Can I crash your conference!

I recently gave a presentation to about 200 members of the public sector consultancy group at IBM after which they kindly allowed me a few minutes to tell my story, give some background to the current situation regarding organ donation in the U.K and drum up some signatories to the Organ donation Register.

It was very well received and I’ve since had lots of positive feedback.

I’d be delighted to crash any conference or meeting to pass on the message ( there are still 3 people dying needlessly every day in the U.K  for want of an an organ)

Let me know on chris.kendall@planningportal.gsi.gov.uk if the offer appeals.

The Wrap up

Six months down the line now, Dave (my kidneys new owner) is doing great and just had a flurry of media activity (see below) plus lots of TV and Radio.
I’ve tried to use the story to encourage sign ups to the organ donor register and I’ll keep plugging that message as long as I can get mileage from the story.
Thanks for everyones support.
Chris

http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/bristol/hi/people_and_places/newsid_8864000/8864765.stm

 http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/jun/22/uk-living-organ-donors

 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1295270/Father-donates-kidney-stranger-inspired-kindness-C4-Secret-Millionaire.html

 http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2010/07/19/why-i-gave-my-kidney-to-a-total-stranger-115875-22423274

 http://www.thisisgloucestershire.co.uk/news/Kidney-recipient-Gloucester-met-donor/article-2405646-detail/article.html

http://www.thisisbristol.co.uk/news/blood-thought-donate-kidney/article-2403749-detail/article.html

 http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/showbiz/tv/3058069/TVs-Secret-Millionaire-inspired-fathers-kidney-donation.html

Job done

Eight months since beginning this process and it is all now complete.
The op went like clockwork apparently.
I was put under at about 8.30 on the Friday morning and spent just short of 5 hours under the knife. I emerged with 3 small holes where the cameras etc had been and another that resembles a caesarian wound, where my apparently huge kidney was removed.
By 5′ish I’d stopped ejecting any remaining anasthetic in my own unique way and was returned to the ward.
By 10.00am the next morning I was out of bed and shuffling around the ward dragging around a bag attached to a tube they’d neglected to tell me about before the op (perhaps I’d just not heard).
By Sunday I was ready to go home but in true hospital style wires got crossed and they kept me for another night.
I finally went home on Monday lunchtime, feeling every bump in the road as we went.

The weirdest thing has been that I have had no pain, discomfort yes, but no pain at all!
I learned today that a new local anaesthetic technique had been trialled – it clearly worked.

The recipient is apparently doing very well, all I know is that it is a male.
He is planing to write to me though and I’m excited about the prospect.
I am resting up as much as possible but getting bored now, 2 weeks in pyjamas is enough for anyone.

I can get about fine now but get tired easily and will need to get back up to speed gradually – no footy for a while!
I’m hoping to make an appearance in the office on Monday though I don’t anticipate making a full day of it, that will be just 2 weeks after the op. When my Dad had a kidney removed in the late 1960′s he was in hospital for 18 weeks.

I have to say that the care I received in hospital was wonderful and the good wishes I have recieved from so many people has been humbling.
Thanks to everyone for all the support.
Chris

More tests complete – getting closer

I had my ultrasound and chest xrays today and apparently all went well.
I have to check tomorrow but all being well my angiogram will occur within the next couple of weeks.
My lovely co-ordinator asked me today when I want the op and I told her asap after Xmas. So as soon as work commitments allow and my little boys birthday is past I’ll be up for it.
Rachael has spoken with the psychologist and he’s now satisfied so best guess is anytime after 25th of January.

Musings

There have been a couple of occasions lately where it has been suggested to me that I ought to use my activity to raise cash for the cause with a link to justgiving for example.
I’ve chosen not to do that because I feel strongly that this something I have chosen to do for me and that even nudging someone in the direction of a donation would be wrong.
Most of the people I know are good people and will I’m sure make their own decisions about charitable giving and don’t need any emotional blackmail from me.
If it were about the money, to be frank I’d choose a different cause, when I have raised cash in the past, via the golf society I organise, it has been for the childrens hospice at Charlton Farm.
That’s not to say this isn’t a great cause but without being flippant I’m doing this because I can, and with a person in the UK dying everyday for want of something I can manage without, why not.

