I feel like I'm in a state of limbo

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I feel like I'm in a state of limbo

By McGurk09 July 2006 "I'm too sick to work, but not sick enough to receive a life-changing organ transplant" - that's the terrible state of limbo being endured by a chronically ill Ulsterman in 2006.

Belfast man, Colin Kirkpatrick is living in a twilight world - unable to leave his home and just a shell of his former self - as he bravely lives with serious liver disease.

The Methodist College IT support officer suffers from the blood-borne virus, hepatitis C - leaving him with cirrhosis of the liver and a number of other debilitating conditions.

The 6ft 1in south Belfast man's weight has plummeted by four stone - to 10st 7lbs - in less than one year.

He feels constantly tired and is often unable to concentrate or remember significant things.

Yet, in spite of this, Colin is NOT one of the 6,700 people currently on the National Health Service's transplant waiting list - because he is not regarded as being sick enough to receive one of the dwindling number of available organs.

However, campaigning Colin and his devoted wife, Lorraine are not pointing the finger of blame at health service bosses for this sad state of affairs.

Instead, he attributes the reason for his agonising wait to join the list to the worrying drop in UK organ donor numbers.

Said Colin: "I don't want this to sound like 'Colin Kirkpatrick, martyr', as there are people worse off than me who are still not on the transplant waiting list either.

"My main concern is the lack of donor organs in the UK. That is what I am trying to highlight by telling my story."

And Colin's story is, as he describes it, without a trace of self-pity, "a bit of a rollercoaster", since his hepatitis C diagnosis in 2001.

It was then that he was shocked to discover that he had been infected by the virus - known as the silent epidemic - after receiving contaminated blood, during a hospital transfusion in 1979.

Said Colin: "I just hadn't been feeling quite right in October 2001. I had noticed a bit of weight loss and had an all over body itch. I remember that I kept on asking Lorraine if she had changed washing powders.

"I went to the GP to see if he could give me an ointment for the itch. But he immediately ordered a blood test instead. The next day, he told me that I had hepatitis C."

Colin was then referred to a specialist at the Royal Hospital where he was told just how serious the hepatitis C virus can be.

"He spelt out to me that hepatitis C is life-threatening and can be potentially fatal. My father was with me that day and I was just completely stunned. I don't even remember anything else about the rest of that day.

"Before then, I had enjoyed the best of health. I loved riding motorbikes. I played squash, badminton, five-a-side football. I didn't smoke and I didn't drink all that much. I was definitely fit before then.

"Since then, life has been a bit of a rollercoaster - with ups and downs. Having some hope and then no hope at all, good days - but more bad than good.

"Now, in 2006, I just feel like I'm in a state of limbo.

Added Colin: "I definitely don't want to complain about the time I have been waiting, because it is beyond the control of me, the control of my consultants, beyond the control of anybody.

"I would appeal to anyone even thinking about becoming an organ donor to do it. A transplant will give somebody like me a whole new lease of life."

Added Lorraine: "We are 25 years married this year. Obviously, what has happened has brought its difficulties. But, ironically, it has also brought us closer and made us stronger together."

jmcgurk@...

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