it's my birthday

Well, not really.  But it feels like it.

It’s a year to the day since I had my stem cell transplant - a procedure that undoubtedly saved my life.  So it’s only fair I think that I should celebrate like it’s a normal birthday.

It’s a strange and extremely humbling feeling to know that you owe your very existence to medicine.  The procedure though was not without its risks and the side effects and recovery were, to put it mildly, awful.  I can honestly say that there were times I just wanted to die (in fact I have said before that I thought it was impossible to feel so ill yet still be alive!!) and times where I was merely existing and not living whilst in recovery.

But I am still here, kicking and screaming, into my second year post transplant.

I owe my life to the wonderful doctors and nurses on Ward 12 in Singleton Hospital, Swansea and to my family and friends who have been unstinting in their support and good wishes particularly in the dark times a year ago.

Thank you all :-)