My first festive feast in 11 long years

Christine Mills was given a new kidney last year, after waiting 11 years for a transplant.

While living without healthy kidneys, the 47-year-old endured three trips to the hospital for dialysis each week, and a severely limited diet.

But at Christmas she could eat what she liked, and wolfed down a Christmas dinner with all the trimmings during a three-week trip to Blackpool.

Christine, who lives with her partner Trevor Jackson in Stopes Brow, Lower Darwen, said: "It was great and I managed to put five pounds on!

"That must be the first time in years I have actually put weight on.

"Before the transplant I wasn't allowed to have anything but now I can eat whatever I want.

"I always used to look forward to my Christmas meal and the last few years haven't been very nice.

"I just used to sit there and everybody would eat what they wanted! But now there are no limitations on what I can eat at all, I can have anything I want."

While she was waiting for the transplant Christine was on a special diet, unable to eat certain foods including sausages, tomatoes, mushrooms and fruit.

She also had to limit her liquid intake as her failed kidneys were not up to dealing with the same amount of food as healthy organs.

And she needed to visit hospital regularly to have dialysis, to filter toxins from the blood the job the kidneys would normally do.

Christine, who used to work at Blackburn sweet factory Glisten and also helped to run the Quarryman pub, Dukes Brow, Blackburn, fell ill after an ulcer in her colon burst, giving her the blood infection septicaemia.

The infection caused her kidneys to fail, and for 11 years she was placed on a waiting list for a transplant.

She finally had the operation in August, at Manchester Infirmary.

She said: "It's going well and I am getting my life back, or trying to anyway!

"I'm managing to get out more and it's lovely not to have to go to hospital three times a week anymore."