Kidney, Dialysis, Transplant and Me: Chapter 4

Turn: Life was changed in moments

2012:

"Bipin, both of your kidneys have failed."

The doctor said bluntly, "I can't do anything now."

??????We couldn't believe it for a moment. We kept looking at the doctor. But the General Physician, who was always smiling, was unmoved today. The same doctor, we had relied on for the last fifteen years and on whose faith, we had relied, was telling us today that both kidneys had suddenly failed. We didn’t understand, what was the doctor doing, until both kidneys failed?

??????He should have warned us of the danger at the outset, so that we could have saved at least one kidney by taking the right measures. We sadly walked out of his OPD room. At that moment, we were overwhelmed. But when he came home, my wife lit a lamp in the home temple. And we joined hands in front of the Lord and prayed. Then we decided to meet the kidney specialist and make an accurate diagnosis. So we visited a senior nephrologist at a reputed hospital in Mahim. Until then we didn’t know that doctors for kidney diseases are called ‘nephrologists’.

??????Even on the way, I was afraid of what I would hear. But the nephrologist there, reassured us first. "Both of your kidneys have not yet completely failed, but they are on the verge of failure. You should have come earlier," he explained.

??????"Your creatine level had risen in 2004. That's when your doctor, who is a general practitioner, should have referred you to the nephrology department. You weren't a patient with chronic kidney disease then. You could have saved your kidneys then. You're sick. "

??????"As long as it's possible, let's stick to the medication. When absolutely necessary, then we would start your dialysis." We returned home with the satisfaction that at least I have some days to live a normal life. Coming back, my mind went back to 1997, when it all started unknowingly.

??????I was suffering from severe dehydration, at which time our family doctor Dr. Shah referred me to the above mentioned general physician. We liked the doctor on the first visit, who was fair, a little fat and had a smile on his face.

??????He gave me medicine pills without admitting me. And I felt very good the next day. Their faith grew. He was a doctor who was very good at communication and in behavior. So Rapport increased. Then my family members also started visiting him for their illness.

??????Then I shifted to Kalyan and once went to take medicine for fever from the same general physician at Chembur. Taking the pills he gave me, I went to my house in Kalyan and started taking the pills. I took pills on the first day and then I got red scars on my penis. I didn't realize, it was because of the pills.

Back the next day, I took the pills. Then the skin around the penis began to tear. Took pills on the third day. And then blood started coming out of that torn skin. There was unbearable pain while urinating.

??????Around that time, I had a training session at Dadar. Two of my assistants came to take me, to Kalyan. Many people told me to cancel the session. But I was not ready to compromise with my principles. We came down from the top floor through elevator. I sat in the rickshaw. Went to the station. The two of them grabbed me on both sides and slowly put me in the train. The platform was right next to the road. So I could do it. But after descending to Dadar, we had to climb the stairs, cross the entire bridge, and descend the steps again. At that time, however, there was a lot of trouble.

From there, by taxi, we reached the hall. We climbed the stairs back to the second floor. I sat in a chair for four hours. On my lap, I had a napkin. Even during the middle break, I didn’t get up. Because my pajama was completely soaked with blood. And I didn’t want sympathy.

?At the end of the session when all the trainees left, then I got up to urinate. I was screaming while urinating. After that, both my assistants came back to Kalyan to drop me at home. I thank Prashant, from the bottom of my heart and still do; Because he was very careful in leading me and bringing me back at home.

??????After that, I went to see Dr. Shetty in Kalyan West. He asked me a lot of questions, after a thorough investigation. It was then that he realized that the trouble had started, after the pills consumption. He asked me to bring pills. And after seeing the pills, he shook his head. According to him, the pills contained sulfa and I was allergic to sulfa. He told me to stop taking those pills immediately. And called me the next day. According to him, the next day he was going to remove the skin on my penis in a small operation.

