IN A MEMORY OF A FRIEND I LOST TO C.K.D: WORLD KIDNEY DAY

Thursdays have become known on the streets of social media as #tbt i.e. throwback Thursdays, where past events are recounted; usually happy ones that bring feels of nostalgia.

Today is Thursday and coincidentally, its World Kidney Day. Today’s #tbt post is not in remembrance of a good feeling but in memory of a childhood friend I lost in February to kidney failure.

This is part of the tribute I shared during the burial service:

 E***** held on strongly to his faith in the Lord and even when we visited him exactly a week before he passed, he said this to us, “I am not giving up at all. I know God will heal me”. Throughout the period of illness, he was full of hope and smiles- although he was in pain; he believed that he will get through victorious; we believed so too and did all we could to support him. Thus, we are shattered that his remains lie before us. However, all things work together for good so through it all, we have learnt to trust in Jesus.

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My friend had been diagnosed some seven years earlier and had been receiving medical care till he gave up the ghost this year. His condition was detected after a short illness while he was a first year student at the University.  It was not an easy journey.

At the service, all gathered were reminded of how God was still in control and knows why He allowed this to happen. The tributes, just like mine, were centred on remaining strong and not losing faith in God. Casting my mind back, I believe there was also something important we should have said which could save us from gathering again to send a loved one home- We should have encouraged each other to stay healthy and get periodic tests since, in almost all cases, early detection of conditions, make it easier to treat.

In two days, it will be a month since we buried my friend and today being World Kidney Day, I choose to rectify the flaw in my tribute by stating a few facts about Kidney diseases:

• Primary prevention of kidney disease requires the modification of risk factors, including diabetes mellitus and hypertension, unhealthy diets, structural abnormalities of the kidney and urinary tracts, and/ or nephrotoxicity levels.
• Preventative primary interventions include promoting of healthy life styles including physical activity and healthy diets, screening for patients at higher chronic kidney diseases (C.K.D) risk with the aid of urine and blood tests and keeping screening data in a C.K.D registry.

Simply, stay healthy by practicing the following:

1. Make healthy food choices.
2. Make physical activity part of your routine
3. Aim for a healthy weight
4. Get enough sleep
5. Stop smoking
6. Limit alcohol intake
7. Explore stress-reducing activities.
8. Manage diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart diseases properly.

This year, World Kidney Day continues to raise awareness of the increasing burden of kidney diseases worldwide and to strive for kidney health for everyone, everywhere. Specifically, the 2020 campaign highlights the importance of preventive interventions to avert the onset and progression of kidney disease.

We look forward to a time where we will not lose loved ones to C.K.D or any other health related disease.