Lorraine

So we drove like lunatics [laughs] from Boston back to London. And went ahead with the transplant. Everything was OK, so I had 11 hours’ surgery, and got a new liver! And that’s the story so far. Everything’s going well, and the liver’s working very well, it’s functioning properly.

I feel so much different. I’ve lost over a stone in weight since the operation. I go to the hospital once a week, and my scar’s brilliant. I’ve just been diagnosed with CMV, which is part of the herpes family, and 4 out of every 6 transplant patients – it comes out in them. It’s treatable with tablets. And it just affects your kidneys, not your liver. Your kidneys. So I’m on tablets for three weeks for that. Plus all my anti-rejection tablets, but apart from that, it’s good. And um … [emotional] Sorry.

Phew. [emotional pause] What makes this bearable is I have three small grandsons who I’d like to see grow up. My oldest grandson is 7. And when the doctor said that after a liver transplant a lot of patients feel 10 years younger, my oldest grandson thought it was brilliant that if I’m 10 years younger, then I should be able to do handstands and cartwheels with him! And we had to explain that I’ve never been able to do cartwheels! So getting a new liver would not make me be able to do it. And his answer was, ‘It’s OK Nanna – I’ll show you how to do them!’ But we’ve convinced him now, Nanna’s never going to do cartwheels.

But they’re really excited, and I see them every day. And they make this whole process worth everything you’ve been through. And for anybody else that actually needs this operation, I would say, even if you only do it once, give it a shot – give it at least one go – because it’s worth it. It’s worth everything you go through – it’s worth all the hospital visits, all the blood, even being called in and being told you’re getting it, and then being sent home, because it doesn't match. It’s worth it. It’s not nice, and it’s really frustrating, but it’s worth it. And anyone that is thinking about becoming a donor, I would say please do it. Because if it wasn’t for this person, I wouldn't be here. So for that, you're always grateful. [emotional]

Yes, you do feel guilty sometimes – when I first had the operation I felt very guilty, for the family of the donor. But then when you sit and talk to someone logically and you think about it, you realise this is their wish – it’s not your doing, you haven’t killed them. This is their wish, for them to help you. So for that, you’ll always be grateful.