World Kidney Day made me think of an ex-colleague and what he’s going through. In his early ‘70s and keeping good health, he suddenly felt a loss of appetite. The gastroenterologist told him there was nothing to worry about. He continued to feel sick. A battery of tests showed that his kidneys weren’t functioning and he has to have dialysis three times a week. It was sad to hear him speak of how his life has suddenly changed. He’s more or less confined to home, on a new diet and has lost a lot of weight. (100 words)
I’ve re-started the 100WordsOnSaturday since the start of 2021. The feature will be around social causes/ special days/special causes. If you’d like to join me, please leave a comment with your link on my post/s.
World Kidney Day
World Kidney Day 20121 was on Thursday, March 11. One of the only vital organs that people can donate while alive, this day both brings attention to all the important things kidneys do for us and it’s also a chance to celebrate kidney donations.
The World Kidney Day Steering Committee has declared 2021 the year of “Living Well with Kidney Disease”. This has been done in order to both increase education and awareness about effective symptom management and patient empowerment, with the ultimate goal of encouraging life participation. Whilst effective measures to prevent kidney disease and its progression are important, patients with kidney disease – including those who depend on dialysis and transplantation – and their care-partners should also feel supported, especially during pandemics and other challenging periods, by the concerted efforts of kidney care communities.
The logo for World Kidney Day is composed of two kidneys and three bright color bars. These colors represent the blood (red), excess water (blue) and urine (yellow) that our kidneys filter, clean and eliminate.
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