To pick up the story where I ended last week, I had just received positive feedback from my vascular surgeon at the follow-up appointment after my operation. However, that’s not the end of the story, and I need to go back a few weeks to explain.
After my operation on 15 January 2025, I’d been experiencing nausea every third or fourth day. I decided to consult my kidney specialist about this, and as a result underwent a few additional blood tests.
When I went to my follow-up appointment with the vascular surgeon, she expressed concern about the results of the blood tests that had been drawn. She called my kidney specialist and they took the decision that my results warranted hospitalisation.
The reason? My sodium levels were very Low.
Now, it you’re like me, you’re probably thinking that low sodium can easily be fixed by simply adding more salt to your food. But my doctors quickly explained that it wasn’t that simple. Apparently for me, as a diabetic with chronic kidney disease, sodium levels can have significant impact and raising them too fast could have some fairly disastrous consequences. My eyes widened in shock as I heard them mentioning things like seizures, brain damage and other rather dreadful risks. So I decided to be good and do as they recommended. And went and got myself admitted to my local hospital.
That all took place on Tuesday, 28 January 2025. That was the date my world began to spin out of control.
Before I tell you the rest of the story, I need to emphasise that this should not be taken as medical advice. What happened to me and how the doctors managed it is purely a result of my individual situation and condition. If you are experiencing similar symptoms, please consult a qualified medical professional.
The solution recommended by my kidney specialist turned out to be very simple. He simply asked me to limit my fluid intake for the rest of the day. He thought that perhaps the amount of water I was typically drinking might be washing the good nutrients out before my damaged kidneys could process them. He did also say that there were other more medical solutions should that prove ineffectual. But, for various reasons he hoped to avoid any of those alternatives.
Thankfully, by the following morning my sodium levels had started to come right, and the nausea disappeared.
However unbeknownst to me, there were other things going on as well. And these were the things that were going to turn my world upside down and make it feel like everything was spinning out of control. But more of that next time.
Before I close , I want to acknowledge how well the medical teams and nursing staff at both hospitals I’ve been to this year have dealt with my blindness. Those medical centres are Kingsbury Hospital and Constantiaberg Mediclinic.
The medical staff were fantastic at working with me to navigate the environment independently unless I requested their support. So often I hear stories of people with disabilities who are manhandled and disrespected by nursing staff during hospital stays. At no stage did I experience anything except the highest standard of excellent support and assistance, where both my abilities and my limitations were handled with care and respect. I cannot express how grateful I am for the care I received. It certainly made it easier to cope with all that was happening to me.
