One year ago my life started again

One year ago today I was wheeled into a operating theatre in Harefield Hospital breathing oxygen to stay alive, and because of a selfless 45 year old man my life was saved, I woke up breathing though new lungs.
I was so ill I would not have been here to write this post, my lung function had dropped to 13% I had suffered four collapsed lungs and nearly died from swine flu.
Then I got a call and my whole life changed.
I cannot begin to explain how bad my life was back then how hard it was for my children and my wife watching my life ebb away.You can read the posts from my blog before 4th October 2010.

But if you want to hear from people still waiting please read the blog posts from

Past the Point of No Return  &  Come walk in My Shoes 

Both these women are living life waiting for a transplant. Because of the fact that only 30% of people in UK are signed up to the Donor register they will wait longer than they need to :-(

But there is hope, you can sign the register

         NHSBT Organ Donation Register      

I have been  recovering well from my case of shingles and the pain has all but gone.I am on a course of anti viral tablets for a couple more weeks but on the whole I am well and happy.
It is almost like I find it  hard to remember my life back a year ago before my transplant, as it feels like a new life I am living now.
Yesterday I attended Harefields transplant clinic for a check up it was all good news,my lung function is stable my blood results were not a cause for concern,my weight is stable (but more than it should be) and my kidney function is no worse than it was.
I was given a green light to go swimming and I asked about going fishing again and was told that with good hand hygiene and care it would not present any problems for me. With a year behind me now my risks of rejection are less now,and so given my results the transplant Doctors were happy to leave me to visit clinic in three months time and the kidney specialist suggested six months till my next visit to see him. finally I attended the GP surgery to get the final issue sorted in preparation for the cold weather that we are told is on its way.I joined the line of the over 6os and ill for my Flu jab.I am all set now and hope that my next visit to hospital will be next year:)

A sign I wont see till 2012 (I Hope)