I love productive meetings. Today was the monthly LISTEN meeting and the leading topics were mentoring and how we wanted to develop long term. We could certainly do with more hands on board, creative and handyman type people, but I love the team we have and I think our personalities and skills compliament each other well.
The committee are currently trialing mentoring at King's on a regular basis - visiting the wards, liver intensive care and the LISTEN Lodges. As part of developing our skills we each have to attend an Educational session run by the pre transplant co-ordinators when patients are told they are being put on the liver transplant list. Patients and their families attend, and they are talked through the period leading up to that "wished for" telephone call to say a possible match has been found - what happens during the transplant - and a little of after too. I was "Educated" a few weeks ago.
Because of the nature of the job, we are around vulnerable people and we take this very seriously. We are lucky to have our very own "in-house" counsellor (just one of many hats he wears) and he (we know who he is!!) attends our visits with us, so we know that what we are doing and saying is correct. We never give medical advice - ever - and we visit to listen and mentor.
To become a Liver Unit Mentor we attend a days training run by the Specialist Social Worker at King's (I took my training in 2008). From meeting and listening to other support groups at liver units around the UK, it seems that we are the only group to be trained.
But as with any "job", you won't be the best unless you continue your training. So we're going to run possibly two days of workshops with talks given by medical bodies within the liver unit, full mentor training and role play etc.. This is for our current mentors and prospective mentors.
Why do this now? Our main focus for 2011 is to develop our relationship with the liver unit. We want to be in a position to offer our mentors more work than they have had and by being a larger presence in the hospital, the hope is that we will.
After just 4 weeks I think we have already been able to mentor around 400% more than previous 4 weeks. There is a lot more to this, but I won't bore you!!
Back home. Landed with a bump. A £65 dentist bill for the kids and £33 pilates bill...
Otherwise back at the ranch, Stav is in France snowboarding, Little N is beeing a teen, Mad Dog is making me laugh and Big A..taking dads absence to antagonise his sister even more... So a usual week..lol..
Tonight, I've had my pilates fix, Glee fix and watched the 2nd part of Waking the Dead. Now watching the American The Apprentice. A fab night of TV for me!!
I will be visiting the King's Charitable Trust on Thursday which is in Waterloo then having my own blood tests at Denmark Hill.
Monday, 14 March 2011
Saturday, 5 February 2011
PRIMA Power
I knew it was about to happen. I knew it would be soon.
But that didn't make me any less suprised when I saw it!!!
That is of course, the PRIMA article. From contact to the newsagent shelves has taken about 6 months, with the photoshoot taken in Reigate Priory Park in December between the two massive snowfalls Surrey experienced. It is so lovely however, to have a natural family picture taken by a professional.
PRIMA - March Edition - Pages 117 and 118 - Out now (until about 2/3/11).
Of course the first thing every one of my family did (me included) was to look at the pictures and see if their hair, face, clothes etc looked ok. What a vain lot. Of course, I'm full of steroids so particularly bloated but hey, gotta get used to it.
The article is entitled "Why I want everyone to carry an organ-donor card", "Donna Barrington-Smith, 41 (I'm 42), a travel writer (well, sort of) from Reigate (Redhill), Surrey, explains how the kindness of a stranger saved her life".
There is, as you would expect, a little artistic licence, but the story is generally how I told it. In fact with the current situation I am ecstatic how it pushes people to consider signing up for a organ donor card. And LISTEN gets a mention too. Fantastic!!
But that didn't make me any less suprised when I saw it!!!
That is of course, the PRIMA article. From contact to the newsagent shelves has taken about 6 months, with the photoshoot taken in Reigate Priory Park in December between the two massive snowfalls Surrey experienced. It is so lovely however, to have a natural family picture taken by a professional.
PRIMA - March Edition - Pages 117 and 118 - Out now (until about 2/3/11).
Of course the first thing every one of my family did (me included) was to look at the pictures and see if their hair, face, clothes etc looked ok. What a vain lot. Of course, I'm full of steroids so particularly bloated but hey, gotta get used to it.
The article is entitled "Why I want everyone to carry an organ-donor card", "Donna Barrington-Smith, 41 (I'm 42), a travel writer (well, sort of) from Reigate (Redhill), Surrey, explains how the kindness of a stranger saved her life".
