Two and a bit years

It's now 2 years, 2 months, and 10 days after my liver transplant. I re-read this blog recently, and it brought back some amazing memories, both painful and triumphant.

So what is life like now? Well, first of all, the scar looks like this:

Not very visible any more! Still have a numb patch around my belly button, and I get twinges occasionally when a nerve wakes up - these are a bit painful but very welcome!

Otherwise I am still taking a whole load of pills every day:

A: Everolimus - the immunosuppresion drug. I finished the clinical trial and now continue to take 3.75mg twice a day.

B: Ursodeoxycholic acid - a natural liver acid that can help slow the course of any PSC that recurs in the new liver (touch wood, it never will).

C: Prednisolone - the corticosteroid. 5mg once a day.

D: Omeprazole - proton pump inhibtor, stops excess acid and protects my stomach against the effect of the steroid (although I still get heartburn occasionally)

E: Fish oils - purely as a health supplement, this isn't prescribed

F: Multivitamin/mineral - again, a supplement

G: Aspirin - 75mg every other day to reduce the possibility of blood clots forming around the new liver.

I visit clinic once every 6 months, although I've been going more recently until last month, due to the clinical trial. My liver function tests are now superb and comfortably in the normal range. There is no sign (as yet) of any PSC in the new liver. Fingers crossed.

Otherwise, life is amazingly good. I'm very much enjoying teaching, I've set up an education consultancy and written a piece of software to go with it. I've been appointed an honorary research associate at Brunel University, and have been advising various organisations and businesses on education and data. I've been Tweeting like a madman, and very much enjoying it.

I'm still living in North London - Kevin and I have a great flat in NW6, and we're really enjoying spending time together. He's busy setting up a fashion label.

My only brushes with hospitals recently have been nut allergies. In fact all three recent issues occurred when visiting Kevin's family in Malta. They love to put powdered almonds in cakes over there, but the manufacturers often use a lot of peanut powder flavoured with almond essence to cut costs. This has led to some nasty reactions. I will not be touching cakes in Malta again...

I've given up dancing, for the moment at least. There just wasn't enough time in the week to do it. It was sad to do so, but having got out of the dancing rat-race for a while I begin to get a bit of perspective of what a strange little fake-tan covered world it is. I do still dance around the flat when a good tune comes on though - I doubt I'll ever stop.