health
It would have to happen on the day that Europe went into daylight-saving time, so now that we’re on Irish Standard Time, I was awake at 06:00 to ensure that I would be on the 08:41 train from Portarlington to … Continue reading AstraZeneca jab 1 received this morning
I earned my “degree” in Epilepsy Awareness in advance of #PurpleDay. Why not get yours by clicking the link below? https://bit.ly/2BkBAOu Epilepsy Ireland is the only organisation in the country that supports the needs of the 40,000 people who are living with the condition … Continue reading Epilepsy Awareness “degree” awarded
Yesterday, I recognised the gear change that has happened in my care for living with chronic kidney failure. Since December 2018, when my kidneys failed due to Goodpasture Syndrome, I have received my dialysis treatment in a hospital setting. At … Continue reading Dialysis gear change
It doesn’t seem that long since I “graduated” from dialysis in Tallaght University Hospital to dialysis in the Midlands Regional Hospital in Tullamore. That event happened in June 2019. Since then, of course, we have had the year of Coronavirus which has skewed how time feels to have passed. There have been highs and lows whilst receiving care in Tullamore. I’ve had to fight HIV stigma (see this post). Some of that is still ongoing, some of the problems have been resolved. There’s still no social worker for the hospital in Tullamore (see what I did on that issue). That … Continue reading End of an era… new chapter begins tomorrow
The World Kidney Day 2021 position paper – Towards Patient-centered care for people living with kidney disease presents top line evidence, context and call to actions for anyone who wants to advocate for patient centered kidney care vis-à-vis decision-makers. Central … Continue reading Living well with kidney disease: towards patient-centred care
Since the Covid-19 pandemic started last year, we have been restricting our movements in general in line with the guidance from the Government of Ireland. This morning, we have had to go one stage further. Andrew has not been feeling … Continue reading New challenge: restricted movements while husband self-isolates
Having had my first appointment with the National Transplant team in Beaumont Hospital in Dublin in January, I knew that I would be referred to their Infectious Diseases consultant and their Nephrologist before I could even think about being added … Continue reading Next stage in work up to transplant
All through the COVID-19 pandemic, those of us who are receiving kidney dialysis have been told by the HSE in Ireland that we are at very high risk (extremely vulnerable) of serious illness from COVID-19 if [we] are on dialysis … Continue reading Reprioritisation of dialysis patients for the COVID-19 vaccine
Sometimes it is hard to believe that we are approaching the second anniversary of the failure of my kidneys. Yet, that is where we are. So many people ask Are you on the transplant list yet? And every time thus … Continue reading More changes to medication as we investigate transplant possibilities
