Wednesday 22nd to Friday 24th April

Time for a couple of good news stories for you to read about now –

Dad finally wakes up

NHS nurse survives Covid-19

Both have previously had kidney transplants.

It’s a little reassuring for us transplant patients to hear that this dreaded illness can be beaten.

But I haven’t heard about any liver transplant survivors yet …🤞

Thursday evening clapping again. The week goes by so quickly.

There was a glass of sparkling rose with my bluebells this week.

Another lovely warm evening was spent outside.

Look at that sky 🌅

Friday 17th to Tuesday 21st April

So why not have a read, stories of ‘life in lockdown’ (including mine!)

Tuesday 14th to Thursday 16th April

After yet more sunny Spring days it was a warm Thursday evening – I sat out with my bluebells and listened to one of my neighbours singing for us after clapping.

#ThankYouNHS

Have a listen to The Rose

Friday 10th to Monday 13th April

The Easter weekend. We had some lovely warm sunny days.

But we had to spend it in lockdown 😖

So this is what I would have liked to have been doing.

Spending lots of time on a nice beach somewhere, collecting pebbles and maybe making something a bit like the wonderful creations above!

Or wandering through a wood to see if I could find any crazy trees like some of these…

Instead we made chocolate cornflake cakes.

We gave some to Leah to take for the pharmacy staff that were having to work over the weekend and we delivered some to all of our neighbours.

And just because we couldn’t get together this Easter, my sister still didn’t let us off our yearly Easter quiz. We were delivered an ‘Easter In Lockdown’ booklet instead to keep us all busy.

And of course I tried to get artistic on a warm and sunny evening walk 🌼

Tuesday 7th to Thursday 9th April

Warm sunny days ☀️ spent in the garden.

Transforming some of my sad and scruffy looking pots that have just been neglected over the winter.

We planted the sunflower seeds which my niece Laura sent over to us and also some peas (never grown those before!) I hope we’re successful 🌱

I even had a treat while enjoying the sun 🍦 My appetite isn’t great through all of this upheaval, but this ice cream was very tasty!

Wednesday 1st to Monday 6th April

My morning tea delivery when I opened my bedroom door …

April Fools! Cheeky Robyn 🤪

Thursday 2nd April 2015 – finally I left the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham after having my two liver transplants. I was an inpatient there for 5 weeks and 5 days. I still remember those tough times 😖

I was still SO extremely weak when I came home. I could barely do a thing at first.

Thank goodness I’ve now got my strength back!!

It would be SO much harder to get through this long time apart from everyone if I wasn’t now able to get up and about and do things.

Happy Birthday to Gary 🍺🍬🍰

This weekend I started to pressure wash my garden.

Watch the video #stressrelief !

It definitely does give you a sense of satisfaction. As well as giving you a cold shower!

I kept getting distracted though …

I’m now saying thank you to the NHS for two things – for working SO hard in difficult conditions during these terrible times and also for saving my life 5 years ago 😍

And now our very own Prime Minister is unwell with Covid-19. Get well soon Boris 🤞

Saturday 28th to Tuesday 31st March

Oh my goodness surely I’m not going to get into this cooking lark!

Happy Sunday 😋

There are going to be many tragic cases of people losing their lives to this horrible virus. But when their just doing their best to help others it seems even more unfair. Just recently an ear, nose and throat specialist and a transplant surgeon who had been volunteering in an A&E department. Imagine how many lives he has saved previously while carrying out his life-saving transplant operations. So sad 😞

I’ve had to fight to stay alive before and in comparison this is an easy thing that I have to do in order to stay alive. I just have to stay at home. Yes I’m still very upset about lots of different things and I have my worries about it all. And what will happen when the worst is over, there will be many changes in peoples’ lives 😖

I am going to try and make the most of the situation, after all I am lucky to still be here and to have this extra time to spend. I can’t be wasting this time.

To end on a brighter note read this good news story ‘we can beat this’

It gives all of us ‘at risk’ extremely vulnerable people some hope 🤞

And just because this made me smile …

Wednesday 25th to Friday 27th March

You’ve just got to keep active, I don’t stop!

I’m aching and exhausted!

PE with Joe Wicks on YouTube. A walk every day. And also as it’s been good weather so far, I’ve been starting to sort out my garden.

Task – to get rid of all the weeds and to put down another layer of gravel.

I’ve achieved one successful thing so far thanks to the coronavirus 👍

And as for Robyn …

Click to view Robyn’s TikTok dance

Keep on going everyone 🙂

Monday 23rd to Tuesday 24th March

I got my text on Monday identifying me as ‘extremely vulnerable’ and at risk of severe illness.

‘Please remain at home for a minimum of 12 weeks’

Lovely!

I had another 3 texts from them on Tuesday about various things.

The country is now in a 3 week lockdown, people shouldn’t be leaving their houses unless for a really valid reason, but a lot of people don’t seem to be taking much notice of this, I think the fact that we’re having some nice weather at the moment hasn’t helped at all, and the numbers are rising 😖

Over the last week or so it has been a nightmare in our house trying to avoid touching things that Robyn and Leah have already touched as you go about your normal day. And then to avoid touching your eyes and mouth or anything else until you’ve washed your hands. You do things automatically and now we all need to stop and think.

Robyn has finished work now to reduce the risk of bringing the virus home and Leah has gone to stay with her boyfriend for a while, both to help to protect me (I feel VERY guilty and upset about this). Leah works in pharmacy so she needs to keep working throughout and is in a high risk place of possibly catching the virus as it is just so extremely busy there, constant queues, with everyone wanting to get their medications.

It’s so upsetting for us all being apart at this scary time.

They also have their dad to worry about too. He’s had a kidney transplant so they have both of their parents on the ‘extremely vulnerable’ list 😱

Thursday 19th to Sunday 22nd March

Well. What can I say? Times are tough aren’t they?

I’m lucky that I live in a small town and have some open fields near me.

Virus free zones hopefully.

So far I’ve got myself out for a walk every day. I think it’s SO important if you can. It gets your body moving from just being around the house all the time, you get some lovely fresh air and it helps your state of mind, even though sometimes that may only be temporary 🤯 It does give you a break.

Now as some people know cooking is not my strong point. Sometimes even eating is not my favourite thing to do! But on Saturday night I cooked a curry 😱 Okay it wasn’t the most amazing thing but I quite enjoyed making it and it didn’t taste that bad either.

And then it was Mother’s Day. I was luckier than a lot of mums all over the country this year as I had my two special girlies at home to spend the day with me.

Leah cooked us all scrambled egg and yes there was another walk.

We’re being lucky with the weather at the moment, its been sunny and reasonably warm if you can stay in the sun and get out of the wind.