Moving to South West - Advice Please!

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Dixie1
Posts: 283
Joined: Mon Apr 15, 2013 4:19 pm

Moving to South West - Advice Please!

Post by Dixie1 »

Hi All

We are planning to move to the South West in the next few months. I grew up there (went to school in Lyme Regis) but moved to the outskirts of London, in Kent, around 25 years ago. Anyway, I am now going back! My question concerns kidney appointments, dialysis and transplant etc. I am currently a patient at Guys hospital, attneding their Advanced Kidney Care clinic. Together with my potential donors, I have gone through two failed living donor work ups, so dialysis is looking more likely. Sadly I am told I am unlikely to be a candidate for PD, as I have a history of inflammatory bowel disease, so Haemo seems to be the only option. Hopefully however I still have a little while, as my GFR was still around 16% a few months ago (next bloods to be done next week).We are planning to live somewhere near the coast, anywhere between Honiton and Dorchester. Can anyone offer advice on the following please?

Can I choose where to attend dialysis sessions?

Where are those likely to be?

Where am I likely to attend Advanced Care Clinics?

Once on the transplant list, if I am lucky enough to get 'the call', where is the transplant likely to be?

Anything I should consider??

Thanks everyone. :)
Dibs
Posts: 76
Joined: Fri Jan 23, 2015 1:29 pm
Location: Somerset

Re: Moving to South West - Advice Please!

Post by Dibs »

Hi Dixie.
I guess it would depend on whether you end up in Devon (under Exeter) or Dorset (under Dorchester). There are dialysis units in Honiton and Dorchester, but I think both use Southmead (Bristol) for transplants. Try http://units.renal.org/?q=5
Dixie1
Posts: 283
Joined: Mon Apr 15, 2013 4:19 pm

Re: Moving to South West - Advice Please!

Post by Dixie1 »

Thanks Dibs - I will take a look.
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bigbuzzard
Posts: 1481
Joined: Sun Mar 12, 2006 11:21 am
Location: Devon, UK
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Re: Moving to South West - Advice Please!

Post by bigbuzzard »

Hi Dixie

I made the move from London (Guys) to the SW 6 years ago. I'm loving it here. I've had excellent care at the Royal Devon & Exeter Hospital - including a 2nd transplant in 2012 which took place at Bristol Southmead. That was all good - and the coordinators fantastic (especially at organising my US cousin donor to do all tests in a week, and to get his costs
reimbursed.

Good luck!

bb
tibs47
Posts: 3
Joined: Fri Apr 01, 2016 4:36 pm

Re: Moving to South West - Advice Please!

Post by tibs47 »

Hi Dixie,

I live in Bridport and have a friend whose wife has just stated dialysis at Dorchester. She says the service is very good indeed. I have been told there is also a chance that when the service is overbooked at Dorchester she may have to go to Yeovil. My friend's wife also in on the transplant list with her centre being Bristol although if you move to the Bournemouth end of the county Southampton is also a possibility. If you have to rely on public transport there is a good bus service along the south coast direct from Lyme and Bridport to Dorchester Hospital. Buses to Yeovil from Bridport are not so good and are under constant threat due to local authority cutbacks. Trains also run between Dorchester South to Southampton and Dorchester West to Bristol without having to change if you need to visit a transplant centre. If I can be of further help please do not hesitate to post to me again.

Hope all goes well for you in the coming months

Regards,

tibs47
Dixie1
Posts: 283
Joined: Mon Apr 15, 2013 4:19 pm

Re: Moving to South West - Advice Please!

Post by Dixie1 »

Thanks bigbuzzard and tibs47 for your posts. tibs47- your info was really helpful. No doubt there will be one or two other questions that occur to me nearer the time, so I may well take you up on your offer, so thanks very much! :)
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