We all have moments in our lives that define us, some we choose, some just happen to us.
This is one I choose in the knowledge that I will be able to look back and say that on that occasion I did some good. I don’t consider myself brave because I have faith in the health professionals and the power of painkillers.
I am incredibly fortunate to be surrounded by people who care about me and my welfare and I include in that my workmates whose friendship means so much to me.

Already this has been a really interesting experience, simply witnessing the different reactions has been an eye opener. People haven’t always reacted how I imagined they might. Just last night I experienced a new emotion in this process – guilt. It came out in conversation that a friend I have known for years wasn’t aware of what I was up to. I felt guilty because I was worried he’d feel less of a friend because I hadn’t told him. Simple truth is although I keep this blog, unless people ask me what I’m up to I try not to foist it on them. It’s a bloke thing.

I’m still building up for the big challenge – telling my Dad. I love him to bits and even now with me just this side of 50, I want his approval. I’m scared stiff he’ll just not get it, even though he’s lived most of his life on one kidney and still plays golf at least 4 times a week.
Honestly I’m more scared of telling him than any part of the process, operation included.

Next step is another meeting with the nephrologist this Friday. My wife is coming too so hopefully all that remains is the CT scan and ultrasound and were on.

Time for an update

The gfr tests went really well and apparently I have supersonic kidneys, hurray.
My wife Rachael has decided she can support this even though she’s really scared for me and everything else seems to be lining up.
Next step is another meeting with the consultant next week followed by a ct scan and ultrasound. The tests are to check the kidneys location and number of veins. Apparently too many veins and its a non-starter and the location dictates whether its a keyhole op or the full monty.
After that it’s all systems go.
More later.
Chris

The Pace is Gathering!

I guess they must think I’m serious about this now.
I have the GFR appointment on the 6th October sounds interesting, basically they inject a small amount of radioactive material into my blood stream and measure its passage through my kidneys over a period of four hours.
More onerous might be the next pysch meeting with Rachael my wife in attendance, I’m in her hands now as she has the final say, following that another meeting with the consultant in the diary for early November.

It’s just occurred to me that if I time this well, I could spend my 4 weeks recuperating during next years world cup!

I’m not nuts apparently

O.K so I’m through round two.
The psychologist says I appear just sane enough but he’ll be checking with my G.P to make sure it’s not all an elaborate ploy and that I’m not just a great actor. He got the fact that my motivation is quite straightforward, sometimes I think people think I really can’t have thought this through because my reasons are so simple.

The nephrologist poked and prodded, checked my weight, again, bloods, again, blood pressure, tendon reaction etc etc and pronounced me fit as a fiddle.

The next step is another psychologist meeting at the beginning of October; this time with my wife accompanying me as it was made clear that if she doesn’t agree it won’t be happening. Assuming I can convince her I will then have a procedure in November where radioactive liquid is injected and tracked through my kidneys over a period of hours to check their function.

It’s time now to see what our H.R dept think of this – paid leave or not?
Chris

Interviews coming up – dissent in the ranks

I’m looking forward to my interviews next week. It will be interesting to hear what the nephrologist has to say and to be probed by the psych – I wonder what he or she’ll be looking for?
My resolve is as yet unwavering but my wife is less happy, in fact she says she will support anything I want to do other than going under the knife.
All of a sudden the idea of a sponsored tour of the U.Ks best golf courses sounds like a good idea!!

She’s worried, as I would be I suppose about the “what if’s”
What if I die – only 3% do
What if I need it later – they’ll only do the op if I am 100% fit and therefore they’ll know whether I’m likely to need it later.
What if the family need it – if everyone worried about that nobody would ever do it.

Anyhow I’ll soldier on and hope to persuade her of my committment to this otherwise my recuperation might feature more of the Hattie Jaqcues matron than Joanne Whalley’s Nurse Mills (in Singing Detective).

The letters are in

In a great example of joined up working the hospital has managed to co-ordinate two separate appointments – honestly!
So on September 12th I’ll be interviewed by both a psychologist and a Nephrologist.
The first will probe my psyche the second my physiology.
Effectively am I mentally and physically sound, I suppose the theory is that if you are mad enough to want to go through with it then you’re probably mentally unsound and should’nt be allowed to go through with it.
Catch 22.
Anyhow I’m still very positive about it although my wife is less so.
Chris