??????I somehow felt nervous. Then on the way home, I bought some stuff. After going home, I went to the bathroom and took anti septic, napkins, cotton balls and hand gloves with me. I wiped the napkin in my mouth and slowly started wiping the blood and pus, that had accumulated on my penis so that no sound would come out. There was a lot of pain.

But as I had already decided, I had reminded myself, of the soldiers on the border. There, soldiers are shot at the border. And many times they can't move, while the war is going on. I was drawing a picture of how our soldiers would be suffering at such a time. Ideally, I did a thorough cleaning in the next hour. Then I put the blood-stained cotton balls and gloves in a bag, without anyone noticing outside, in a dustbin. Then throughout the day I was spraying water on the penis slowly, prepared by pouring a very small amount of antiseptic.

??????The next day, when I went to see Dr. Shetty, he shook my head. He said, "You're totally crazy. Yeah, but one thing is for sure, there's no need to do what I said yesterday. The wound will heal in a couple of days." For that they gave me an antiseptic cream.

??????When I went to Chembur a week later to see that General Physician, he was also annoyed. He also had no idea that I was allergic to sulfa. But I had no idea either. No one was to blame for it.

To understand that I was allergic to sulfur, I had to pay a very high price.

??????But then, from 1997, my blood pressure began to rise. According to the doctors, my business was expanding, so it was having an effect on my blood pressure.

'Doctor is God!' was my conviction. So, I used to go and meet him every month, as per the rules set by him. I was taking the prescribed medicine. I was doing the tests he was told.

??????In the middle of 2004 when the feet were swollen. Even then the doctor used to say, it is due to blood pressure. Fifteen years have passed since then. In 2012, I was on a business tour. At that time, I was not able to eat anything throughout the day.

??????Upon my return, I had to go on another tour. I was there for three days. It didn't feel good there either. But then, on the strength of my will, I trained well for all three days. But on the way back, I was having a hard time. By the time I got home, I was in a trance. The next day when my wife Supriya took me to the same doctor, he asked me to do some tests. After those tests, two days later, when we went to see him back; Then the doctor, who was always smiling, became serious. In his cabin, we were both sitting in front of him. We didn't know anything about his serious face. All that was noticed, was that, there was something wrong with the reports.

Taking a deep breath, the doctor told us, "Both of Bipin's kidneys have failed. There is nothing I can do now." You have already read in Part One what happened next.

Most importantly:

??????When I started my dialysis in 2018, then before the same, we went to see a very experienced and retired nephrologist in Mumbai, who was acquainted with my cousin, he examined me for about an hour and a half. He was examining my medical reports from 1997. Then he asked me, "Why have both of your kidneys failed?"

I replied, "All my medical reports say hypertension. I mean, both of my kidneys are damaged by blood pressure."

??????Then that elderly and experienced nephrologist, shocked us and showed us that, after that infection in 1997, my kidneys were being affected from the inside. As a result, my blood pressure was rising. But after fifteen years of checking the condition of the kidneys, instead of taking medicine on it, I was taking blood pressure medicines, as prescribed by general practitioner, honoring him as a God.

??????In 1997 or later, General Practitioner should had referred me to a nephrologist immediately or at least when my creatinine level reached 1.6 in 2004; So today the situation would have been different. But for 15 years, the doctor continued to treat high blood pressure.

??????My friends and relatives were very angry with that General Practitioner Doctor. I was angry at first too. But in the mistake that happened, the doctors had no bad intentions. But he might had over-confidence and negligence. Fifteen years I had some good moments with him. But because of his neglect, I had to go for dialysis and then for a kidney transplant.

I would urge all readers to have full faith in doctors. But if the problem is getting worse, be sure to consult another specialist. Fifteen years later, I realized that I made the mistake of relying solely on one doctor. It is not wise to go to ten doctors. However, if the discomfort does not subside, or increases, you must consult another specialist. Many doctors do not like this. But, when it is a question of your life, it is your right.

Yours,

Bipin Mayekar