Diana had no symptoms of liver disease apart from fatigue, but following a blood test she was given just 72 hours to live. Since her transplant in 2008, Diana has regularly competed in the Transplant Games and has won six gold medals. Thank you for sharing your story, Diana
In 2008 I was a 45-year-old mum of three, my dad has just passed away, I was doing my nurse training, working hard and feeling really tired. My doctor said it was stress and suggested a blood test.
Because I had no symptoms I left it for a while until one morning at work I felt my blood sugars were low. I had the blood test and the doctor came to find me that night because there was something wrong with my liver and I was admitted immediately.
The doctors didn’t know what it was at first and asked me if I drank or took drugs – I didn’t. They then sent me for a scan which showed my liver had shrunk to the size of my fist, so I was blue-lighted straight to Birmingham for a transplant. 
That was the Wednesday night, I was given 72 hours to live and listed super urgently. By Saturday they had a potential liver but said it was too big and they could wait another day, then on Saturday night they got another one and I was transplanted on the Sunday morning.
Hepatic encephalopathy
It all happened so fast, but I couldn’t think straight because I had HE and was very argumentative with the nurses, although I would apologise afterwards because I’m not that sort of person! After the transplant I was in for two weeks and remember having a Chinese nurse who was an angel, but the food was awful. Pre-transplant you’re given everything possible to make sure you’re as healthy as you can be, but the first meal I had post-transplant was fish and chips with cold, rock-hard peas. People were bringing me in food from home.
After I was discharged I had to keep going back every three days and take an overnight bag with me in case I needed to be readmitted. Derby to Birmingham isn’t the best trip to be making when you’ve got a massive scar that’s still healing, but it was during one of these appointments that they discovered I was experiencing rejection. I spent six days in intensive care while they stabilised me and my doctors told me to prepare myself for the worst. Everyone was round my bed and my friends helped me to make a will to ensure my girls benefited from everything I had, but I recovered!
When I first had the liver transplant I thought I looked awful and would never be normal again, but then I saw a poster about transplant sport
Later, I also had a lot of ascites and two hernias, I looked like I was six months pregnant so I was admitted to have a stent put in. My weight had dropped to seven stone at this time, I’m normally ten and the doctor sent me home because I was malnourished and the hospital food was so awful.
When I first had the transplant I thought I looked awful and would never be normal again, but then I saw a poster about transplant sport in the hospital canteen. The people in it had been through the same thing as me, but they looked normal! So as soon as I was fit enough, I got in contact with them and never looked back. I had my first World Games in 2010, representing Great Britain and I’ve taken part in them ever since.
I tried swimming at first but didn’t really like it, then decided on cycling because you could do without joining a club. I went from owning a crappy bike to getting a better one and training more and more.
The first medal I got was a bronze in Sweden, which I didn’t expect to get and the first Gold was in South Africa where I was competing with one of my closest friends. On the first race I stopped at what I thought was the finish line, got off my bike and started walking, but then people were shouting: “You’ve not crossed the line!” so my friend got the medal for that. The following day I decided there was no way she would beat me again and, this time I knew where I had to stop and got my first Gold medal. I’ve won six more since then!
Donor’s family
I’ve written to my donor’s family three time and told them what I’ve been doing, but I’ve never heard back. I’m so grateful to them because they respected my donor’s wishes and I’ve had 17 more years with my family than I otherwise would have done.
I’m sharing my story because people need to talk about organ donation and share their wishes more with their friends and family. There are so many people who want to donate but their families stop it, so it doesn’t happen. When you’re at the World Games you see all the people whose lives have been saved by somebody else and the donor families take part too and they find it so uplifting.
If you’re waiting for a transplant you’ve got to stay positive and don’t feel your life is over because it’s not. Apart from a scar and someone’s liver inside me I live a normal life and so will you.
