Kayak session

Paddled out today did a couple of hours of continuous paddling, nice and calm, sun shining on the water, with a slight swell. Experiencing some spring and neap tides this week so further to pull the kayak, not a problem something I'll have to get used to with this leg.
Started to alter the insulin this week dropped the lantus last night to 16 which is only 2 units to start with; bit by bit.
Changed breakfast slightly, from eating weetabix to 100gms of Oatmeal along with the usual. I gave myself 5 units of Humolog which brought my BS to 9 from 6.8 2 hours later just before going into the water, I ate a flapjack and drank 200mls of lucoszade sport during session.
My hands were to cold to test my BS and would of been difficult to get any blood from my fingers.
Once I got back in my BS was 18 so this was obviously to much intake of food and not due to the liver pushing out Glycogen although it may of done if there was not enough insulin in my system. As the day went on I corrected this by injections.

One of the Beach huts was open when I got back to shore, with the smell of sausages and beefburgers cooking, that was welcoming on a cold day, but I didn't get any because I had no cash on me so had to settle for what I had in the car which was the healthy version, (dam).

Went in the Bay today for some training, must try to get in as much as possible now, at least 4 times a week. spent the morning paddling up and down the bay getting the feel of the kayak and spending time with different maneuvers.
Its been a long road since leaving the hospital after transplants, to where I am now, and still a way to go to be able to complete this trip; but I will get there.
A number of things drive me on, one of them being that, so much can go wrong physically if I just sit back and do nothing, but that's pretty far down the list.

The sea today was slight with a NNE (14) wind, it was a bit cold around 2 or 3, I think, but when your paddling you keep warm, unless I fell in of course, and I don't really want to do that at the moment, not a good idea to get the plaster wet.

Coming inshore I got greeted by a small dog, it jumped up on the Kayak and started licking my face, was it glad to see me or was it the salt. a good end to a mornings paddle.

Route Plan

South West Stage

The yellow markers are the start and end of each stage, the red markers are weypoints or landing points

Kidney (Hemodialysis) procedure

It can be very hard keeping your fluid intake down to 1/2 a litre over the course of two days, and you soon realise how little that is.

Nutrition, Diet, & BSugar

Diet at the moment:

Breakfast
2-3 Eggs scrambled
2 Weetabix/Oatmeal with 2-3 cups of full fat milk
Mixed dried fruit (that's been soaked in water) Dates and Raisins, Creme fresh, Evap milk Cinnamom

maybe some chicken while cooking it for lunch that day.

Snack

Apple (if needed before training)

Lunch



Chicken Salad drizzled with Olive Oil

3 slices of Granary Bread

Dried mixed fruit as for Breakfast

Snack

3 Cheese on Krackawheat

Dinner

Chicken Veg stir fry (sometimes Fish)

Boiled Rice

Before Bed

1 Cheese on toast.

1 Chromium tablet per day- and Vit B complex. Minimum of 2 ltr water, EFA capsule.


(Training between 11 and 13:00)

Going to cut down slightly on the amount of dried mix fruit because of the high concentration of sugar which I'm not used to, and add more nuts and up the amount of low glycemic food e.g granary bread

Kayak Expedition

"Only the wounded Physician heals"
Carl Jung.

"A kind word can warm three winters."

"What ever you think you can do, or believe you can do, begin it.
For in action, there is magic, grace and power."

Last posting 8 dec 2009

Kayak Expedition:


Towards the end of June 2010 I will be attempting a clockwise circumnavigation of the UK coastline. The estimated time to do this should be around the 14 week mark, this obviously depends upon a few minor variables like the weather and my physical and mental condition; probably right about now your saying his mental condition needs to be looked at.

I'm really passionate about doing this, for a number of reasons, and right at the top of that list is to raise awareness for organ donation and, money which will go to help the children at the Children's Dialysis Unit.

I know we've heard all this before, and you may think it's a bit of a cliche but there's no other way of putting it.
32 years ago I was medically discharged from the RN because of type 1 diabetes, and at that time, the outlook didn't seem to be to good as far as the type of work I could (or told I could do).
So when I left I was lucky enough to get a job as a plasterers labourer and became a plasterer.
i always kept myself pretty fit, because of the job and training I did, and always ate a good diet.
Then in 2005 I had Kidney failure, an exert from a report of which is below.
If I hadn't taken care of myself It wouldn't of helped matters, and I wouldn't be here now.

Things have changed over the years towards Diabetes, thank god, more is known especially in the care of diabetes, and the fact that more and more diabetics are not letting there condition stop them from doing any activity they want. I'm not saying it's easy because it's far from easy, and anyone who knows a diabetic and are close to them, can adhere to the fact that it's a major juggling act and it has to be a way of life and when it goes wrong it's not good.

