Dean's story: A long road to my dreams

A long road to my dreams.

Hello my name is Dean Wash and I am Deaf. I work with hard working team at Jack Hunt School supporting deaf students and also I was a former Jack Hunt pupil.

You all probably wondering what I'm doing here and I wanted to share with you all here.

On February 4th 2014 it's my 5th year kidney and pancreas  transplant anniversary.

In 2009 I received a phone call that I  have been waiting for, ( my mum answered the phone of course haha). Oxford hospital has found  a matching kidney and pancreas organs for me.  My dad had to drive in a hurry during a blizzard snow which it  was 85 miles away.  Mum was making calls to family and I was sitting at the back seat feeling in a daze and texting to all my friends that I am on my way to have a major operation.

 Poor my dog Totti was  left him behind at my sisters house but Totti was in good hands with  my sisters family  who looked him for 2 whole weeks which I know he is pain in the bum chasing sister's cats and rabbits.  My brother in law had sleepless nights  due to Totti's loud snoring even tho he was sleeping downstairs !!!  My niece and nephew looked after him by feeding and watering him.

Upon on arrival at Oxford hospital,   I was feeling over the place and wasn't thinking straight as I was in a state of shock and nervous  as I knew the operation was 8 hours long.  When I was waiting for the go ahead for the operation, I have been diabetic since I was 2 years old due to no cause of reason but the doctor said its possible the virus I had at 2 years old has caused my Pancreas to fail. I was thinking what would it really like when I wake up after the operation and not being diabetic anymore and be normal that I never experienced after of  33 years as a diabetics!!!

I will never forget my time during 2 weeks of recovering with some mishaps along the way but I'm glad that I am stronger than I thought and also I am glad I'm very strong person to go through the pain but it was worth it as I got what I wanted  because the kidney and pancreas working straight away as soon the operation was over.



Dean at work

Now after 5 years I'm now working  as a teaching assistant at Jack Hunt School  for me is very rewarding job to help me pay my mortgage and  bills etc. I had holiday last year and booked another one  this summer holiday with my girlfriend which it's my dream holiday..... Route 66 !!!!!!  So looking forward to it driving every miles from Chicago  to Santa Monica.  I will dedicated Route 66  to  the organs family who gave me a kidney and pancreas.

Before my transplant I was on dialysis for about 11 months  and it was painful experience but my nan made sure that I don't get bored at the hospital for 3 times a week which was 3 and half hours each time where I had to travel to Leicester then later on in Peterborough. Nan gave me money  for me to buy DVDs  to watch on my portable DVD player at the hospital on a dialysis machine, I had a great laugh with the nurses  ;) ha. I was on a very strict food and very limited fluid intake which it was very hard.

I'm  lucky enough to have great lovely nurses, doctors and surgeons along the way, they have been very good looking after me despite the difficulty to get interpreters for appointments but I do not blame them or the receptions  as it's managers responsibility to make sure.  I had a supportive family who come along but I have my pride to go on my own and wanted do it myself , to give my mum peace of mind she come along with me and to made sure there was no miscommunication or missing any important information, my dad was a Taxi driver when I needed him, my sister family as a dog sitter.

Transplant is not a cure but it has gave me a chance to live a normal life as much as possible with the side effects from the powerful drugs which I have to take for rest  of my life to keep the kidney and pancreas working and stop it being rejected!.  I will carry on  fighting like  I always have in my life and everyday is a blessing.

There are worse problems out there than I am but I am very lucky to have NHS. Thanks to the organs family who gave me a kidney and pancreas and now I can eat and drink anything.  I'm still learning with the sugars stuff like sweets and cakes.... I still find it so sweet to eat !! I'm a crisps man.

I've been working all my life starting the age of around 8 years old working with dad at building site sweeping up and tidying up also worked in shoes shop, did  2 paper rounds and was a postman, I just love working.

I will just work hard and keep fighting on what ever the problems I will face as I know I'm a strong person and have achieved many things that nothing will stops me. You should do the same and anything is possible.

I hope one day I will able to meet the organ's family to say thank you them for saving my life and they are always in my thoughts as they have lost their loved one so young.

It's important that you have a donor card or register online you could save somebody lives one day as which it has happened to me.

The photo of me and Totti as he has been with me when he was 12 weeks old when I started on  my dialysis machine, Totti was with me there throughout for last 6 years and has been a great company, make me laugh and we understand each other haha... !!

Please remember not to  don't give up and keep trying to be proud of yourself.

Thank you for your time reading this.