Diabetic Nephropathy

After my visit to the NKF centre (National Kidney Foundation) last year during sem 4... I told myself, "Thank God so far none of my close family members have to go through dialysis!".
I guess I spoke too soon.

Recently, I got to know that my grandpa's kidneys are heading towards failure. We had some sort of a scare previously when his urine test was abnormal. But it was soon cleared by the doctor that it wasn't really significant.

But after seeing the doctor again coz his leg was swollen, it was finally confirmed that his kidneys were in a pre-failure stage which is associated with the diabetes he had for about 10 years already.
What does it mean then??

Well...for an old man who had gone through a tough time of chemo- and radiotherapy for his oral cancer...being diagnosed with this thing now...I really don't know!!
Having some knowledge about what comes after being diagnose with a condition like this, just make me foresee many things my grandpa would not be able to do.
1. Strict diet (He lives to eat!!Plus he has no saliva and it has been already hard on him.)
2. Drugs, drugs and more drugs....who likes taking meds??
3. What about the other complications of diabetes?? Already he doesn't walk properly!!
4. Worst part: Dialysis phase!! Having to visit that place 3 times a week!! Relying on a machine
to clear our body's waste!! Feeling sick most of the time!!
As a med student, this is what I feel is going to happen...and I realise that well, no matter how much we hope to stay young and healthy with no illnesses....our body itself would one day reach its expiry stage. Its all part of life's cycle.

Its just that taking care of an elderly person is never easy and I'm sure soon my mum, aunts and uncles would be carrying even heavier loads, which I hope that they would be prepared by then.
The only thing a doctor can do is to help delay the failure process but knowing my grandpa who's a typical incompliant patient, its not going to be any easier.

I just think that its really hard to see someone you love suffer...but there's always this voice in me that constantly reassures me that I have a very close knit family and the support we have for one another is strong enough to handle this challenge. There's nothing anyone can do except to help my grandpa through the upcoming stages. And definitely, I believe God will also be there to help my grandpa and the rest of us.
This thing just reminds me to always cherish and appreciate the people around me and not take any of them for granted.