There is, as you would expect, a little artistic licence, but the story is generally how I told it. In fact with the current situation I am ecstatic how it pushes people to consider signing up for a organ donor card. And LISTEN gets a mention too. Fantastic!!
Thursday, 3 February 2011
Exciting...
Today I went to King's for a meeting with the King's Charitable Trust Marketing Manager and a fantastic couple who wish to raise lots of money for LISTEN, the fund dedicated to supporting pre and post liver transplant patients and their families.
Firstly I must tell you about Chris and Corrine McLaughlin. And ask that you look at FLIGHT4LIVES. This website will develop as the months lead up to December 2011 when they plan to fly their little Cessna plane from CapeToCape - Cape Cod to Cape Horn.
Chris and Corrine with their Cessna
A dynamic couple, Chris received a liver transplant at King's in April 2010; he was previously a BA Captain flying 747s. Corrine is a BA Purser.
They weren't prepared for what happened to Chris in March and April 2010 as he waivered in and out of conciousness, especially finding out that the severity of his liver disease had also shot his kidneys.
Whilst Chris battled in Liver Intensive Care, Corrine was having to drive from their Surrey/Sussex border home to King's every day. The distance isn't one of the longest that families supporting a liver diseased patient has to travel, but as anyone knows who has had to travel to Denmark Hill SE London from outside the M25, the traffic is hideous and it is a very time consuming journey full of traffic jams and traffic lights. Incredibly stressful.
Luckily, a LISTEN Lodge room became available. In Corrine's own words "The Lodge saved my sanity." She added, "Someone told me I could stay at the Halfway House (the name of past accommodation used by the King's liver unit) and I was a little worried about what I would be walking into, but was also so grateful to be able to stay near to Chris".
And what a suprise she got when she walked into the beautifully decorated LISTEN Lodge (Lower)! She loved the accommodation so much and was so thankful to use such fantastic facilities - and especially as the Lodges are only 2 minutes walk from King's (when you are receiving calls at 6am and odd o'clock, that is sooo important) - that when Chris said he wanted to give something back to King's after his liver transplant, that Corrine insisted that he raise money for LISTEN.
So starts a story...
LISTEN will provide any support they possibly can to Chris and Corrine. And I hope to keep you informed off their progress...
Chris hopes to raise around £50,000 flying over 16,000 nautical miles in a plane that needs refueling every 4 hours and travelling over rainforests, desert etc... Some of the money he raises will also go to liver research and the Nigel Heaton Fund - but their wishes are that LISTEN recieves the highest percentage. WOW! And thank you. And boy, how exciting...
After this I went up to Liver Outpatients to remind them that I wanted them to put together a wish list of what LISTEN could raise funds for, and also did the same on Todd Ward (main liver unit ward. I popped into the the Relatives Room on Todd and was delighted to find that there were 3 plaques in the room including the LISTEN plaque.
Then home. xx
Firstly I must tell you about Chris and Corrine McLaughlin. And ask that you look at FLIGHT4LIVES. This website will develop as the months lead up to December 2011 when they plan to fly their little Cessna plane from CapeToCape - Cape Cod to Cape Horn.
Chris and Corrine with their Cessna
A dynamic couple, Chris received a liver transplant at King's in April 2010; he was previously a BA Captain flying 747s. Corrine is a BA Purser.
They weren't prepared for what happened to Chris in March and April 2010 as he waivered in and out of conciousness, especially finding out that the severity of his liver disease had also shot his kidneys.
Whilst Chris battled in Liver Intensive Care, Corrine was having to drive from their Surrey/Sussex border home to King's every day. The distance isn't one of the longest that families supporting a liver diseased patient has to travel, but as anyone knows who has had to travel to Denmark Hill SE London from outside the M25, the traffic is hideous and it is a very time consuming journey full of traffic jams and traffic lights. Incredibly stressful.
Luckily, a LISTEN Lodge room became available. In Corrine's own words "The Lodge saved my sanity." She added, "Someone told me I could stay at the Halfway House (the name of past accommodation used by the King's liver unit) and I was a little worried about what I would be walking into, but was also so grateful to be able to stay near to Chris".
And what a suprise she got when she walked into the beautifully decorated LISTEN Lodge (Lower)! She loved the accommodation so much and was so thankful to use such fantastic facilities - and especially as the Lodges are only 2 minutes walk from King's (when you are receiving calls at 6am and odd o'clock, that is sooo important) - that when Chris said he wanted to give something back to King's after his liver transplant, that Corrine insisted that he raise money for LISTEN.
