Knees up and Dutch courage

Well folks I am  European Champion in my age group in table tennis singles - I won the gold at the European Transplant Games in Apeldoorn, Holland last week.

I almost didn't go! My knee was still stiff until the day I left.. But it eased as the tournament went on (lots of painkillers and coffee to counteract the sleepiness they caused)...

But in the end I won the gold (and a silver in the mixed ages doubles) - and had a great time (as I always do at such events)

Everything is tinged with sadness that I haven't go the lung capacity of everyone else there and I can't play  badminton and volleyball like I could when I had recently had my transplant.

But I made new friends (including Marilyn, Peter, Gemma and Gerrard - and met old ones -like Paul, Simon, Kez, Jane and and opponents like Gabor.

The hotel was lovely, in woodland. BUT it was 10 miles outside the town and not many other teams were at our hotel AND there were steep steps to the chalets and no lift!

Stupidly I didn't pull out of the athletics and limped over the line in the 100m - And by the time of the gala dinner that night I was good for nothing....

I had to have a  buggy to take me to the airplane gate (57!) at the airport...(former footballer Phil Thompson was on our plane btw)

Back to work was a struggle (I couldn't manage to get my suit  on for the first day) and I still haven't unpacked fully. But I am doing the exercises the physio (Kelsey) gave me and think it is improving every day...

I want to thank our Dutch hosts who put on a range of  event for us including a morning of petanque, traditional Dutch games evening and a BBQ x

To the next challenge my friends...

Twitter Tatter

Happy Sunday! Well I was back to work two days after coming out of hospital and it has been non-stop since!  Myself and a colleague had three days to make a film to promote Halton, we had the local elections (with live Twitter feed) - AND of course all the usual press enquiries and releases to do...

I am just getting used to the new software too! (Slowly but surely)

Well I am off out now to enjoy the fine weather  - Sorry for short update but I am still here! And starting to get my fitness back...

Hugs xx
#Widneschappy

Facebook can be good

Hello - Well my ankle feels better enough to start training - Good job as the pool is damn cold!

Did 30 mins on an exercise bike - But it wasn't good for confidence that I was surrounded by the Widnes Vikings Rugby Super League squad were all around me doing 100 mph and still chatting.

In the last couple of weeks I have decided on three trips abroad. Two are to Germany - including one to see a rock festival and one to Holland - for the European Transplant Games...

The first is to see a friend who I have been promising to visit for months...

Three old friends have recently got in touch on Facebook including an ex and a former holiday romance - things are looking up in Mark ville...

Hugs and sparkles

MARK

Knee-d dem medals

Hello,

Well the UK Transplant Games in Belfast was my best ever. I picked up a gold medal and three bronzes and had a really good time with cool people...

Carmel stayed with me and I also met Michelle (an old school friend) and Pauline (who I also knew from Korea) during the fun.

I did tear a knee ligament - probably while throwing the javelin - and did the same to my ankle trying to supid barefoot girl treading on a broken glass at my BBQ...

Then this weekend I spent a lovely time in dirty north London with the lovely Sally... 400 mile round drive not good for my knee and ankle.. Oh well...

Isn't Golders Green a dump - we ended up on our hotel room with wine, X-Factor and face packs!

Oh I almost forgot, despite limited exercise in the last fortnight for obvious reasons my lung function was over 30 per cent for the first time in more than two years... x

Keeping it Real (FM)

Hello, I have been hitting the airwives again today in connection with the latest organ donation figures... I have been on the news every hour on Real Radio (covering the whole of the North West of the UK.... Click REAL http://www.realradionorthwest.co.uk/

Ha-ha-halloween....

Hello Folks.. Well my birthday was carnage in a good way.. It started at 3pm with chilli and mulled wine, and was still going at 3am with pizza and shots!

It involed electric shocks, Wii, bop It, music, mayhem and even some South Africans!

It followed three days of intensive training in York, courtesy of the Cabinet Office - so I deserved to go a bit mad...

It was all followed by Halloweeen - a night out in Chester dressed as a zombie/Grim Reaper....

Vaxjo and Kay

Hello, Gosh, gosh gosh.. What a lot to tell.... I went to Vaxjo for the European Heart and Lung Transplant Games... I loved Sweden and the while competition really..

I got a gold and two bronzes but I think the bronze in the table tennis singles was my best achievement in years.. I have such a small lung capacity and had to draw on all my experience to get through 19 games.....

There was a great friendliness about the games - which can be lacking in the British Transplant Games - perhaps becausde we were all lung or heart transplantees, or both.

The day I flew back home I had to finish my ILM5 as it all had to be presented at work the next day...

I celebrated it all with a weekend of Champagne and Pimm's with the very beautiful Kay D'arcy in my garden....

It feels I haven't stoppped.

I had a CF outpatients and everything was the same as last time - after the tiring few days I had had I was pleased with that...

There will be more info about my new treatment next time - as I am waiting for a start date for it all.... Until then,,, mucho luvo xx

Election fever.......

Xmas and NYE pt 1

Hiya Blogettes,

Well its been a long time and for that you should be grateful - a while six weeks without having to read my rubbish....

Pre-Xmas was frantic - and included going to see Villa beat Man U at Man U (back of the net!)

