Kidney Day 2018, A Short Story

Kidney Day 2018, A Short Story

 

Dr. Usana Luwirat, a nephrologist, wrote this short story about chronic kidney disease in 2018. The purpose of the story is to encourage end-stage renal patients to find the strength to keep living.

 

The story follows a 10-year-old girl named Somjai who had been suffering from edema all over her body for a week. Her parents took her to see a doctor who diagnosed her with chronic kidney disease, indicating that her kidneys were functioning at only 10%. Her parents were devastated and cried in despair, but the doctor reassured them that there was still hope for treatment.

 

The doctor prescribed medication to help with her swollen body, and although the medication worked for a short while, her condition worsened, and she even experienced difficulty breathing. Somjai's appearance became pale and frail, causing her friends to compare her to a boiled chicken.

 

Her mother took her back to the doctor, who informed her that she needed to be admitted to the provincial hospital for further treatment. After waiting for some time, she finally got to see a doctor who examined her blood, took an X-ray, gave her oxygen, and prescribed medication to help with her condition. The doctor also performed a soft catheterization, which involved placing a small tube in her bladder to help with urine flow. The treatment seemed to help as Somjai's swelling decreased.

 

The doctor sent Somjai home with two bags of blood and medication to last two weeks. The doctor also instructed Somjai's mother on how to change the medication at home, which involved releasing the medication from the bag into the soft catheterization tube in her stomach, leaving it there for four hours, and then repeating the process. Over time, Somjai's condition improved, and her swelling subsided.

 

She was discharged from the hospital after two weeks and was required to take medication strictly as prescribed and see a doctor every two months. Despite her condition, Somjai managed to finish her degree and found work at a nearby company.

 

At the age of 25, Somjai was told by her doctor that her kidneys were not functioning well, and she had to take various medications. Eventually, she experienced swelling, fatigue, nausea, and vomiting, and her doctor informed her that she had entered end-stage kidney disease again and needed to undergo blood purification. Since Somjai had social security, she chose to undergo hemodialysis using a dialysis machine, which was funded by the social security program. She had her first blood purification at a hospital in her province and later moved to a dialysis center near her workplace, where she underwent three sessions a week for four hours each time. Although she was feeling better, she had to spend much of her time lying in bed for blood purification, leaving little time for leisure. She had to work harder to compensate for the lost time, and her doctor recommended that she undergo a kidney transplant. However, her father was too old to be a donor, and she had to wait for a suitable donor. Eventually, she received a kidney from a deceased donor, and had a successful surgery. She came to her doctor’s appointment every 2 months. 2 years later, she got married and then had a child 1 year after that. Somjai then enjoyed her life with her beautiful family.

 

The story shows the struggles of a patient with end-stage kidney disease and the importance of regular medical treatment and medication adherence. Despite the difficulties, Somjai managed to find the courage to live and work hard.