Dear Friend,

Before I tell you about the next part of my story, I would like to remember a very special lady who so sadly passed away two weeks ago. This lady was on dialysis with me and I knew her for three years. She, and her husband, never had a bad word to say and I have never seen anyone love their wife as much as he did. They loved each other wholeheartedly and supported each other through all of their tough times. She was a tremendous women and fought so hard against her illnesses. Life is so short. You have to grasp every day and fill it with happiness. You can never know when it may be your last.

Rest in Peace, my love. I hope you are happy wherever you may be x

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I ended last time with me being in hospital with kidney failure, again. I was in a phase of my life where things clearly were not going my way. All I kept thinking about was getting home and continuing with my studies. However, my life had changed and I had to adapt to it. As soon as I was discharged from hospital, with tubes still in my neck, I started back at college.

Then ended up back in hospital.

I had done too much far too soon and pushed my body to do something it wasn't capable of doing. I should of let myself rest but, for whatever reason, that is something I am not very good at. I need to work or study or clean or do something. I cannot just sit and twiddle my fingers but that was probably what I needed to do.

During the Summer of 2012 I lived in Aberdeen with my friend and in fairness, did not really do very much apart from shopped. I tried to apply for university but because I had not finished my HND at college, I did not qualify for third year entry. I had dreamed about going to Robert Gordon University for five years and I was truly gutted but, in true Kate spirit (yes, I used third person), I persevered and decided to give them a call. I explained my situation and the lovely lady on the other end said, "I'll see what I can do."

Even though I was not allowed into third year I was however accepted into second year. I know, second year again! But I was ecstatic and didn't care that I had to repeat a year. I remember my first day at uni, being so scared yet so proud to have finally made it to where I had always wanted to go. But things never stay the same for long.

Three weeks into uni I contracted pneumonia and ended up back in hospital again. At Christmas I, somehow, managed to catch meningococcal meningitis and pneumonia at the same time which lead me to not being able to sit my exams. In April of 2013, same time as my exams again, I had influenza A (really bad flu) and did not manage to submit a piece of my course work. That meant that I had an exam to sit over the summer along with making a documentary and developing a website with little information about how to do either because I had been off for so much of the terms.

With a lot of work and help from my friends I am happy to say that I passed the exam and handed in my website (albeit, I got a D) but I didn't quite get my documentary done in time. And to make things even more annoying because of the amount of credits the documentary was worth I was not able to carry over that module whilst studying third year. So, again, I had to re-sit second year.

Whilst studying part-time I worked for the majority of that year at a business development and marketing company as their marketing assistant and I was so lucky to be part of such an amazing and supportive team. In September 2013 I decided to apply for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games - which I will go into detail about another time - and heard in the January that I was successful and one of their 15,000 volunteers! I thought this was the perfect subject for my documentary and while I was there I recorded a video diary. Safe to say I achieved an A... PARTY!!!! So worth the wait.

So, everything was finally picking up. I was in an amazing relationship with my boyfriend, I had been awarded Student Ambassador of the Year by RGU for my contribution to the students and The Great Scot of the Year Award for my contribution to sport for the Commonwealth Games and my determination throughout them. I was finally away into third year (thank the Lord) and moving into my own Home... And got Eta. That was last October and since then, touch wood, I have not been in hospital, apart from dialysis obviously, been on holiday six times and finished third year with virtually no setbacks and achieved another two A's.

 

There is nothing more powerful than the determination of your mind. Set yourself goals, write them down, make a dream board, whatever it is you need to do to visualise where you want to be. It may take you longer, you may need to take a path that you initially didn't want to but that will only make you stronger and you will be so proud of yourself by the end of it.

I fully believe that everything happens for a reason. Yes, of course I sometimes get upset about my condition, it is only normal, but I am not angry. So many good things have happened in my life in the past three years. I have met some incredible people and work in places that I probably would not have if this disease had not taken over. You have to look at the positives of every situation and maybe they are not always clear at the start. But you'll find them.

Until next time,

Kate x