And a very happy new year to you. Time for another not-so-frequent update from me.
As some of you know, I've been working in mental health support since the summer. There's no doubt that it's challenging work, but it's also enjoyable and hugely rewarding. Having a serious mental health condition myself, I have to be careful to look after my own health at the same time as looking after other people's. It's not always easy to find a balance, but I'm getting there.
We had the usual double celebrations just before Christmas, with Joe's 18th and Evan's 16th birthdays. Both lads are well and both have exams this summer. Joe's hoping to go to university in September, while Evan will be staying into sixth form to do his A levels. The boys have recently transferred from children's to adult renal care, so they are seen by a different team at a different hospital. Things are fairly steady on the kidney front. Joe's kidney function is declining, as expected in Alport Syndrome, but we don't yet know how far away he is from needing a transplant. He continues to live a good life (with one or two sensible dietary restrictions). He's incredibly fit, goes to the boxing gym three nights a week and does a lot of fitness stuff at home too. He also runs 5K every night. The doctors are supportive of this and have told him to keep it up.
Evan's kidneys are still in pretty good shape. It seems that the exact genetic mutation he has is less severe than his brother's. Ultimately the progression of the disease will be the same, but he's likely to be transplanted at an older age than Joe. In the meantime he enjoys playing the drums, watching films and takes an interest in watching UFC (mixed martial arts, for those not in the know!) Thankfully he has no plans to take it up as a hobby - having one child taking part in combat sports is quite enough!
As for me, well I'm doing ok. My mental health is up and down a lot, I'm actually off sick from work at the moment as a result. Thankfully my employer has been very supportive. I'm just keeping busy and looking after myself as best I can. I've recently entered a mental health writing competition and if I'm selected (a VERY big if), an established author will work with me to tell my story. Like I say, it's a big if, but I enjoyed putting my submission piece together.
Last summer I lost somebody who was very dear to me. My lovely cousin Chris sadly took his own life in June, which was a huge shock. He was like an extra big brother to me and understandably the loss has made me reflect on the importance of having good mental health support. My own experience of mental health services is extremely patchy and not everyone has the support of family and friends. We can't all rely on voluntary services, either. Mental health care needs something of a revolution, in my opinion. The last two years of pandemic life have taken their toll on all of us in different ways and it's my firm belief that we desperately need to get to grips with emotional and mental wellbeing.
I'll leave it there, but thanks for reading these words. I'll try to write more frequently this year!
