Last modified: 11 May 2000
When Phillip Jones woke up from his intestine transplant operation, the first thing he wanted was a fried egg. And the first meal he wanted was an Indian curry. Hardly surprising since he ha been unable to eat solid foods for four years. ears.
Thanks to his identical twin brother Peter, who donated four feet of his small bowel, Phillip was freed from his Total Parenteral Nutrition machine which used to feed him 12 hours a day.
The operation, performed by Prof. Sir Roy Calne at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge, was the first intestine swap from an identical sibling to another.
Bowel transplants are difficult operations as the chances of rejection are particularly high. But because the brothers had the same genetic make up, there was no problem - and Phillip does' even have to take anti-rejection medication.
"I feel absolutely fantastic", said Phillip, who lost his own small intestine when he developed blood clot in his stomach after breaking his leg on the football pitch.
" My life has been transformed. I haven't been able to eat for four years and now I can have what I like. The first meal I had when I left hospital was an Indian curry which I shared with my brother. "
Now on the road to recovery, the 40 year old former heating engineer from Southampton next plans to work on his fitness - before he gets too fat eating all his favorite foods!
"I would love to take part in the British Transplant Games", he told NTN. "But when I am feeling fully fit."
There is no better way to exercise after a transplant than to follow Orien Young's steps to fitness plan. Orien is the British transplant team coach.
Last modified:
11 May 2000