This is Heart Breaking

The Triabetes Triabuddies Project

I'm not sure what the statistics are here in the UK but in America 1 in 12 are diabetic and 1 in 4 could have it and not know, as they say a time bomb waiting to go off.

The biggest fear at the moment isn't the trip itself or the fact that I won't finish it because I will. but the fact that I won't start it, but this I think is a natural and healthy frame of mind to be in.
This is a 3000 mile trip Every thing is risk assessed If I feel that the weather is to bad or I feel as though I need a rest I will take it. There's no point in endangering my life or anyone Else's in a rescue attempt.
It's not a race or though knowing me on good days I'll probably be pushing it, I'll try to get anything between 25 - 45 plus miles a day. On each stage I will notify the Coastguard, I will know the forecast for that day along with the expected time it will take me to complete that days Kayaking, obviously taking in tidal streams etc.
I will be carrying all necessary safety equipment.

PLB personal location beacon

Flares

VHF radio

SPOT gps

Strobe Light

Emergency First Aid Kit, along with medication sealed in watertight containers

I will carry Laminated charts and maps for each stage of the entire route along with navigational aids and deck compass. more to follow

Some personal talk (a little) Very small No more.

Hi,
Below is a short report of my stay in hospital whilst having a transplant.

Please don't feel sorry for me, that's not what I want, and I'm not saying that you would. This is something I went through and is personal to me, normally I wouldn't say to people what goes on personally if I can help it.
Anything you see on this site will be what has helped me get through things, what I may of researched along the way and what I'm doing now.

Many people go through there own hell in life and look for things to get them through and hopefully survive being more wiser and somewhat a better person.
I dug deep and I'm not ashamed to say I'm still doing it.
When I was really low and I mean thinking of doing something that I shouldn't, and can't really say how I managed not to, because I felt out of control my head wasn't behaving itself, someone that I loved couldn't have done any more damage to me if she tried, I'd slept in lay-bys in mid winter 5 degrees below and more sometimes because I was to tired to drive anymore, seven months after leaving hospital because, I wanted to be nearby, to help and be around to help as I was carrying some guilt for the work I hadn't finished, which i did carry on doing even though I wasn't fit enough.

I felt responsible because of what happened to me. I helped out in Every way I could when I got a flat near by, and it was asked for.
Even though I had my brother back in Dorset I felt alone and no one could help.

I know I'll read this and think why did I write that, it's to personal, but it's also how I felt during that time; many may criticise etc, but I know I'm not the only one, and I won't be the last, If we never experience the negative parts of life how do we know what makes us happy. The pendulum swings towards either pole, if we can change our view or perspective and not allow our emotion's to cloud are reactions to something negative, then I've found that it can help to get through the not so good times. Is it easy? no, go out, do anything to take your mind away from whatever it is. I'd go for drives, take the dog, music, binaural beats etc, play the guitar, training, sitting quiet and visualise, infect music played quite a big role.........

I've explained some part of this in the profile, I'm not angry or bitter it's just her perspective on things that made her act the way she did. I've gone through a few things in my life as have we all, this last five years I've learnt allot about myself and my perception of people and situations.

Exert from report:

He is a type 1 diabetic who reached end stage renal failure in 2005, initially starting on Peritoneal dialysis for 2 months and subsequently haemodialysis. He was listed for a simultaneous kidney/pancreas transplantation in January 2006, and in January 2007 he received a kidney/pancreas transplant that was exposed to a relatively long cold ischaemia time. The operation was uncomplicated other than some oozing, and he had primary non function of his renal transplant and required a few days dialysis.

His early glycaemic control was good but he then developed a collection around the pancreas that was percutaneously drained and in February 2007, at exploration, was found to have a necrotic area at the tail of the pancreas which was resected. This was repeated in march 2007 but he was found to have a small hole in the distal side of the duodenum and a duodenal bladder anastomised to the pancreas graft. The bowel was disconnected from the duodenum and a duodenal bladder anastomosis was performed. Unfortunately a few days later he developed massive intra - abdominal bleeding due to erosion of the arterial anastomosis of his pancreas to his iliac graft, probably due to a mycotic infection. he underwent a graft pancreastectomy and ligation at his right common illiac artery, this was over sutured at the aortic bifurication. He then received a left to right crossover femoral femoral graft and his abdomen closed at the end of march.His post operative care was complicated by significant depression and during that period he had multiple operations and DVT.

A big big thank you to the doctors and nurses at the University Hospital Cardiff. xxx

Weymouth Bay

(Preston)

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