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Ellie Lacey

Transplant Recipient, Runner, Marathon Organiser
  • Blog
  • About Me
    • My Story
    • In the press
    • Public Speaking
  • Running the Rift Marathon
  • Organ Donation

Sharing the magic of organ donation, the value of running, and crazy days creating a marathon in rural Uganda.

#runbecauseyoucan

Ellie Lacey, Transplant Recipient

In ICU, after the op.JPG

A Memory I Never Want to Forget

January 16, 2018

I only have two clear memories from the three days I spent on the transplant list. The first is one that scares me whenever I remember it. The second is one I never want to forget:

I wake up from a strong hand rocking my shoulder. I can tell it's night time because all the lighting is electric. The hand belongs to one of the surgeons that has been talking to me over the last few days, he is abrupt, in an efficient way. I don't remember how he delivers the news, I think my brain, that was struggling to remember to breathe by itself, needed some time to wake up. But right behind him was Dee, my transplant coordinator. When the doctor stepped aside, Dee stepped forward and grabbed my hand. She looked into my eyes and, without smiling, said to me "Ellie, we have found you a liver."

The relief. Even my struggling brain could understand the scale of this news and I burst into tears and grinned as wide as my swollen face and lips would allow. I remember my response so clearly because I remember being so proud of myself for using such big words, when thinking had become so difficult. "Why aren't you smiling Dee, are you just managing my expectations?" She said "Exactly Ellie, there is a liver that is a match, the team are on their way to see if it's suitable but until we see it, we don't know if we'll be able to use it." Then she said "But I'm glad you're so happy you cried."

She left me only long enough to phone Paul with the news, then she came right back, grabbed my hand again, and stayed there with me until Paul arrived. Dee and I spoke about traveling, where she'd been, I wanted to go to sleep so badly but I knew she was keeping me awake for a reason. Then Paul burst in, sweating from head to toe after sprinting from his hotel room, 15 minutes away. And the grin on his face!! He came and Dee slipped away to leave us alone.

We were so happy, ignoring that the liver might not be suitable, letting that aspect fade into the background to be faced only if it needed to be faced. Paul's grin didn't fade for a second, and the last thing he said to me, before he had to leave, was that when I was better, he'd take me for ice cream on Penarth pier. 

Ellie and Paul Lacey

The liver was more than suitable, it was perfect :)

In Transplant, Recovery, Organ donation
← Free House...Meh.A Memory of Fear →

Instagram

@Running_theRift

Happy birthday to this extraordinary man - love of my life and, rightly or wrongly, Otty’s favourite 😒 you make the perfect yummy mummy❤️
It’s a tricky one but I thiiiink this is my favourite photo from Running the Rift Marathon 2018, what do you guys think of it? It takes a bit of zooming but there’s a great big smile on the runner’s face and so much clapping from the crowd, it makes me right happy to imagine that moment☺️
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Now that the Ot Bot has the occasional nap not in my arms I’m able to start working on the 2019 race and trip (19th-25th Nov in case you’re interested 😉) alongside our team at @kyaninga_lodge and the charity @kyaningacdc. Every year brings a different, wonderful group of adventurous people and I already can’t wait to make more friends out in beautiful Uganda🍻
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If it tickles your fancy check out our website runningtheriftmarathon.com or send me a PM anytime.
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#riftmaz #morethanamarathon #adventuremarathon #2019adventure #tripofalifetime #sayyes #runningchallenge #wednesdaywellness #marathon2019 #halfmarathon2019 #travelexperience
When I was preggo I wrote a piece for @blacks_online about trying to stay active while growing a human (link in bio), I mentioned in it how much I was looking forward to bundling Otto into a sling and heading out for winter walks, kissing the top of his tiny head as we went.
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Well now he’s real that’s exactly what we’ve been doing almost every day and I absolutely bloody LOVE IT. He’s relatively indifferent, mainly sleeps 😂
This is a rare photo of him being awake for it (although he was out for the count within a minute of being snapped).
.
My recovery journey back from pregnancy and birth is frustrating and in some ways more difficult than after the tranny-p. But my slow walks with the Ot Bot are helping to keep my thigh expansion somewhat at bay 😬
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#recoveryjourney #7weekspostpartum #mummyfitness #getoutside #babycarrier #fitbaby #transplantjourney #miraclebaby #pelvicfloor #pregnancyrecovery #tuesdaythoughts #fitnessinspiration

