Life is a journey filled with ups and downs and the biggest challenge in life is to find that glimmer of hope through the toughest situations. It is about finding that one star shining brightly amidst a cloudy and dark sky.
Optimism, faith and hope kept the spirits high for Malaysian Zaliha Bt Sis who discovered that her kidneys were failing when she was at a youthful age of 22.
Though, finding about her state of health did not stop Zaliha from getting the best out of life. Read on as Zaliha shares with us how she overcomes the multiple challenges she has in life after discovering the health of her kidneys.
1Twenty80:
What was the incident that made you discover that you had failing kidneys?
Zaliha Bt Sis:
It was through a training session when I was an assistant nurse and we had to carry out a body check for each other. The protein level in my urine was found significantly higher than usual and my face and legs were swollen so my then superior suggested to have further test. I was diagnosed to be nephrotic when I was 22 years old.
1Twenty80:
At that time, in your 20s, how did you feel upon diagnosis?
Zaliha:
I felt hopeless as I was only 22 years old as I thought that I will not be able to do a lot of things. Nonetheless, I was grateful that my husband was understanding and supportive when I confided in him about my condition, even though we were not yet married at that time.
1Twenty80:
Were there times where you felt like your kidneys had affected your youth?
Zaliha:
Yes, medical technology was not as advanced 40 years ago. Hence, I had to go through eight hours of dialysis treatment, three to four times a week and the side effects were prominent where I felt nauseous and fatigued after every treatment. Even though I was still able to work due to flexible work shifts, I felt that chronic kidney disease has deprived me of my ability to do many things. I felt depressed sometimes. For example, I was forced to give up my unborn child by induced abortion due to high creatinine levels in my blood.
1Twenty80:
How did you overcome these challenges?
Zaliha:
I consider myself to be very lucky to have a supportive husband and family members throughout my treatment. My mother in law took good care of me when I was hospitalised. Even my hospital superiors were understanding and gave me the flexibility to choose my work shifts based on my treatment.
I found the meaning of life again when my husband and I adopted a daughter in 1982, who is my husband’s niece. I had to take good care my health and make sure that my condition is stable so that I am able to take care of her. I also closely monitored and controlled her diet from a young age so that she would not have to suffer the same illness. My daughter who is 36 years old now is an engineer and has two sons of her own.
1Twenty80:
Can you share about how your journey was, from diagnosis to receiving a kidney from your mom?
Zaliha:
Initially my sister offered to donate one of her kidneys to me but later changed her mind.
I finally received a glimmer of hope when my mother decided to donate her kidney to me. I was extremely grateful but alas, things were not meant to be as my body rejected the transplanted kidneys within one year, leaving me with no choice but to resume my dialysis treatments.
1Twenty80:
How did you make sure that your condition did not get in the way of love?
Zaliha:
I made sure that I was still able to take care of my family by cooking for them and going out with them for grocery shopping as well as spending quality time whenever possible. For example, when I was younger, I used to play badminton with my husband every evening.
1Twenty80:
Can you share with us the importance of family support? How did it help you during this journey?
Zaliha:
My husband has been my biggest supporter as he will always offer help when I am doing house chores. Besides, he has always been giving me advice to have a positive mindset and be grateful about life and pray no matter what.
1Twenty80:
What is your motto that kept you fighting through every obstacle?
Zaliha:
Have faith in God. I trust that everything that happens to me is the best arrangement for me by God and this disease was given to me as a test because He trusts that I have the strength and ability to fight through the challenges.
Taking care of your diet is crucial for patients with kidney disease to control the waste products and fluids accumulated between dialysis treatments.
1Twenty80:
How did you ensure that your child and grandchildren lead a healthy life?
Zaliha:
I always ensure that I cook healthy meals for my grandchildren and remind them to drink plenty of water every day as well as prevent them from having too much fast food and soft drinks.
Sometimes, I will take my husband (who is diabetic) and myself as examples so that they do not end up having these diseases in the future.
Quote: Taking care of your diet is crucial for patients with kidney disease to control the body’s waste and fluids accumulated between dialysis treatments.
1Twenty80:
How do you make sure that dialysis does not get in your way of life?
Zaliha:
Taking care of your diet is crucial for patients with kidney disease to control the body’s waste and fluids accumulated between dialysis treatments. So you have to eat the right kind and amount of food on a daily basis and stay at a healthy body weight. You can seek advice from your dietitian in order to work out a diet plan that is suitable for your dietary needs.
Take your medication as prescribed by the doctor and do not take supplements or traditional medication without seeking advice from your doctor as it may worsen your kidney condition. Lastly, comply to the scheduled dialysis treatment and do not skip any dialysis sessions.
1Twenty80:
I understand that treatment and medication can be costly as well. Based on your experience, do you have any financial tips to give to patients in terms of saving up for treatment?
Zaliha:
There is plenty of financial assistance in Malaysia that a dialysis patient can seek to ease their financial burden, be it a government body or private organisation. For example, at the National Kidney Foundation (NKF), it provides subsidies for patients’ treatment at its dialysis centre upon investigating their eligibility for the benefit.
Besides, if you are a government servant, your dialysis treatment will be paid by the government and the Social Security Organisation (SOCSO), which also provides haemodialysis facilities and financial support for its members who suffer from chronic kidney disease.
