Posted September 18, 2015
high rated
I have great respect for the community on GOG and wanted to share some really good news with you all. I hope nobody minds what I've got to say. What I should tell you to introduce the matter, is that I was 2 months short of having been a type 1 Diabetic for 47 years when I had my operation.
It's been 7 months since I was fortunate enough to receive from a donor a new pancreas and the top end of their bowel (apparently the body adjusts to 2 organs better than 1). This procedure has completely altered my life. No longer do I have to inject twice daily. No longer do I have to finger prick several times a day if I want to drive the car anywhere. No longer am I struggling to walk up a flight of stairs, getting breathless walking into the wind. No longer is my skin yellow or grey. No longer do I look constantly exhausted.
I feel incredible. I'm full of energy. Now if I'm tired it's because I've done stuff and been busy. I'm getting stronger as the weeks pass and my stamina is improving. Also, my immune system has now built up enough to cope with a cold without flooring me. I've had to get new glasses because my eye sight’s improved and feeling has returned to areas on my feet where I'd begun to lose sensation.
For quite some months I'd felt my body has been experiencing a level of reversal due to being donated a pancreas. Yesterday I got proof of that in the eye department of Lincoln hospital. After photographing and examining the backs of my eyes and their general condition, the consultant was clearly stunned. The improvement is remarkable and my eyes are healthy with no micro-vascular lesions. He thinks that after 1 more check-up, he'll be able to dismiss me from his clinic. He said I wasn't to expect anything from Father Christmas this year as I'd had all my Christmases at once.
My pancreas continues to function normally. I remain vulnerable and need to get through the first year safely before my immune system will be properly up to speed, but I'm doing well. It will also be at least a year before the wound and swelling heals fully, so I have some tenderness in this area. But this is such a small price to pay for getting my life back. I can't donate organs, but I can donate my body to medical science and this is in my will.
If anyone reading this has been, or is wondering about becoming an organ donor - do it. It's worth it, I'm living proof of the benefits organ donation brings. And I'm not alone; I saw the positive effects of organ donation both times I was in Manchester hospital. I don't know who my donor is, but I thank them and their family from the bottom of my heart.
It's been 7 months since I was fortunate enough to receive from a donor a new pancreas and the top end of their bowel (apparently the body adjusts to 2 organs better than 1). This procedure has completely altered my life. No longer do I have to inject twice daily. No longer do I have to finger prick several times a day if I want to drive the car anywhere. No longer am I struggling to walk up a flight of stairs, getting breathless walking into the wind. No longer is my skin yellow or grey. No longer do I look constantly exhausted.
I feel incredible. I'm full of energy. Now if I'm tired it's because I've done stuff and been busy. I'm getting stronger as the weeks pass and my stamina is improving. Also, my immune system has now built up enough to cope with a cold without flooring me. I've had to get new glasses because my eye sight’s improved and feeling has returned to areas on my feet where I'd begun to lose sensation.
For quite some months I'd felt my body has been experiencing a level of reversal due to being donated a pancreas. Yesterday I got proof of that in the eye department of Lincoln hospital. After photographing and examining the backs of my eyes and their general condition, the consultant was clearly stunned. The improvement is remarkable and my eyes are healthy with no micro-vascular lesions. He thinks that after 1 more check-up, he'll be able to dismiss me from his clinic. He said I wasn't to expect anything from Father Christmas this year as I'd had all my Christmases at once.
My pancreas continues to function normally. I remain vulnerable and need to get through the first year safely before my immune system will be properly up to speed, but I'm doing well. It will also be at least a year before the wound and swelling heals fully, so I have some tenderness in this area. But this is such a small price to pay for getting my life back. I can't donate organs, but I can donate my body to medical science and this is in my will.
If anyone reading this has been, or is wondering about becoming an organ donor - do it. It's worth it, I'm living proof of the benefits organ donation brings. And I'm not alone; I saw the positive effects of organ donation both times I was in Manchester hospital. I don't know who my donor is, but I thank them and their family from the bottom of my heart.