strava

Latest Posts

Featured
Feb 13, 2019
Transplant Pregnancy, Recovery, Organ donation
My first post as a mummy!!
Feb 13, 2019
Transplant Pregnancy, Recovery, Organ donation
Feb 13, 2019
Transplant Pregnancy, Recovery, Organ donation
Nov 20, 2018
Transplant, Organ donation, Donor families
A Children's Storybook About Organ Donation
Nov 20, 2018
Transplant, Organ donation, Donor families
Nov 20, 2018
Transplant, Organ donation, Donor families
Nov 12, 2018
Transplant Pregnancy, Transplant
Feelings on Returning to Hospital for the Big Push
Nov 12, 2018
Transplant Pregnancy, Transplant
Nov 12, 2018
Transplant Pregnancy, Transplant

Categories

  • Organ donation 20
  • Recovery 14
  • Transplant Pregnancy 6
  • Donor families 5
  • Transplant 28
  • Product Review 2
  • Running 15
  • Running the Rift Marathon 3
  • In the press 5
  • Public Speaking 3

Contact: ellie@runningtheriftmarathon.com

Instagram: @Running_theRift

Happy birthday to this extraordinary man - love of my life and, rightly or wrongly, Otty’s favourite 😒 you make the perfect yummy mummy❤️
It’s a tricky one but I thiiiink this is my favourite photo from Running the Rift Marathon 2018, what do you guys think of it? It takes a bit of zooming but there’s a great big smile on the runner’s face and so much clapping from the crowd, it makes me right happy to imagine that moment☺️
.
Now that the Ot Bot has the occasional nap not in my arms I’m able to start working on the 2019 race and trip (19th-25th Nov in case you’re interested 😉) alongside our team at @kyaninga_lodge and the charity @kyaningacdc. Every year brings a different, wonderful group of adventurous people and I already can’t wait to make more friends out in beautiful Uganda🍻
.
If it tickles your fancy check out our website runningtheriftmarathon.com or send me a PM anytime.
.
.
.
.
.
#riftmaz #morethanamarathon #adventuremarathon #2019adventure #tripofalifetime #sayyes #runningchallenge #wednesdaywellness #marathon2019 #halfmarathon2019 #travelexperience
When I was preggo I wrote a piece for @blacks_online about trying to stay active while growing a human (link in bio), I mentioned in it how much I was looking forward to bundling Otto into a sling and heading out for winter walks, kissing the top of his tiny head as we went.
.
Well now he’s real that’s exactly what we’ve been doing almost every day and I absolutely bloody LOVE IT. He’s relatively indifferent, mainly sleeps 😂
This is a rare photo of him being awake for it (although he was out for the count within a minute of being snapped).
.
My recovery journey back from pregnancy and birth is frustrating and in some ways more difficult than after the tranny-p. But my slow walks with the Ot Bot are helping to keep my thigh expansion somewhat at bay 😬
.
.
.
.
#recoveryjourney #7weekspostpartum #mummyfitness #getoutside #babycarrier #fitbaby #transplantjourney #miraclebaby #pelvicfloor #pregnancyrecovery #tuesdaythoughts #fitnessinspiration
I’m a big old fan of organ donation -to put it mildly - but I admit it still took the wind out of me to see little Otto’s name on a donor card. I can’t imagine how it must actually feel to be a parent in that position. Wonderful, strong, kind people ❤️
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#organdonor #organdonation #transplantrecipient #thankyounhs #organdonorawareness #nhsorgandonor #livertransplant #runbecauseyoucan #yesidonate #thankyouorgandonor #feelinggrateful
Walking with the Botster around the very park where I slowly slowly found my feet again after the transplant. Once again unable to run but with another very happy reason I can’t!
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Looking forward to the day this pram is a running buggy👏👏👏and in the meantime loving my new life of walks, cakes and cuddles 😍
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#runbecauseyoucan #runningmum #babyboy #5weekspostpartum #walk #parkwalk #postpartumhealth #transplantlife #livertransplant #organdonationawareness #grateful🙏