Wish I had been more careful about my BP I could have prevented damage to my kidneys
<p>“It is going to be 2 years and 5 months now since I am on Dialysis. I have been a diabetic for around 18 years now. Around years back I started developing sleeplessness and headaches, which I felt and discovered later was because of my hypertension. Then one day, I was sitting and watching TV at home I suddenly noticed some swelling in my feet. Immediately I consulted some doctors and was put on medication. They also suggested me prolonged dialysis and to get arteriovenous fistula done. The treatment continued but my swelling didn’t go and BP was still very high. After that, I suddenly developed breathlessness while I was on a tour in Kerala, where I consulted another doctor there who started my dialysis. So now I have been on continuous dialysis since then and come here 3 times a week. Once you are a patient on dialysis, you need to monitor yourself regularly and routine blood investigations are very essential. The only message I would like to give out is that if you are in the high-risk category - diabetic and hypertensive, or have a family history of any of these – you must monitor your blood pressure and blood sugar levels regularly. My diabetes was always under control and is in good limits even now, but my hypertension which I ignored was the one that damaged my kidneys. I have a family history of diabetes and hypertension and my mother passed away due to a cerebral hemorrhage caused by hypertension. Sometimes I feel if only I had been more careful about my blood pressure I could have prevented the severe damage to my kidneys.”</p>
13 Mar 2017