So starts a story...
LISTEN will provide any support they possibly can to Chris and Corrine. And I hope to keep you informed off their progress...
Chris hopes to raise around £50,000 flying over 16,000 nautical miles in a plane that needs refueling every 4 hours and travelling over rainforests, desert etc... Some of the money he raises will also go to liver research and the Nigel Heaton Fund - but their wishes are that LISTEN recieves the highest percentage. WOW! And thank you. And boy, how exciting...
After this I went up to Liver Outpatients to remind them that I wanted them to put together a wish list of what LISTEN could raise funds for, and also did the same on Todd Ward (main liver unit ward. I popped into the the Relatives Room on Todd and was delighted to find that there were 3 plaques in the room including the LISTEN plaque.
Then home. xx
Wednesday, 2 February 2011
Love kids! Glad mine are older!!
This morning was the second morning in a row that I have officiated at the local sports centre, a five minutes' walk away!
On Tuesday nine junior schools put together teams of around 20 kids aged 9 to 11 to compete in a Sportshall event. Today there were seve schools. The idea is to have fun, make lots of noise (in a positive way - no booing) and enjoy competing in various toned down athletic events.
Their smiles were delightful, but after about 90 minutes I was reaching for the paracetamol!!
Such a shame that the government are withdrawing the funds to an extent that after three years of this event, next year it will be no longer. THat is unless someone leads the helm in encouraging the schools to arrange it themselves!! There is of course, a little more to it than that, as it will be the secondary schools who decide if they spend their funds on the junior schools. Such a shame. Such a shame.
Anyway, on another matter. No call from King's so I'm hoping for happy bloods. I've been incredibly tired over the last 3 weeks, something I've never had to contend with before except in the early days post transplant, but may be it is something I will have to resign myself to for the moment.
On Sunday I took a bump all the way down the stair...stupid mare!! Talking to the dog, carrying a big basket full of dirty washing and descending steep stairs don't go together. All bumps clear now. Stupid mare!
For those with athletics "know", you'll understand when I say that Little N is going to 2nd claim for Sutton and District. This is because RPAC are not part of the Junior League which Sutton is joining this season for the first time. This is athletics for Under 17 and Under 20 only. She will still compete for RPAC outside of this;there was never a moment when we considered her doing otherwise.
Mad Dog had to miss training and her play date with little Delhia the miniture poodle, today as I was at the schools athletics. Also, I did have a laugh to myself when I read what she has to achieve for the Kennel Club Gold Award....now she holds her silver.... NO CHANCE....LOL xx
On Tuesday nine junior schools put together teams of around 20 kids aged 9 to 11 to compete in a Sportshall event. Today there were seve schools. The idea is to have fun, make lots of noise (in a positive way - no booing) and enjoy competing in various toned down athletic events.
Their smiles were delightful, but after about 90 minutes I was reaching for the paracetamol!!
Such a shame that the government are withdrawing the funds to an extent that after three years of this event, next year it will be no longer. THat is unless someone leads the helm in encouraging the schools to arrange it themselves!! There is of course, a little more to it than that, as it will be the secondary schools who decide if they spend their funds on the junior schools. Such a shame. Such a shame.
Anyway, on another matter. No call from King's so I'm hoping for happy bloods. I've been incredibly tired over the last 3 weeks, something I've never had to contend with before except in the early days post transplant, but may be it is something I will have to resign myself to for the moment.
On Sunday I took a bump all the way down the stair...stupid mare!! Talking to the dog, carrying a big basket full of dirty washing and descending steep stairs don't go together. All bumps clear now. Stupid mare!
For those with athletics "know", you'll understand when I say that Little N is going to 2nd claim for Sutton and District. This is because RPAC are not part of the Junior League which Sutton is joining this season for the first time. This is athletics for Under 17 and Under 20 only. She will still compete for RPAC outside of this;there was never a moment when we considered her doing otherwise.
Mad Dog had to miss training and her play date with little Delhia the miniture poodle, today as I was at the schools athletics. Also, I did have a laugh to myself when I read what she has to achieve for the Kennel Club Gold Award....now she holds her silver.... NO CHANCE....LOL xx
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