney donation, part 12

Back in May last year, when I decided to offer Jamie one of my kidneys, I knew it would be a long process but I did hope it would be completed by the end of the year. It has, however, taken a little longer than I anticipated, but we're almost there.

Last Tuesday I cycled into Manchester for the final time on this journey. I had my routine pre-operative assessment; bloods, urine, weight, height, blood pressure, ECG and a long questionnaire. All seemed to go well.

I also had the first in a series of MRI scans to begin my part in research I've agreed to, looking at the performance of the remaining kidney following transplant.

Typically, on the last ride there, I had a puncture, thankfully only minutes away from the hospital.

I've just finished packing the car for the journey down to Swansea tomorrow. This really is the last step before I go in for the op. I have an Airbnb booked for tomorrow night, not wishing to make the 200 mile drive twice in a day. I'm looking forward to having dinner with Jamie and his parents in the evening.

On Tuesday, I'm off to Morriston Hospital in Swansea. Jamie tells me it's not the best place to park so my road bike's in the car and I have a bit of a circuit planned for the morning, taking in the hospital. The folk at the Airbnb are happy for me to leave my car there. First I'll meet Suzanne, who was my first contact in this journey back in May. She will take blood samples for a final cross match with Jamie before the operation. After this I'll be meeting Jamie again and we'll have an appointment, together I think, with an independent assessor to check that the donation complies with the Human Tissue Act, crucially that no payment is involved. I believe we both have to sign a declaration.

And, hopefully, that's that. Next stop will be my admission to Manchester late on the 18th February in preparation for the operation the following morning. I'm expecting to be there for 3 or 4 days ish. It all depends on how I am. Jamie's operation will be that same afternoon after my kidney has been hurried down the motorway system to Cardiff, where, I'm sure, he'll be waiting excitedly.

Thanks for reading and following this journey. Find previous posts by clicking "older posts" at the bottom of this page or working your way through the menu on the left side of the page.

Thanks for all the kind messages to both of us along the way. Next time you hear from me on this subject the op will be done. Let's hope for the most positive of outcomes so Jamie can re-engage with his love of the outdoors and an active, enjoyable life.

Here's a daft pic from my Channel to Med ride last summer as an added incentive to my friend Jamie.

Live live to the full and...smile!

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

A year in the life...

We're nearing the end of 2018 and it's been a busy year here at Crowther Towers. I've finally managed to wild camp every month through the year. I'm including spending a night in a bothy in November...cos it's my rules and, in any event, I'd already managed a full 12 months before then, starting in, I think, August 2017. So there!

So here's a quick run through with some pics starting in January when Chrissie and I saw the New Year in with our pal James up in Kielder with the motorhome, visiting a bothy on a day hike, wearing the daftest of expressions...

 ... we also spent a night with the pups up near the summit of Brown Knoll...

...and I had a cold  night with James on Kinder in the snow again.

In February I had another snowy camp, this time with Dale in the Ashop valley...

...and a Ghost Camp with Chrissie, Dale, James, Gordon and the pups on Kinder.

March was a very busy month. David christened his new touring cycle with a short overnighter with me at the C&CC Delamere Forest site...

... Dale and I had a two night trip over Bleaklow and Kinder...

...and we swapped our motorhome, again, for a much smaller one. More sensible for us.

April was time for another Ghost Camp on Kinder with the same gang as February, plus Reuben.

In May I had a superb, two night, cycle tour through the Peak District with Dale, including a wild camp, this being a shake down for my BIG ADVENTURE in June and July.

I also, in May decided to offer a spare kidney I had kicking around to my friend Jamie who was on dialysis and suffering with chronic kidney disease. This led to months of testing and a date for the transplant on February 19th next year.

I was due to leave for France in late June and knew it was unlikely I'd be wild camping so, for the sake of completeness, I dashed out with Islay, on a warm evening, to a favourite local spot to ensure I had a June wild camp before I left.

Then in late June I left home with my bike and set off on a route from St Malo on the English Channel to Nice down on the Med. It took almost 5 weeks and was the hardest physical challenge I've undertaken, so far. Here's a few snaps along the 1100 mile journey.

An utterly amazing experience.

Once home in July I made time to squeeze in another Kinder wild camp with Chrissie, Dale and the pups.

August saw an unbelievably idyllic camp near Brown Knoll with Dean...

...and we found time for a few motorhome/caravan nights in the Dales with James and Corrina.

In September I enjoyed two nights with David on a Buttermere ish two nighter in the Lakes. It was a delight.

I managed three wild camps in October. The first was a quick dash up to High Spy with Islay,

...the second was a visit with Chrissie, David, Moss and the pups to the sabre crash site,

...and the third was a first taste of snow for this winter with Islay and Dale on Kinder again.

November was time for another Ghost Camp. This time the usual crew were joined by Mike for a wintery jaunt up to Greg's Hut on Cross Fell. The first night I've ever spent in a bothy, though I've visited loads.

Finally, this month, December, I spent a night up on Red Screes with Pete Dixon, in atrocious weather...

...and just this week Islay and I had a camp on Brown Knoll again followed by a fabulously sunny descent down into Edale.

And that's about it. 

I've missed a few short motorhome trips. We've not done any long ones this year due to so many things going on, not least lots of health checks for the transplant. Please keep me and my friend Jamie in mind in February, primarily for a good outcome for him.

Chrissie's had a bad time with plantar fasciitis, leading to her being forced to drop out of this year's TGOC, but thankfully she's on the right side of this now.

Next year, after the operation in February, I'll be focused on recuperation and getting hill fit for our BIG TRIP of 2019, walking the whole of the Kungsleden in northern Sweden. This should take us 4 to 5 weeks and will be in August/September.

We've shared lots of camps with friends this year and that's been especially enjoyable. My sincere thanks to all of you. Please know, your friendship is valued so much. Where would we be without friends?

I wish all of you out there a happy Christmas and the best of years for 2019. I hope it brings all that you wish for.

Finally, I couldn't leave this round up without a pic of the special little man in our family, who turned one year old in November. Here's one of my favourite recent photos of Noah, showing off his very first pair of shoes. Chrissie and I are very much looking forward to spending Christmas day with Abi, Dave, Pepper, their lovable flat coated retriever and, of course, Noah.

Smile!