Surviving Covid as a transplant patient

Organ transplant recipients and those waiting for an organ transplant were considered extremely clinically vulnerable during lockdown and had to ‘shield’ at home. Now that most have been vaccinated, the government is no longer advising the clinically vulnerable to shield. However, with daily infections in the tens of thousands, vulnerable people can be exposed to Covid and may have a breakthrough infection despite being vaccinated. It can be deadly, so it is very scary.

Sharee Tingle, an organ transplant recipient, experienced this. She was inspired to write a poem about her experience. Her poem is shared below, after a short introduction.

This is my poem, I hope you enjoy it…

I shielded away for a year and a half, very little Interaction, the world turned quite dark.

The shopping delivered, only allowed to work from home,

no colleague interaction, my only communication was by phone.

Then the sunshine came out, the vaccine arrived,

I felt like I could breathe, I felt more alive.

I went back to work, which was strange but so great,

the masks and the visors, the yellow floor tape.

Then it came at me, at a hundred miles per hour,

the aches, the temperature, the inability to breathe, I’d lost all power.

I’d had all 3 vaccines and tried really hard,

but that no longer mattered because Covid-19 was in charge.

Now thanks to the doctors for saving my life, I’ve re found my power and now I’m back in charge.

So if you’re allowed then for goodness sake get a jab,

because believe me, I have never experienced anything quite as bad.