the transplant was a success

hello, well i know this is coming as a very late post, but i have been so so sbusy, in a nutshell on the 18th october we recieved a call from our transplant co-ordinator, the transplant was all booked! 5th november! bonfire night we were all a bit nervous but excited, not sure if that is the right word to use, but once the transplant had gone ahead and been successful we could get on with our lives, that was the exciting part. two weeks before the transplant we had an appointment to go and see the surgeon in birmingham and the pshychiatrist(i think, well i know i have spelt that wrong) and the human tissue authority people, we had to prove darren and his dad were related! the appointment with the surgeon it was on a friday, we got there nice and early, we were all a bit nervous again but were happy to be there. the four of us(darren, his mum and dad and me) sat in the room with the surgeon, he started with ron, he examined him and told him which kidney they would take, and the reason that they made the incision at the front and take the kidney out that way is that they have less muscle to cut through, it is the path of least resistance, going in through the front they would have to move bits out of the way to get to the kidney, he explained that ron would have a main cut, big enough for someone to put their hand in and take out the kidney, and 2 small cuts, one for the camera one for the instruments. the only reason ron would need the surgery the old way(which is alot more painful afterwards) is if there was too much blood and they couldnt see what they were doing, so therefore need to do a big cut. he went through all the risks, and how ron may feel if the kidney failed after transplantation, he asked us if we were all prepared for that. we all just nodded! we didnt even want to think about that, we had come this far. then he examined darren, checked out his multitude of scars already! he told him that he could take his pd cathether out at the same time(the tube darren has in his stomach for his old type of dialysis he use to do) which we were pleased about, as it hasnt been used since june but i have had to dress it every other day, and it is an infection risk. hr explained that they would leave the tunnel lines in darrens neck until after the transplant incase he needed dialysis afterwards

but we were all hoping that these nasty lines won't be needed again!






then the surgeon said he had to give us the numbers concerned around death!






that was really scary, and unerved me a bit, rons chances of death from the operation and upto 2 weeks later is 1 in 3000






for darren the cahnces of death from complications within the firsy 12 mths is 1 in 100, that was really scary to hear such a confident surgeon say.


































sunday 4th november























well here are the 2 famous lads themselves, we were waiting in the day room here, for the nurses to get their beds ready,
































on the saturday night darren slept quite well considering(i know we have called him jack through all this but we all know he is darren)


i didnt sleep a wink! i had spent the last couple of days packing cases, sorting tablets, house keys, cats dogs etc, and i couldnt believe it was actually here !


darren went to bed before me on saturday night and i sat up wondering, the house seemed empty, the dogs were in the kennels and his aunties!


i looked around and for a split second i felt a strange overwhelming sense of panic, what if this was darrens last night at home? what if he never saw the dogs again? what if we didnt get to get married? and do all the things we want to do? i was suddenly a bit scared. it soon passed, but the fact it happened was enough, i tossed and turned all night, the morning soon came around, at 8 am i rang the ward to see what time they wanted the boys, we were told to be there by at least 1 as darren was going to have his last dialysis session before the transplant.


so we rang darrens mum and dad and decided we may as well get going, get a parking space, get me and his mum booked in our accomodation(we were staying in the relatives accomodation) so the car was packed up at his mum and dads, his dads brother came to wave us off, and we were away, there was no traffic we got there in plenty of time, got a parking space no problem, and then we took all our stuff to the room we were going to stay in, we called it the hut, it was very basic!








but we were grateful that the hospiatl had them kind of facilities, as i didnt fancy driving up and down the m6 and 5 everyday. it was a small room, 2 single beds, a sink in the corner, there were 50 rooms in total, 2 ladies loo's 2 mens loo's a shower and a bath and a kitchen, so if you was not up early for hot water in the shower you were stuffed!







after we were settled we all made our way over to the ward! east 4b was to be the place darren would be calling home for a while,
they both had ecgs and chest xrays and were both given a sunday lunch, which compared to some hospital meals we have seen in our time actually didnt look too bad!
me and his mum went back to our hut for crackers and laughing cow!
we went over to the ward at visiting time that evening, they put darren and his dad next to eachother for the night, and we all sat chatting, wondering what the following day held in store for us, i knew i wouldnt sleep very well, even though i felt really tired.