Getting Off Of The Couch

About ten years ago I was running 5K on a regular basis. I had started as part of a plan to reduce my weight and lost over 5 stone over a nine month period. I was regularly running Park Run and my fastest run was just over 27 mins. By early 2013 I was running …

Cutting The Lawn

It’s a small thing - probably something that most of you have done already this year. Certainly the lawn needed a good trim. However, for me it is a sign of a return to normality. Since last summer I really have not had the energy to contemplate much in the way of housework let alone …

Matter of Routine

I have settled into the routine. Each Monday, Wednesday and Friday evening I get dropped off at 6pm for a 4 hour session of dialysis. At a time which varies but is usually between 10:30pm and 11:30pm I get picked up and go home to sleep. Those of you who are mathematically minded will notice …

Back Home

I was released from the Churchill Hospital at 4pm on Thursday with a large bag of medication, This included a two week dose of cefazolin, an antibiotic. This needed to be handed over to the dialysis nurses in the renal unit at MKUH where it would be used for intravenous application at the end of …

‘Done and Dusted‘

I have just returned to my room having had my first four hour dialysis in my new fistula. This fistula fitted on the 13th Jan performed really well for 9 weeks. The whole process was very smooth. The annoying thing is that for almost five hours (I’ll explain the extra hour later) I had To …

It was all going so smoothly and then…

I have got into a routine. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday I head off to MKUH at about 5:30pm for dialysis. Generally I am on from about 6:30pm until 10:30pm. The exception is Monday where generally I am on fom 7:00pm to 11:00pm. During my 4 hours dialysis I will listen to music or watch …

Reaping the Benefits

I am beginning to see the benefits of regular dialysis. With the Tesier Line Fitted and the pain subsiding the dialysis sessions have gone well. I have yet to do a 4 hour session- yesterday’s session was shorter as they had had issues with other patients which meant I started an hour later. It wasn’t …

Christmas

I was sent home from Churchill hospital at 8:30pm on Christmas Eve. I had completed another 3 and a half hours of dialysis to follow the previous two and a half hours on 23rd December. Finally I was feeling normal. Better than I had in months. I could feel the energy. We got home about …

Bottom of a Bucket

Kidney Disease is so insidious. There are so many different symptoms which combine to make life difficult. The incessant itching and insomnia are bad enough. Now as my kidney approaches the end of its function (remember I only have one kidney!) not only has my appetite dropped through the floor but I am having trouble …

Race Against Time

It’s now three weeks since my Fistula operation. The procedure has been a success and the scar is healing well. Unfortunately my health has deteriorated somewhat. My kidney is very much in the last stage of Chronic Kidney Disease. I have a GFR of just 3. This is a measure of my kidney’s ability to …

Back To Work

The Alexa speaker alarm goes off. It is 5:45am, in my usual workday routine I will listen to the radio (UCB1) whilst coming round and jump into the shower by 6:45am. Downstairs to eat breakfast and make lunch whilst listening to Radio 4, before leaving the house at 7:30am. It takes 25 mins to drive …

Washed Out

A reflection on the past few days

The Boy in the Bed

In a ward of grumpy old men there was one who was much younger. Almost half my age (a little over 30) but looking half of even this. Severely disabled he did not speak, face mask to aid breathing up often removed with deliberate yet uncontrolled hands. Whatever his needs they were mental and physical …

One Year

A year ago I was living in Mwanza. In fact, though I did not know it at the time, this day (April 1st) would be my last full day in Tanzania. A year ago tomorrow we would be heading off for a holiday in Kenya. However, Easter is a moveable feast and as such has …

Zero Coke and Minimum Pepsi

Last week I had what was undoubtedly the best renal consultation in a year. I had scheduled a day of appointments with a visit to my new renal consultant at 9am followed later in the day by a scheduled appointment with my Haematology consultant at 1:15. It made for a long, but ultimately productive day, …