I was working Xmas Eve and drove back to Cannock Wood for a reunion of the Holly Hill Road posse - Stew, James, Rich (+ Marta) and myself.. Windnill then Park Gate followed.

Xmas Eve is always good at The Gate as I bump into people I havem't seen for yonks - and sometimes longer...

As usual the good, bad, ungly and downright beautiful were there..

On Xmas Day the neighbours all came round Xmas Day and it was the family do in Brum on Boxing Day - the rest of the week was spent catching up with old friends....

NYE was strange - one of those nights people couldn't decide what to do so I ended up at The Gagte again - dressed as James Bond - it was a 007 theme night...

Again it was great to catch up with old friends and meet some new ones.. But it was all cut short at about 1.30am by some chavs fighting the the police sent everyone home..

We walked back, despite it being -4c (God bless beer jackets)

My cold hasn't been given the boot yet, but I have a check-up in Liverpool tomorrow so we will see what they say....

Sorry this is quick - but off back to Cheshire now... I will put some pics of my new house on later this week! x

Creamfields and the Weekly News

Hello Bloggettes, How is life, the world and everything....

Mark is tired... Creamfields, an Express & Star reunion in Wolverhampton and a night out in Nantwich since I last updated this...

Cream was excellent. Marta, Rich and Pete stayed over - although we didn't get in til about 6am and slept til the afternoon...

By 3am on Sunday morning I was whacked... All the mud meant there was nowhere really to rest... So there was no choice but to take loads of drugs and stay awake (that was a joke Mr Policeman sir!)

The Wolv gig was something I arranged with people who used to work at the Express and Star in Stafford...

Tony Moran, Dave Briggs, Sue Lea, Rita Congera all came along and we hit the Cheeky Monkey club. Ended the night playing the Wii - something called Cow Racing.... hmmmm cowwwssss.

Last weekend I hit Nantwich with Caroline and spent the next day watching Frasier and eating toast - perfect Sunday eh?

I discovered the joys of drinking wine while on MSM.. This is the fault of Random Girl.. I blame her for a lot of things these days...And with good reason.....

In other news - Went to see Mamma Mia with Bekah in Stafford yesterday - Great feel-good film, great company (as always!)

What else? Still trying to get back to old fitness levels.. Failing miserably... I still aim to be able to jog by the end of the year - One has to have a goal!

CLICK - My blog for the Widnes World newspaper

CLICK - Halton Borough Councils news (the bit I write)

Goodison lark!

Hello People,

Busy week in Mark-ville...Although a lot of it escaped me probably.

Last weekend went back to Staffs for a friend's birthday and it took me four hours to get 80 miles.... Utter nightmare....

Of course by the time I got there I was playing catch-up - hence the two days of feeling crap afterwards!

On Sunday I went to the Everton v Villa game at Goodison - Amazing to hear so many Villa fans chanting 'we pay your benefits' to the Scousers - always amusing.

We were so wet and cold the away fans let me and my friend Rob into the Everton Supporters Club for a drink beforehand.

I was parked SO FAR away from the ground - I was knackered as well by the time I got back to the car - which was still there!

Been in the Widnes Weekly News CLICK and The World CLICK ON ME this week. Media whoring eh?

Been starting to feel a little bit better after my blip - But got to re-start my new nebs this week - so thing may go downhill...

Been swimming/walking a couple of times but back to my old times - very depressing. But am going ot the gym tonight again before the election count...

L8r shakers - much pixie love to one and all! xx

I did it Otttt----way!

Hello,

Well well well...busy couple of weeks (as ever!)

Sky3 came to film me last week fo the awards and a show to be broadcast in June - very tiring. I interviewed in the office AND at the gym - did whole morning of stuff - plenty of stuff for the programme methinks.

They did some unusual camera angles and even filmed me on EVERY spin bike - which they will spice together to make it look as if I am on all at once.

Thanks for the emails about the transplant games - I have decided to compete (I wasn't sure - especially after the rejection episodes...My body just doesn't seem to like my new lungs) And the new meds are making me tired...

Oooh- I had a good night out near Northwich with my friend Sherrie and a snail called Brian (long story) and saw a great John Ottway gig in Lichfield... (He did it Ottttt-waaaay) with Ian and Dave (although I was driving so was sober - bah!)

Since then work has been busy - everyone seems to be finishing off their Job Evaluation appeals...and of course the Superlambananas...(How cute?!)

We have been busy promoting the National Year of Reading stuff as well as the normal pieces - so its has been both hands to the deck for me...

Health wise hasn't been too good this week.... Felt a bit shite on the way back from Northwich and I have been needing a lay in instead of swimming before work...

But I did manage to go to circuits on Monday and am hoping to get back into the swing of things tonight....

It is depressing though when things are not 100 per cent...

I went to an appointment at Heartlands in Brum last week and my lung capacity is down on my Newcastle level, so annoying with the hard work I have put in...

They are going to try and change my hospital so I can go to Manchester instead - much closer and more convenient...

What is in the air at the moment - about three friends have split with their long-term boyfriends already this month - Spring clear-out? All good news for us single people! lol

Well.....I had better get back to work... No rest for the wicked!

(PS: Superlambanana - I want one!)

MUSIC: Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, The Killers, My Chemical Romance