Melissa DARNLEY (compiler): Yesterday Today and Tomorrow: Personal accounts of people living with kidney failure Reviewed by Anna Bennett. Published by Kidney Health Australia. (Convert Australian dollars to your currency.)
I'm taking a thematic approach to this topic because I realise that its hard to get a continuous update of results in the way that you would get, say, a continuous update from the Olympic Games in the mainstream media.
Rather, Web 2.0 gives you the chance to pick your own results or follow your own interests. And it also gives you a result to add your own perspective based on your own preference / interest / bias /whatever.
Twitter is a particularly good medium for this type of reporting because you can in theory blog in from a mobile phone (and not even via the internet on a 3G phone - you can blog in via text messaging). This means that those using it can be very close to the action, and with immediacy (without having to find a computer).
This post is subject to further update after publication
Here is a selection of World Transplant Games videos recently posted, mostly, on YouTube. (Google Video was no help at all.) I have tried to concentrate on action from the Gold Coast, but in some instances I have gone to the meta-story (the story behind the story). And in some instances its because I cannot understand the Dutch language.
In rowing, Bas van den Hoven of The Netherlands won a gold medal in the skiff competition, and Martijn Watervliet & Bas van den Hoven of The Netherlands won silver medals in the "double two". (No I don't know what that means.) (Original Dutch language web page.)
Damon Danieli of Team USA (the picture at the head of this post is from his blog) the 3rd highest time in his team for the 5 kilometre cycling time trial, but unfortunately did not qualify for a medal.
I have also uncovered some more Transplant Games blogs, and have added them to the list in yesterday's post.
This post is subject to updates after publication.
One of the advantages of Web 2.0 is that events that get overlooked by the mainstream media can be covered in a fairly broad way by ordinary folk on the ground - often armed with no more than a 3G mobile phone.
The World Transplant Games is one such event. Its mostly being sidestepped by the mainstream media, apart from a number of local newspapers with stories about local residents off to the Games.
But there's plenty to still get your interest if you hunt the WWW a little bit.
The World Transplant Games continue on the Gold Coast of Queensland today.
A guest of honour at the Opening Ceremony last Sunday was Mr Frank Vig. At 93 years old and having responsibility for a transplanted kidney since 1974, he is Australia's oldest living donor recipient.
Unfortunately I am at this moment having trouble accessing the World Transplant Games website to access the medal standings. You might like to try it for yourself.
The Games, held every 2 years since 1978, promote exercise and fitness as a means of managing organ transplantation. A fit patient means a probable longer-lasting organ transplant.
Exercise is a key method of managing an organ transplant for the long haul. Its not the only method, of cousre, but it is extremely important.
World and national Transplant Games represents an opportunity for transplantees to have a specific goal whilst managing their valuable and life-giving resource.
This blog is, alas, about 1,000 km away from the action of the World Transplant Games. But we will try to keep our readers attuned as to what's happening up there on the sunny Gold Coast (especially with Team Ireland!).
The Games run to August 30.
This YouTube video of the 5 kilometre road race was uploaded by 15hoyukai
Jonah Lomu (born 1975) is a New Zealander who is a former member of the New Zealand national rugby team (the "All Blacks").
At his peak, he was afearsome sight. One sport writer wrote that being the target of a Jonah Lomu charge on the rugby field was like having your home refrigerator suddenly grow legs and run straight at you. Another writer, linked below, points out that his thigh circumference is the same as the size of an average man's waist.
Jonah Lomu retired from international rugby following diagnosis of nephrotic syndrome, eventually requiring a kidney transplant.
Unfortunately he harboured plans to make a comeback to international rugby after his transplant - a dangerous thing, to be sure. Transplanted kidneys, unlike native kidneys (heavily protected thanks to Mother Nature), sit in a rather unprotected area of the body - and the average international rugby match would be a ticket to danger for a transplanted kidney.
You have to make realistic choices after your ransplant. Your old career might not be appropriate any more, and you might have to re-launch and re-train for a new career.
In my case, I retrained
from a job with medium levels of exposure to children (a problem for my compromised immune system) and with inflexible 9-to-5 hours
to a job with contract hours (so I could time my days to allow for exercise and the quarterly check-ups) and with contact exclusively with adults (to reduce the risk to my immune system)
This took no small effort and expense on the part of my wife and I - but it was worth it.
Depending on where you live and on your financial circumstances, you might be eligible for financial assistance towards this re-training. You should have a chat to
Your transplant hospital's social worker
Your local and/or distance-delivery adult education provider (such as TAFE Colleges [Australia], city colleges [USA] or universities).
I also gave up cricket umpiring - again due to the risk to my immune system, this time from long blasts of Australian summer sunlight during the course of an average cricket game.
I have some more thoughts about career change at this post.
Anyway, back to Jonah Lomu! Here is a selection of material on the WWW concerning this gentleman.
-----
EMBEDCODE:
This YouTube video by timmyc1 packages highlights of Lomu's playing style. The music is in my humble opinion a bit corny but the vision is great and the haka is of course always stirring.
Jonathan Marshall & Kristian South, Jonah walked off with my wife, S14 rookie claims. Stuff.co.nz, 17th February 2008. (I include this to make the point that after most transplants, patients can look forward to a full and normal sex life - although I am not commenting on the ethics of the alleged conduct in this article.)
It's a bit sad, isn't it, that the Paralympic Games do not get a higher profile.
It is an extraordinary event that sees people who have been dealt rather bad cards in life rising to extraordinary heights in playing these cards.
I mention the card analogy because this is burned into my memory by my nephrologist (since retired) who back in 1998 told me that it was time for me to start dialysis training.
Recent Comments