Helen Miller, of South Anston, is waiting for a lung transplant and is keeping a weekly diary to support The Star's Gift of Life organ donor campaign.
The 38-year-old mum-of-two wants readers to know what life is really like on the waiting list. Here she explains how her condition affected her this week.
SATURDAY
THE past few days have been a bit of a blur. I've had the most awful bout of a s
tomach virus. The doctor came Friday morning and gave me some antibiotics immediately to see if it would help. When you find it difficult breathing, walking and manoeuvring, try and deal with rushing to the toilet as well. God, it's bloody awful.
SUNDAY
WOKE up twice in the night with cramps and feeling sick. The oxygen had fallen off my nose and was wrapped around my neck, I unravelled the tube and made it to the toilet. Image, if you can, walking everywhere with a garden hose attached to your nose - although obviously smaller. Everywhere you go you have to make sure that you don't get the tube stuck under doors, you try not to get kinks in the tube but everyday there are umpteen kinks in the tubes which the fairies must have knotted together in the night! You are permanently attached to a machine.
MONDAY
I FEEL more relaxed than I have done in months. I finally think my tablets have kicked in, my breathing has stabilised and I am able to concentrate more. I'm also able to apologise to everyone who I've shouted and screamed at over the past few months. I made a few people's lives unbearable and for this I apologise. I believe I had a breakdown and I am finally coming out of it.
The GP has told me that I have Campylobacter (a form of food poisoning that can prove serious in those with compromised immune systems). It's a good job that they gave me tablets on Friday as it could have led to major problems.
TUESDAY
ON Tuesdays, Janet cleans and I talk to her. She had already taken the ironing the night before so we can spend more time chatting then. We put the world to rights.
WEDNESDAY
DIDN'T sleep well last night again but got up early at 9 o'clock and thought that if I stopped up all day I might sleep at night. Shopping was delivered! I made tea with John's help and I enjoyed it.
I emailed my transplant friends - one of whom is a gentleman who saw me on Look North and contacted me saying he had his lungs 16 years ago. I have loved these emails and long may they continue.
THURSDAY
WENT to Worksop for a couple of hours but my breathing was quite shallow so I didn't want to stop long. Pretty normal uneventful day really. Had another nose bleed. They are progressively getting worse at the moment.
n The Star's Gift of Life campaign has recruited 25,000 readers to the Organ Donor Register in the last six months.
There are, 8,000 people in the UK waiting for a new kidney, liver, lung or heart.
Click here to go to the Organ Donor Register.What do you think? Add your comment below.READ MOREMain news indexYour letters.
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