Dear All

Thank goodness we are half way through winter already.  The cold, combined with a string of health issues related to having no kidneys and trying to keep your head up when people are dying around you has left me feeling like I’ve been in a wind tunnel the last few weeks.

Anyway, there is light at the end of it all… shortly I shall begin the process of desensitisization. Essentially, it is virtually impossible to match me naturally with a donor because of the high amount of anti-bodies I now have (from blood transfusions), and  pregnancies. In simple terms, my blood is replaced through plasma exchanges and then the docs hit me with steroids to keep the anti-body levels down.  They will do this until I match a donor and then do a transplant.  It is commonplace Overseas, but not here…very expensive and a lot of extra work for the already overworked doctors, but the results for survival are twice as good as remaining on dialysis long term.

Going to be an interesting few months ahead I think, but I will document it here to educate and share the progress.  I’m back painting again, even the plates were breaking one after the other in the kiln…  #ThePlatterProject My kids at one point suggested I might have been a serial killer in a previous life!! Anyway, like everything does in life, the tide has turned and I am feeling positive about my health and future, as I hope you all are. Love Di and kids. XXXX