When I was in medical school, my friend fell ill. I didn’t worry too much about it in the beginning. Not even when her doctor requested an ultrasound scan. After all, everyone falls ill from time to time.
I went with her for the ultrasound and the radiologist allowed me sit in. She knew we were medical students, and she made us very comfortable. But, when she began to scan, I noticed her stiffen. I stared hard at the screen but all I saw were blurry black and white shadows. The resident’s trained eyes saw what she saw too, and he began to say something but she poked him with her elbow and shook her head subtly.
The rest of the procedure was carried out in grave silence. The only sounds were our breaths and the muted ones made by their writing and movements. After the procedure, they handed us the result which was well sealed to discourage opening. I wanted to tear it open, but my friend dutifully carried it sealed, back to the doctor along with her blood work.
The diagnosis was chronic kidney disease. Although I was in fifth year at the time, I did not fully get the import of the diagnosis. I was to a large extent poorly informed. My friend too.
Many of my patients walk into my clinic with barely any information. Thankfully, the internet is a ready source of information. But sometimes, finding the correct information for African patients can take time and effort. They have questions about fufu and locust beans. And they do not care too much about broccoli and kale. And so, for them, the internet is sometimes insufficient. If this is you, then kidney line is for you.
Kidneyline provides educational content about kidney disease, medical care and nutrition in Africa. Here, you will get simple and easily digestible content for the everyday person curious to enhance their kidney care.
We do not offer medical consulting services. Instead, we’ll provide you with information that equips you to have a conversation with your healthcare provider. We encourage you to work closely with your healthcare team to get the best of care.
We are excited to have you here and hope you find the site helpful.
Drop us a line. We’d love to hear from you.
Regards,
Nwamaka
