TV man’s journey with kidney failure
MBABANE – The fear of losing his job was among one of the worst fears for Eswatini Television Authority’s (ESTVA) Abel Vilakati.
Being on dialysis for the past 10 years, Vilakati’s journey has been made much easier through the support from his workplace and family.
Explaining his experience living with renal failure, Vilakati said the moment the doctors confirmed that he was suffering from kidney failure and needed to dialyse for 12 hours a week, he saw himself being jobless.
This, he said, brought about anxiety, while being faced with the burden to fight and prepare himself for the haemodialysis procedure.
Vilakati said considering the hours he was supposed to be plugged onto the machine and the responsibilities of his work really frustrated him. However, he said he was given the necessary support, which had sustained him this far.
Challenge
According to Vilakati, the challenge for persons on haemodialysis was that the bones were affected and the body also became very weak. Sometimes, he said he would suffer a shortage of blood in his system.
He said he worked as a cameraman before falling sick and, after consideration by his employer, he was transferred to another department. Currently, he said he worked at the ESTVA library where he dealt with lighter responsibilities.
“I thank God for blessing me with managers who understand my situation. Even those who were recently employed have never given me challenges,” Vilakati stated.
He said he wished for other employers to understand the condition for renal failure and not fire their employees, but transfer them to do work that did not need physical strength.
However, he advised those who might have a challenge and fall sick with kidney failure, not to use their condition to laze around, but to strive to be productive.
Vilakati stated that accepting his condition and finally starting on haemodialysis was very difficult. He mentioned that it took him five years to finally start the treatment. “At first, I
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did not understand what I was suffering from and the doctors also diagnosed me with different sicknesses.” He said he first noticed his big toe swelling with unbearable pain. This, he said, happened repeatedly even when he attended to it.
He stated that he was told by the doctors in hospital that he had too much acid in his body and was prescribed an injection.
Vilakati said the pain would subside and recur after a month, repeatedly, and when it did, the ankle would also swell. Following that, he said his backbone and waste was affected and became painful. He then had diarrhoea and lost appetite. “I used special doctors all this time and none was able to diagnose me.”
Vilakati stated that when he had diarrhoea, he was told by the doctors that he was suffering from food poisoning.
He stated that one time his urine had traces of blood and was told it was bilharzia. Still, he said he had not changed doctors.
He said in 2012 he depended on injection which stopped his vomiting and pain.
This, he said, was the time he could no longer walk and was taken to another hospital, where he was diagnosed with kidney failure. Also, he said he would hallucinate.
According to Vilakati, the sickness takes time, while presenting itself in so many stages.
Admitted
Meanwhile, he said he was admitted to another hospital, where blood tests were conducted to confirm that he had kidney failure. Vilakati said he was told by the doctors that his kidneys were damaged and he was suffering from stage five of kidney failure. He said he was told that the condition was irreversible and that he needed either a transplant or to undergo haemodialysis.
Furthermore, he said the doctor advised him on the diet he was supposed to stick to. Normally, he stated that he used to eat foods that were not encouraged for kidney patients. These included sour milk, mahewu, emabele porridge and banana.
Finally, he said he began the process of dialysis and it was not easy as there were side effects, but these subsided overtime.
“I thought kidney failure affected people who lived a reckless life and imbibe alcohol, which was far from my lifestyle.”
He stated that he had an abnormal blood pressure, which doctors told him about and it could not be controlled.