the little things...

I've talked about the fact that it's the little things that I notice that make the most difference in life post transplant. Today I was presented with a prime example...

There's this escalator going from one tube line to another at Earl's Court Station. When I was living at home I would go up this escalator on my way home every single evening. From the time that I started my Art Foundation year in 2004 to just before the transplant.

I noticed straight away that I was able to walk up this escalator with so much more ease now that I was on dialysis and not just wasting away in studentsville without a clue what was so very wrong with me. And so I made a pact there and then to walk up it every single day to make the most of feeling well again (usually I am one of those people that stands on the right hand side letting the eager beavers rush past). As the months and years went by it became increasingly more difficult to walk up it, sometimes I would feel dizzy and faint as I reached the top and have to sit down for a rest. But I was determined that the minute I stopped walking up it, it was like giving up and I'd become a 'properly sick' person.

After having a lovely Christmas lunch in Soho with people from my old workplace I made my way back to my parent's house, where I am currently residing as I recover from the transplant. Sure enough I came across this very same escalator. After taking a deep breath I decided I'd put little Kasper to the test and see how he faired on the escalator. Before I knew it I had almost reached the top and felt no dizziness or extreme tiredness, even my legs didn't ache much (I say 'much' meaning they did a little, but I am putting this down to the fact that the exercise factor on my part has been a big fat zero recently.) After walking up the escalator I stopped for a second to admire what a massive difference Kasper's arrival had made to me. I almost couldn't believe how easy and normal the trip up the escalator had felt, I was as if I had barely done anything. I then happily jogged (yes, jogged) up the stairs to the waiting train and was on my way.