Life couldn't be sweeter after wife's greatest gift of a kidneyDaniel Breen
September 11th, 2008
LIFE is good for kidney transplant recipient John Saunders.
Barring a few setbacks, the past year has been much more enjoyable for the 64-year-old from Hamlyn Heights.
He and "wonder wife" Jackie will travel away together for the first time in eight years when they venture to Perth in January, a trip that would not have been possible 12 months ago.
Mrs Saunders feels healthier than ever and can barely wait for the couple's first trip.
"I feel really good, probably better than I did when I had two kidneys," she said yesterday.
"We had a few other things happening in the first few months and we couldn't do a lot because of the medication but it has given us a lot of freedom."
Her husband still marvels at the generosity that greatly improved his quality of life.
"It (the kidney) is bumping along all right. The doctors reckon I got a good one," he beamed before a quick retort "that's because I don't smoke or drink" from his wife of 36 years.
The pair did not celebrate the first anniversary of their dual operation on August 28, but both remain thankful for the doctors' good work and Mrs Saunders' will to lose 20kg to be deemed fit for surgery.
Mr Saunders said his added freedom had come from being able to abandon the dialysis machine he previously relied on to survive.
"I'm not tied to the machine anymore and I don't have to stick needles into myself. I used to call the machine Shirley and we had a lot of blues," he said.
"I'm grateful that it kept me alive but it could be frustrating at times."
These days, Mr Saunders devotes a lot of the time he used spend hooked up to Shirley on other pursuits.
He took up a 10-week cooking class last year and is still doing it, while he enjoys getting out on the golf course.
The medication was a pain for a while but it's an inconvenience he is happy to put up with.
http://www.geelongadvertiser.com.au/article/2008/09/11/18176_news.html
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