Back in 1995 I was on Haemodialysis, and working full time 40-45Hrs. per weak.
On Tuesday's and Thursday's I would go into unit at 10pm, set up and start dialysis by 11pm, then I would TRY and get some sleep. At about 4am a nurse would come in and wake me, remove needles, I would then go back to sleep. At about 6.30am a nurse would be back with tea and toast (talk about breakfast in bed) then it's a quick shower, dressed and it's off to work by 8am. This went on for 2 Hard years, but I was determined to keep as normal a life as possible!!!
On Xmas eve I woke up at 6.30 as usual, but no work that day, so I decided to get dressed and get home to my own bed for a long lie. On arriving home I received a phone call from the hospital, could you come back straight away, what have I done? left something behind I just couldn't think, just wanted my bed.
So it's back I go and decide that my partner should come just in-case it's important. And It Was!!! we've got a kidney and it's a perfect match, on Xmas day I went for the best present I have ever been given. A PEE!!!!
Life's Good!! not quite as active as pre. dialysis, but pretty close.
Had to go into hospital once, because of a rejection scare about 4 months after transplant, apart from that it's pretty smooth, regular clinic appointments a strict medicine regime and told to drink 4ltrs of water per day, sounds good ,but when you were on a 600ml restriction for two years this is Hard!! water is needed to flush out kidneys
About two and half years later it was decided that we would go on our first holiday abroad together, I met my partner when I became ill (that's another story, I'll keep that one for later). At the end of that year we went off to Tenerife, Nearing the end of the holiday I decided to climb Mount Teide (3,718meters) I'm not that daft, I took the train to the 3/4 point and climbed the rest and back to the bottom, during the walk I drank 4ltrs of water and another 2 for the rest of the day, Oh boy did I Pee!!!
The next morning when I woke my ankles were wider than my thighs and no trips to the loo! as you can imagine fear and panic took hold and it was home and straight into hospital for a myriad of tests, renal function deteriorating, some pretty serious drugs, but alas to no avail. Told by specialist the dehydration was probably the catalysts, but it was revealed that the kidney had been slightly damaged during transplant and it was probably just a matter of time.
By March of the following year it's back onto Haemo for six months then started APD, where I am now!!!
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