5am on Monday 4th October 2010 I was sitting outside the operating theatre on the start of a journey of consolidation that had started over 5 years earlier
It was Sunday night at 1900 when I had got the call, a dinner of roast lamb roast potatoes veg and all the trimmings was sitting on the table in front of me lovingly prepared by my wife .I had just started one of the roast potatoes that were really nice and crunchy and was looking forward to the meal when the home phone rang I knew when the phone was passed to me that it was Harefieilds.
The same feelings were provoked as had been on previous visits but as we had a visit just a while back we were somewhat more prepared and the time of day was unusual. I started to tweet out to a few people online what was happening and posted an entry to my blog and facebook. Tweeeting as I went we headed off though the quiet evening traffic to Harefields when we got there we ran the gamut of tests required then sat and waiting.
This was to be a beating heart donor and all the earlier stages progressed rapidly and without event.
Was this going to be it?
When they finally said that it was a go I was not as shocked as I thought I would be. Not to minimise the weird feeling of finality after a journey that had gone on for so long. We had a while about half a hour to say our goodbyes and I said a prayer with the family before the porters came to take me to the operating theatre. The family went as far as they could till the got to the entrance to the department then I was on my own.
Then next few hours are a blur but I have been told that I came out of the operation at about 11.30am and woke up on ITU several hours later.
It is now nearly two weeks since that day and I will just say it has been an eventful two weeks with a few ups and downs to say the least but I am here, getting better and stronger as the days go by.
The most profound part was waking up and knowing that someone had given their life organs so that I could live a better life I will do all I can to ensure that those organs last as long as I can and have so much respect for them as a Donor and also my heart and sympathy goes out to their brave relatives who gave consent for the procedure to go ahead.
Thank you, whoever you are, for the Gift of life that you have given me.
