Probably the biggest difference it made was in my energy levels. There was so much I couldn’t do before the transplant as it would have knocked me out completely. Afterwards, I could live a normal life without having to worry about how I’ll feel after. I’ve done the Kidney Research UK Bridges Walk three times and have another sponsored walk in the summer to help raise awareness of kidney disease. My quality of life has improved to no end.
I remember being at home around three months after my transplant. I had been at work and didn’t have dinner straight away. I looked up at the clock and realised it was 8pm. 8pm in the evening and I wasn’t exhausted! If that had happened before the transplant I’d have been on my knees from tiredness. I immediately phoned my dad to tell him and say thank you for the gift he’d given me. It was life-changing.
Three years after my transplant, I gave birth to my daughter Isabelle. That’s proof alone of how my life was able to get back to normal.
We were told the kidney could last 15-20 years, and in the end it did last 20 years! But over time, routine scans showed my new kidney was also slowly declining and I’d need another transplant.
The second time around, we had more time to prepare. I was 53 and had learnt to be grateful for whatever I was given. If I was lucky enough to get another transplant, I would be incredibly grateful, but I understood what was involved.
Just like the first time, a lot of people came forward to donate. My brother was tested again but sadly this time the tests showed he was now pre-diabetic and wouldn’t make a good donor. So back onto the waiting list I went.
My friend Melanie came to see me during this time. I wasn’t well at all and was having problems with dialysis yet again. She asked if she would be able to donate. I told her there was no reason not to get tested to see, but that I couldn’t ask her to give up a kidney. She replied that I wasn’t asking – she was offering.
I didn’t hear anything more for a bit after that, then one day she called me and said, “Guess where I’ve been – Leicester.” I thought she’d called to tell me about a job interview! Then she explained she had been to Leicester hospital and was being tested to see if she could donate a kidney to me!
The tests all went fine and she was able to donate. The transplant was supposed to happen in November 2022 but was pushed to February because of Covid. Other than that, there were almost no problems at all and the transplant went off without a hitch.
Here I am, 3 years after that second transplant, fit as a fiddle once again. Mel is very well too. She recovered even quicker than my dad as she was 42 when she donated. She’s said many times that she wouldn’t know it had happened as her life hasn’t changed at all. Her husband is a marathon runner and she usually goes out cycling with him during his runs.
I could never repay the life-changing gift she’s given me, but I try to help them wherever I can. Our friendship is probably closer than it’s ever been.
I’ve spoken to both my dad and Mel about their donations and I know they both feel an immense pride for what they did. For me, I have an immense gratitude to both of my donors for what they’ve given. My dad got to see his granddaughter because of his donation – there’s no question in my mind that I’d have been pregnant without the kidney.
