Bath 'n' Wales

Sunday 22 August 2010

Spending the day at the Transplant Games wasn't the end of my Sunday (22 August 2010) - oh no!

Having said goodbye to Dad and Sue, who had come down from Cheshire to Somerset, we jumped in the car and left Bath, for four days in Wales!

The last time we, as a family, holidayed in Wales, the kids were around 5 and 7, and we camped near Fishguard. A few years older, and having already camped this summer, we chose a beautiful five star Welsh Bed & Breakfast located in the countryside between St David's (UK's smallest city) and Fishguard, Pembrokshire.

The B&B is called Yr Hafan, Park Y West and is really beautiful. Set in 20 acres of rolling countryside, we could open the blinds in the morning and look out towards the sea. The owners, were really friendly, helpful but not intrusive, and together with Miss Summer, we had a fabulous four days.

Yr Hafan (side view)

Views from our room

Alex chasing Summer outside our rooms (left door Alex & Nicole, right door Stav & I)Our room-modern and contemporary Alex & Nicole's twin room

British Transplant Games 2010 - Sunday

Early morning - no time for breakfast! Off to the University of Bath for a day of athletics - the British Transplant Games.




The weather forcast was rain and rain...but WOW....it was sunny!!



Earlier this year the Bath Chronicle published an article about me and the family, particularly the link between athletics officiating and being a transplantee. So today was my turn to show what I was made of, and be one of the timekeepers.


What makes this event - the Transplant Games - so very special, is the mixture of ages and abilities. There are some very competitive and competent athletes, and there are so many more fun loving, have a go, fabulous transplantees - from walking age to "150"!!

The two pictures above show a member of the King's Transplant Team (in the lead).

The children's hospital teams were simply, a delight. These gorgeous little children from Papworth, King's, Great Ormond Street, Guys, Bristol Royal, Plymouth, Edinburgh - and so many other wonderful life saving units - were just inspirational.

Pudsey Bear is always a part of the Games, and the little ones just swarmed round him/her!! On the Saturday I met a family from Kingston. I asked who had had the transplant because they all looked so well, and the little girl aged about 4 or 5 said she had. She had needed a kidney but would not have lived had she had to wait on the donor list. She was however very lucky. Both her parents were compatible - and her dad donated one of his kidney's to his daughter. How lovely is that?

Have you ever been somewhere where all you have done is smile all day? Because that is exactly what I did. Just watching everyone trying so hard; marvelling at some of the speeds; and just loving the smiles on everyones faces.

There were only 3 timekeepers including me, but the atmosphere was very relaxed and fun. The longest track race was just 1500m but the morning was very intense with race after race of sprint heats and 800m.

There were even 20m sprints for the under 5s. The picture below is the crowd of people allowed on the track to encourage these little athletes. One little girl ran in a wheeled frame, others with feeder tubes in - can you imagine the cheers??

The day of athletics finished with relay finals of which the King's Team had only managed to qualify into - but they did brilliantly and won Silver. Well done King's - all of you..

Next Stop Bath - British Transplant Games 2010 - Saturday

I'll come back to the Reunion soon - next stop Bath!!

Earlier this year, I was honoured to be featured in the Bath Chronicle. An article which linked transplantation with the sporting world; one of many similar articles published this year in the lead up to the British Transplant Games.

The city of Bath has hosted the Games a few times I am told, and I was invited to officiate as a timekeeper this year for the athletics.

What with Little N in Turkey Jul/Aug, and the Transplant Reunion, it has been akward this summer to fit in a family holiday - and of course, we can't forget our own waggy tailed Summer (our first dog and she is now only 13 months old). So it made sense to try and combine one of the events to a break away.

So on Friday my father and Sue headed south to (near) Bath to my Auntie and Uncle's home, and Little N and I headed to a hotel in Tormarton just north of the city and the other side of the M4 (ever tried booking a pet/family friendly accommodation at last minute in peak summer??!!)..



The Best Western Compass Inn, Tormarton












On Friday night we met up and dined in Chipping Sodbury, a very pretty town on the edge of the Cotswolds (lovely evening.

Saturday became my first ever visit to Bath. I can't believe I've never managed to visit before!? Little N & I hit the shops - of course, first stop Jack Wills and later met with Dad & Sue, and my Auntie (Denise).

The Donor Bus was in central Bath, and Little N wanted to sign up onto the Donor Register. Dad needed to update his card from the one he had help since the '80s to online registration (which everyone should do). Little N had wanted to sign up for years, but I wanted just as much, for her to make the move by herself. I left her to fill out the paperwork with Dad, whilst as a VIP (now that doesn't happen often!!) I signed a special book on the bus (and yes I do hold a donor card).





The Donor Bus pictured with supporters of the Donor Run







Stav, Alex and Summer arrived at Bath Spa Station early in the afternoon (easy journey from home via Reading), and we went our own way until the evening when we met up in Bath for the DONOR RUN.

Stav & I, Alex & Nicole, Dad, Sue & Denise all signed up to walk the 3k Fun Run together. Until Little N decided it was too easy and wanted to run the 5k with Stav. This event also incorporated the Transplant Games Mini Marathon (3 or 5k).





And of course, we couldn't miss someone else out...!!









Sue, Little N, Denise




















Sue, Stav, Little N














The "race" had to be delayed by 15 mins due to the number of late entrants so an extended warm up took place (I think everyone there will agree with "extended" being the operative word..)..





Sssssttttrreeeetttccchhhhhhh....

















Little N and Stav in group warm up. Dad (648) pictured behind (sunglasses, white hair!)...














