Recovery after my first kidney transplant 20 years ago.

David, after you had your first kidney transplant, can I ask you how you were after the operation? A, how long you spent in hospital and B, how long it took you to feel back to normal? Well, 20 years ago and I can only tell you that now from the experience of having had a second transplant two years ago. 20 years ago everything was very different so I can remember waking up with a tube down my throat because somehow one of my lungs had got damaged in the operation and so it wasn't operating properly and I couldn't focus for probably 24 hours. I was aware I had all sorts of tubes coming out of me and to be honest what whatever I would tell you now is a frightening description but it's of the old days. I spent eight weeks in hospital because I had what was called a lazy kidney which is not unusual and the renal team that were looking after me at no time during those eight weeks ever showed me that they didn't think they'd get it to work. A number of times during those eight weeks they came to me to say your kidney is failing I think one particular case after a biopsy your kidney is failing but I was already aware that that's what kidneys did and fortunately I had every confidence that the team would do their best to find ways whatever medication they gave me to be able to get that kidney working and eventually after eight weeks it started working. Now on the humorous side of that I knew that the kidney had come from a lady because the first time that I needed to go to the toilet I sat down to relieve myself and then when I got home I started knitting scarves and baking cakes. That's not true.