Lunch with my transplant buddies

These are the amazing people that i am honoured to call my friends..with Al as well

We have just returned home from Lunch at Broadbeach at the 1,2,3 restaurant with 3 very special buddies. The 'guys' that had a transplant with me at the PA hospital..just over 4 year ago.AJ came along too. really nice that she got to meet my friends..

I remember so vividly the first day after I had left hospital and started on day trips to the outpatients area for blood tests, recordings of all your temp, bp, etc and Doctiors visits. I was so very scared. Everything seemed to be going wrong for me. I was physically sick. I was scared and was falling apart.

Alan and I walked into this unfamiliar area, so unsure, so scared and so uncomfortable, but i still remember the very biggest feeling was fear... I had struggled with my body to get the kidney going and now I had to work out my drugs, side effects, swollen legs from fluid retention, watch myself for signs of rejection weight increase, and now map my own observations and wait and see a dr every day.. I remember the first day was so horrible and as I have discovered about myself..Mary the confident is only confident in familiar surrindings and situations. This was all almost too much for me..

It is also at this point here that I must mention that 'Alan' seems to have honourary place as one of the 'guys' as he was with me the whole time. Without his constant support, love and encouragement I doubt I could have done it..but combine it with him and these other 'guys' you have a great support network..

But that very first day, Craig and Cecil just tried so hard tp show me the ropes, show me what to do, to try and relax me joke with me and help me to relax. They also had stuff going on for them but they made light of it and it helped me to become much more comfortable (never used to) this awful place.

It was only about 5 days later that Syreeta arrived and I saw it happen all over again.. this time I like to think that maybe I too was able to help her, although I was probably still a basket case..

Those loong weeks at the hospital and then finally at the 'arts' building (where you only went every 2nd day (YAY) became our normal life for 7 weeks. Yes every morning we spent time, talking, laughing and helping each other. We breakfasted at "the blind shop" (run by the royal blind society and affectionatly known as the blind shop every day..bacon and egg sandwiches coffee it was all good..and it was one of the rare highlights of those times..

So today was great. It is always good to catch up with these amazing people. Not time nor distance can ever change their importance in my life. I love them and they are beautiful people. I said to Alan on the way home..we are 4 people who under different circumstances we would never meet and possibly never be friends but because of the circumstances of life and the timing of God in this saga, we were thrown together and will always be close..

Cecil Salmon...or better known as Dr Cecil..He does moonlight as a solicitos though in his spare time..will tell you that you should eat KFC at least twice a week. Good for creatinine levels and drink beer..also loves his golf.. Currently on 3 mg of tacrolimus a day

Craig Pretaurius... Craig is a bit shy of the camera, but I did manage to get a shot...even though he tried to rip the camera out of my hands..Craig works with John Deere and we rely on him for our food advice and look at him as some guru of eating out. He still makes us laugh at tales of his "stent" (sorry Craig..is funny and i know it wasn't) and also not in the tacrolimus contest as he is still on cyclosporon..the nasty tablets that stink and would make me gag, whilst I was on them.

Syreeta Faalogo..Syreeta is beautiful. She was a saviour to me as I was surronded by guys and so when she came along it was so good. She works with singapore airlines at the airport and now has the perfect cahanc eto get to the DFO often..in fact I believe they know her by name there now.

Mary Tyson..This is me. Work at Lismore library Happy to be with my buddies, currently winning the lowest tacrolimus level...1mg a day..O YEAH!!

Alan Tyson..husband extroadinaire..will agree with Dr Cecils advice every time.. gets along with all the guys..well deserves to be part of the group..

So that is it, A quick walk down memory lane. We discussed today about dialysis and none of us know how we did it..I know it was Gods grace,,a horrid road..but one we hope and pray never to walk down again..

Just a funny picture AJ took...yep quickly checking no-one is watching as I slip the boy some money!!!