Spotted taking sneaky photos....









Just as the race was starting, I spotted two familiar faces from home. Thank you Martin and Sheila for coming to say hello - and well done Martin for winning the siver medal in the Badminton. Fantastic!

Well, then the heavens just opened!! It rained and rained (hence no more photos) - but it was quite warm, so quite nice actually!

Thank you Stav, Little N, Alex, Summer, Dad, Sue and Denise for joining me (Denise is very good at getting people to sign up for the Donor register too..) and also to my cousin Sally, husband Brook and their 3 kiddies for coming along to support us too! It meant a lot.

Transplant Reunion - 21 Years Celebration, Part I

What a lovely day it was on Sunday!

Every four years, King's College Hospital holds a patient reunion for those who have had a liver transplant at the hospital.

2006 was the last time it was held; the year I went from fighting fit to being on the Super Urgent Liver Transplant List, and with all the love and luck in the world, finished the year with a brand new liver.

So 2010, wasn't just any reunion, but King's celebrating 21 years of liver transplantation at the hospital.

Dulwich College was chosen as the location to hold a massive picnic (don't even start to think if pre prepared food was offered to a huge group of immunosuppressants, and they caught a bug!!) - bring you own (very sensible)!




A massive marque was errected, with a stage and large TV/projection screen, and there were a couple of stands inside, including that of LISTEN and the King's Transplant Games Team.

Outside, the LISTEN team and their wonderful supports; Peter and Karen, Linda and Jeremy, Martin and Sheila, Stav, Nicole and her friend Gemma, Mike - and other's who I apologise for not mentioning (but thank you too) - set up a series of canopies, a tombola stand and the girls (Nicole and Gemma), a kiddies lucky dip.




Thank you everyone who donated to the LISTEN tombola. Nearly £500 was raised through this, the quizz and donations on the day!





Mike, Martin and Stav working hard


LISTEN had produced a brand new NEWSLETTER for the occasion and published a new leaflet, both of which ew hope will be distributed throughout the liver unit very soon.



As well as Mike, Mentors, Maureen and Wendy (pictured) and Chris came with their families.

And there was a MASSIVE HUGE ENORMOUS birthday cake to celebrate the 21 years!







It was cut at the end of the afternoon - delicious!



Inside the marque, Professor Nigel Heaton (left) welcomed everyone...



... and the event was then officially opened by the Deputy Mayor Richard Barnes (pictured left).




There were a number of very interesting speakers including Consultant Dr John O'Grady.


Filmed by Consultant Dr Kosh Agarwal.

It was great that so many people came!











Part II coming soom..







Get the Organ Donation bug!!!

East meets West...

After my last blog entry I was discharged from King's the following day - so an EXCELLENT recovery! (and my freezer is full of ice lollies - got the taste!!)...

The steroids came down to 20mg, then, more recently to 15mg and in 2 weeks time, I will be on 12.5mg. The magic number is 10 and under, when the puffa fish face and body should start to calm down. May be a month or 2 away, but it's good to aim for, and my blood results are showing that the drugs are controlling the AIH (autoimmune disease).

On a happier note, the kid's have both finished school and college. Little N did work experience for a few days at a kiddies nursery which she found was hard work trying to keep them entertained all the time. But she's going back at the end of the holidays to do another few days - best contraception ever!!! Little N also went to Turkey for a few weeks and had a truely wonderful time with her friend D and her parents. A HUGE thank you to them all..xx

I have been timkeeping, of course! I was at Copthall for the Southern Multi Event Championships, and at Horsham for a Sussex League. Also Reigate Priory had their Summer 10k (just before last blog) and then there was the Gatton 10k at the end of July.

HOWEVER, the last 2-3 weeks have been spent with my head down! Head down writing the LISTEN Newsletter and the last few amends for the LISTEN leaflet.

I did the full production of the 8 page Newsletter using a Serif programme (quite basic) and I was grabbing pictures off facebook and trawling through my computer in my "picture library"!! I had been collecting leads to articles most of this year with the hope that the Newsletter would come out earlier, but with my handful of trips into King's, this really wasn't feasible. So the deadline was yesterday - the KING'S TRANSPLANT REUNION celebrating 21 years of liver transplants at King's College Hospital. There are two life liver transplant stories of the lovely Maureen, and my own personal mentor, Sue; there's a book review - "Wearing Purple" by Moyra Evan's who's husband Paul had a transplant at King's - there's an article written by one of my consultants and an interview with the Social Worker - a bit about our new website listenatkings.org and about what we've all been doing at LISTEN - and more!

I'm very pleased with the final product and can now start thinking about the next issue! And it was fabulous picking up 1,000 copies from the printers... (if anyone has any ideas for the next issue - send a message through this blog).

It was also exciting to see the first ever LISTEN leaflet. Months of writing and rewriting the copy, getting it authorised; then deciding it didn't look the best it could - then passing over to my graphic design friend Andrew (drivecreative.co.uk) - and watching the amazing transformation he performed! WOW...

All this does make me miss brochure production, which I did for a number of years....

On Saturday, Stav and I met up with Paul and Pam from Plymouth (the WEST). It was so lovely to meet the couple who I've been friends with on Facebook for the last year, following an article I put in the last LISTEN Newsletter - Paul's story of transplant. We had a wonderful afternoon walking through Borough Market, drinking coffee, and strolling along the South Bank (they're from the west- we're from the east - sort of...).

Yesterday was the Anniversary of 21 years of Liver Transplants at King's College Hospital - and the Transplant Reunion. I'm going to write a separate blog later with lots of pictures I took. But just to say - it was an amazing day..