| Philip's Story |
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I received an emergency liver transplant in August 2004. I had spent two weeks in Botswana building low cost housing for people in poor living conditions. I felt very ill and weak throughout the journey back to Northern Ireland and was admitted immediately to the Royal on my return. I spent two nights in Ward 7A before being transferred by air ambulance to King’s College Hospital. My liver failed two mornings later and miraculously an organ was available for transplant a few hours later. My 11-hour transplant began at 2:30 in the afternoon, finishing in the early hours of the next morning. I underwent an auxiliary transplant leaving 30% of my own liver, in the hope that it would regenerate over time. After the operation I spent 8 days in Intensive Care, during which time I woke up, completely unaware of the complex surgery and how close to death I had been. I was soon transferred to Todd Ward where I spent an uncomfortable 2½ weeks. During this time I managed to restore my appetite and walk for short distances. It felt as though I was being introduced to life for a second time! I returned home in early September. As I began to recover, I had to adjust to a whole new lifestyle, get used to a strict medication regime and begin a high-protein diet to regain the 2½ stone that I had lost! My illness meant that I lost a whole year of school. In September 2005, I returned and sat 3 A-Level exams the following summer. To express our gratitude to the staff at King’s, we raised £30,000 for the Liver Intensive Therapy Unit and presented a cheque to the ward staff in July 2006. I would like to thank all the staff at both hospitals for their care and support. I would especially like to thank my surgeon, Paolo Muiesan and transplant coordinators Jacqui and Joanna. Most of all, I would like to thank my donor, whose name I do not yet know and her family for ‘The Gift of Life.’ |