Dogs, Norfolk and Birthday Time Again

April. That time of year again. Birthdays. Another celebration. A time to just stop and think about how lucky I've been and appreciate life. I wouldn't have believed I'd reach this milestone a few years back, but here I am enjoying precious moments with my family all thanks to the special person who gave me my second chance in life two and a half years ago now. Another birthday celebration. 

My family planned me a surprise weekend in one of my favourite places, Brancaster in Norfolk. As we now have Ted our cocker spaniel pup, and Sarah and Oli have Alfie, their cocker spaniel. We stayed in a very lovely and dog friendly pub and took our dogs with us. 

Now this may seem silly, but this was another one of my dreams - yes sometimes my dreams may seem small. But I just had this picture of us all when I was thinking of having a puppy last year. All of us walking together on the beach with our dogs running riot, having a whale of a time running in and out of the sea or running in the countryside, while we just all strolled along relaxed, chatting and happy. 

And now that little dream has come true. I didn't ever believe life could move on so much from how it once was. That I'd be walking and running on beaches chasing after two cocker spaniels. Well mainly chasing after Ted, as it was his first outing to the beach! 

I'd said to Sarah when we first had Ted, that I couldn't wait for us all to go away together with the dogs. While we were down on the beach Sarah asked, 'Is this what you'd imagined?' And yes it was. Breathing the fresh sea air deep down in my precious new lungs; walking and running; just being with my family; laughing and playing games with our energetic young dogs. Simple pleasures, precious moments and making more new memories. 

That is the miracle of organ donation. 

 

Beach Life

I've been wanting to take a walk along a beach for a while now I can actually go for a walk and it's only the rain and gales that have been stopping me so far. Saturday was a beautiful day and we spent an  uplifting afternoon on Brancaster Beach in Norfolk. The beach there is just one enormous stretch of sand, flanked by dunes and salt marshes. 

There were plenty of people just enjoying the day and the scenery, but as you can see there was plenty of space for everyone to enjoy their time on the beach. 

                                        The gulls were enjoying the sun and calm of the day too! 

I enjoy just watching the sea rush in and bringing with it some interesting bits and pieces.

I thought this groyne looked like it's got a face! 

There were plenty of shells in all shapes and sizes.

I stopped a while to watch a group of sanderlings chasing the waves, searching the water for food.

Ripples in the sand, neverending, thousands and thousands of them! Shimmering in the sun, making me think of deserts! 

Couldn't resist a little paddle!

Stones, shells, rocks, an assortment of bits and pieces.

I can stare at and stare at and watch and watch the waves rolling in over and over again. Every single one is different! 

Little seaweed all washed up! 

Lovely views from the sand dunes.

Was this tree washed up or was it blown down? Or both even? 

And someone's fence, again did the sea wash it up or did it get blown here in the gales? Hard to tell on such a calm day. 

Walking along the dunes, peeping at the view! 

A curlew enjoying a feast in the salt marsh behind the dunes.

This one was definitely blown down! 

All washed up, razor shells in their thousands! 

It's getting late and the sea is racing in past the groynes now, hope we don't get cut off! 

The geese are going home, sunset is near! 

Beautiful evening, the sun has just set, time to get back! 

I ended up walking nearly three miles, just ambling, paddling and wandering around until sunset, something I couldn't possibly have managed before my transplant. Never a day goes by where I don't think of my donor and the gift of life I've been given and even more so on a day like Saturday. 

More Birthday Celebrations

It was birthday time again in our household this weekend. This time Sarah's, who turned 22 on Sunday. We cannot quite believe she is now 22, sometimes it only feels like yesterday when she was born. To celebrate we drove across to Norfolk to spend a night and have some time together by the coast. 

It was yet another one of those milestones for me. Sarah was 18 when I was first diagnosed with my Pulmonary Hypertension. She was literally about to start her A level exams and she ended up having to go through her exams knowing that I had just been told I hadn't got long to live, so it was one big struggle for her to get through them. 

For me, given what I'd been told, I didn't really ever know whether I would see her reach 19, yet alone 22. I was told by my cardiologist at my local hospital at the very outset when they found my heart was dilated, that I wouldn't have many years to live, this was before any formal diagnosis was made. I can remember always clinging to the hope that I may see her celebrate her 21st birthday, so every year we celebrate beyond that now is a blessing.

 Sarah didn't get her first choice of university, but after some frantic phone calls and going through the very stressful 'clearing' process', she managed to get a place at a university she was very happy with.  Unfortunately the university then messed up her accommodation arrangements, so she decided to defer her place for a year, when they would guarantee her a place in the student halls. 

It began to feel a bit like everything was going against us at the time, Sarah's grandfather had just had a heart bypass operation too, which hadn't been successful and he was very unwell. My health just then deteriorated more and more and by the time we got to the following September, when she should have gone away, I had just been listed for a heart and double lung transplant. 

During that year, Sarah worked full time at Waitrose, where she had had a weekend job while she completed her A levels. She often worked shifts and so had a lot of spare time during the day and she spent many an hour taking me out and about and keeping me company during that awful first year of my illness. So although university hadn't worked out for her, for me it had been a blessing in disguise - not that I'd ever wanted to stop Sarah going to university. Her being at home with me and spending time with me helped get me through that first very frightening year. She also took me for hospital appointments and doctor's appointments and always kept me laughing.

When it came to actually going off to university, Sarah decided it wasn't for her any more. Our lives had changed dramatically over the year with my illness and she was also by this time seeing Oli, who is now her fiancee. Sarah decided to complete her studies through the Open University and to continue working full time. She then moved on from Waitrose and now works for an insurance company, is half way though her OU course and has started her insurance exams.

 She has managed to come a long way through all my illness. It's funny how things have a way of working themselves out for the best somehow through life's little twists and turns. We are now all excited and looking forward to planning Sarah's wedding next year...there is so much to look forward to. 

We had a lovely time in Norfolk, after spending the Saturday afternoon on Brancaster Beach, we spent the evening with Sarah and Oli to celebrate her birthday. We all stayed over and enjoyed breakfast together on Sarah's actual birthday morning. 

We walked off our big breakfast along the coast path at Brancaster Staithe and then we enjoyed a lovely day out in Wells- Next-to-the-Sea. We stopped off at the beach cafe for coffee and then had a lovely long walk along the beach again. I reckon I managed to walk another 4 kilometres that day and just kept on going, which again simply just amazes me after how I used to be and how little I was able to manage. 

Once again, I've been blessed to see Sarah have another birthday and I'm thankful I was able to enjoy the day with her and Oli, doing things that I had once accepted that I would never be able to do ever again. It is all thanks to my donor and their family, who I thank with all my heart for giving me this second chance at life.