Lee Pei Fern-When my father's kidneys failed

1. When my father’s kidneys failed
Lee Pei Fern
I was very young then, when my father was diagnosed with kidney failure.
All that I remembered was, my father was always wearing a mask, and sitting in a
room for hours with a bag of liquid hanging from a ‘stand’ He would also be in that
room four times daily. After that, my mother would then help him to dispose off
another bag of yellow liquid into the toilet bowl. Meanwhile, I was always just
wondering what he was doing in there. Everyone just said that he was ‘washing his
stomach.’
Besides, my father also slept a lot then, even during the day. Father seldom spent time
with us unlike other kids who were being pampered by their fathers. Moreover,
mother was also busy taking care of father. Therefore, my younger twin sister was the
one who always played with me.
Not until when I grew up did I realize what my father was doing in that room. He
was carrying out his CAPD dialysis which is a must for all kidney failure patients in
order to lead near normal lives. Having kidney failure without CAPD could result in
severe health condition or even death. Even though CAPD can help a patient to stay
alive, the agony of undergoing the process for five years was beyond anyone’s
imagination, other than the patient himself and the family.
Fortunately, in 1996 while I was in standard two, my father underwent a successful
cadaveric kidney transplant in Kuala Lumpur Hospital. This was great news and a
relief for the whole family. Our prayers were answered. After the transplant, we
visited him in the hospital. I knew that everything would be fine and back to normal.
My father would be healthy again.
Now, my father never sits in that room ‘washing his stomach’ anymore. However, he
will always be in that room, that had already been transformed into his study room,
where he would do his reading and working on his computer.
My father is now very actively involved in organ donation activities with the Green
Ribbon Support Group, to help to raise awareness on organ donation. Besides that,
our whole family has also signed up pledging our organs. We realize and had
witnessed that a person’s willingness to donate his or her organs can actually help to
save more than one human life. It really is a Gift of Life.
My father is now in the pink of health after almost 13 years of transplantation. I am
glad that he had won the battle of kidney failure and we are also ever grateful to the
donor family of the late Mr. CH Bender.
Health is really a treasure for us all. Please do not take it for granted.