From kidney receiver to NKF volunteer

From kidney receiver to NKF volunteer
Thursday, Sep 13, 2012
The New Paper
By Chai Hung Yin

Renal physician Akira Wu, 62, said that renal TB is usually associated with either active lung TB due to germs spreading in the blood stream or a reactivation of old TB in the lungs.

He said that it is extremely rare for someone to contract renal TB from the environment and that it usually affects people with immunity deficiencies.

By the time Miss Yew was 37, her kidneys had failed completely and she had to go on dialysis.

She said: "Those were dark days. It was very demoralising because every other day, you were reminded that you were sick.

"When you go to the toilet and you hear the sound of someone peeing, it can make you cry because you can't do it."

She could take only a certain amount of fluids each day.

"If you take more - even if it's just a small cup - you can't even breathe," she said.

Having experienced first-hand what a kidney patient has to endure, Miss Yew said she could understand why "kidney patients are so grouchy".

She hopes that kidney patients who are waiting for a donor will be able to get one and advises them to stay healthy in the meantime.

"If I wasn't fit at the time, I wouldn't have got this kidney. So you must keep yourself healthy. Even if there's a (kidney) for you, you must be healthy to receive it," Miss Yew said.

"Look on the bright side - the day will come for you."

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