We got to June, we got to Suffolk!

The River Deben at Woodbridge 

Last October we had booked to stay in a holiday cottage in Suffolk. Although I was waiting for my transplant and feeling very unwell a lot of the time, we had made a very concious decision to keep on planning things to look forward to. It was having something to look forward to all the time and getting out and about taking my mind of things that helped me to cope mentally and emotionally.  Physically the fresh air and stimulation was good for me too.

Tide Mill

Coping mentally as well as physically both with terminal illness and being on the transplant waiting list is a difficult thing to manage. We are all different and manage in different ways, but one of my coping strategies was definitely to get outdoors, get some fresh air and discover places of interest both old and new.

Snape Maltings

We have always loved photography and doing this gave me chance to keep this up too. If I was then feeling poorly, laid up or in hospital I would have our photographs to browse through and lovely memories of good times when it got tough. Just the happy memories and photos would help keep me going. We were just trying to make the most of limited time I suppose. Rob was always very determined to organise outings and supported me immensely to keep both my mental and emotional state healthy.

Aldeburgh

If we were going to stay away from home, we used to try and book self catering accommodation so we could cope with all my medication and illness. If I was having a bad day illness wise, we could work around it much easier in our own place and not be tied to meal times and a hotel room.

The wilderness at Shingle Street

Sometimes things didn't go to plan - well quite a lot really-  and I would be ill and plans would be cancelled, but more often than not we would be able to manoevre our way around the illness and get ourselves out and enjoying things within my limits and with the help of my wheelchair.

On the River Ore

Anchors at Aldeburgh

We had been looking forward to spending time in Suffolk, we had visited it briefly before and wanted to spend more time there. This time, things didn't go according to plan at all, as I got my transplant call. We couldn't get to Suffolk as I was still in intensive care. Obviously it was the best reason ever to have to cancel our plans! 

The beach huts at Southwold

While I was in intensive care and still struggling in a coma, Rob instead of just cancelling the holiday carried on our philospophy of making plans for the future and rearranged the holiday for us this June. He didn't even know if I would pull through or not at the time, but in his usual
positive fashion he determinedly believed I would get there, whatever things were looking like.

RSPB Minsmere

So we had got all the way to June, the holiday was looming and at the last minute there were a few hitches with my health, but with the help of my GP, we got ourselves off to Suffolk at long last. It was well worth the wait and as you can probably see we had one very happy and healthy holiday!

Ickworth House

Of course, in my new circumstances, I was able to enjoy my holiday in many different ways than I would have been able to last October and my donor and their family were never far from our thoughts.

I've taken to buying myself a little heart momento wherever I go now. They remind me of my donor and the precious gifts they gave me. This is a tiny handmade porcelain dish.