7. Triathlon, Athletics

https://www.idonate.ie/fundraiser/PamCassidyMcCrea

Hi, I am putting the fundraiser link front and central tonight. For those who have donated, thank you.

For those who are enjoying the digital diary, please donate.

For those who are not, please donate- this is not for me. This is for others. It doesn’t have to be a huge amount, just something please. Also Please Share.

By downloading the free Find Penguins app, you can see all the days of this digital diary, if you ask to follow my journey. The digital Diary for the Transplant Games trip will end this Sunday but will continue to be available on the App.

I’ve been in hospital more than a few times and have always had an electric bed, even in Non Surgical wards. Post Transplant, the integrity of the ureter graft to the bladder is vital. I had 2 large vertical incisions post surgery, one approx 6 inches, the other 12 inches- yes, I did measure them. My first graft failed but it took 4 days of severe pain before the diagnosis was made. After my first surgery, I spent that evening in a manual bed. The pain of getting out of that bed was indescribable and as I was still in renal failure, limited pain medication could be used- I also react spectacularly badly to the legal Schedule 2 drugs like morphine or OxyContin. I am not the first Beaumont Transplant patient to mention the manual beds post transplant. Why is something so vital to recovery so ignored by the Hospital /HSE management.

That’s my rant over- now to the games. I was going to do some sight seeing today but then combined that with a bit of discus and javelin practice . The discus - I’m more likely to break the thing than get a legitimate hurl/throw as I couldn’t actually reach the grass- cracking the discus on the concrete 😳-maybe I should have taken that offer of discus training after all. I fared better with the javelin as a Polish 70+ transplant athlete gave us some coaching while he was training so 🤞. Also met John, a US Veteran Paratrooper whose injuries in Afghanistan lead ultimately to Renal failure- a beast of a man but an absolute sweetheart, now competing for Team USA.

Did manage to get a little sightseeing in /around Zwinger Palace and Dresden Cathedral using the amazing tram network.

The plan was to go support our Darts 🎯 singles team tonight but three of our athletes are undergoing medical treatment- one for dehydration - 9 hours under sun exposure despite oral hydration - some shade please organisers and our other athlete tested positive for Covid. The 3rd was jostled off his bike during the Triathlon and is very lucky he didn’t break something. Blood streaming from his arm and knees, bent handlebars- he got back on the bike and finished the race before receiving medical treatment etc. In respect for their privacy- I am not naming them but offer them 🙏 and best wishes for a full recovery. Being on immunosuppressants for life, infection is a constant risk and the Darts arena has been described as a Covid breeding ground, due to the lack of ventilation. So I will wish our Athletes good luck tonight, from a distance. 🤞🙏.

Some photos from triathlon today, tennis and the darts, a few bits of tourism as well.

💕PamLes mer