Today marks twelve months since the first day of the first lockdown here in the UK. I don’t think many of us were particularly shocked by the official announcement, but it still seemed a bit surreal. I remember sitting on my bed in the houseshare I lived in at the time wondering what on earth I was going to do now. I’d already learnt a few days previously that I was deemed to be “Clinically
There’s a reason I waited and published this section second; it was much harder to write than the post about practical aspects, and part of me worries it might be harder to read too. I know both from personal experience and from the work I’m involved in, that there are so many misconceptions about what going through a kidney transplant is like, and how recipients “should” feel before, during and after this completely life-changing experience.
The kidney transplant assessment process involves a lot of information. A LOT of information. Written notes and leaflets, referrals to websites and external organisations, numerous conversations with health professionals, all of which are intended to go as far as possible towards preparing potential transplant recipients for what they’re about to experience. But what about the things that aren’t in the booklets, or that never come up in clinic; the kinds of things you only get
“We have identified that you’re someone at risk of severe illness if you catch Coronavirus.” I’ve heard and read these words so many times over the last few weeks. Logically, I understand why; I know my decreased immunity would impact my ability to recover from coronavirus if I caught it. I realise how vitally important it is that I follow the strict advice I’ve been given, to stay inside, shielding myself from the world for
When I was first diagnosed, and as I started to understand how serious my condition was, going to clinic, and having the blood tests beforehand, became a massively anxiety-inducing experience. I would absolutely dread it. Even though PatientView was an option, and I had an account, I hardly ever used it. I didn’t want to know. At least in my mind, if I felt ok, or even “sort of ok” then I. Was. Fine. If
I’m Holly. I’m a writer, speaker and kidney patient advocate currently living in northern England.
