"I sobbed and cried a lot as I could not understand why my life had to be as hard as this, with so many disappointments. I was devastated, but not destroyed, bent but not cracked."
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Living a Normal and Healthy Life After Renal (Kidney) Failure by Dr. Adeleke Eniola Oyenusi Trafford Publishing
book review by JG
Dr. Adeleke Eniola Oyenusi wanted to share his experiences with kidney failure and kidney transplantation with other patients and their families to give them a true sense of what they will experience and how they might cope with it. Dr. Oyenusi walks patients through the basics, explaining how the kidney functions and why it sometimes becomes diseased or fails. He provides a thoughtful discussion on the benefits and perhaps unexpected drawbacks of kidney transplantation. For example, although kidney transplant patients can enjoy a lifting of dietary and fluid intake restrictions, they are at an increased risk of a multitude of additional health complications. The author candidly explains his experiences in the hospital, including his fear that the kidney he received would not "wake up" and that his body would reject it.
Although the author did indeed experience unfortunate complications from his procedure, he overcame them with the help of a supportive medical staff and loving family. Dr. Oyenusi emphasizes the value of spirituality for the kidney transplant patient and discusses the integral role that prayer played in his recovery, yet reminds patients that prayer is not a substitute for medical care.
For patients recently diagnosed with serious medical conditions, wading through the clinical jargon and understanding the diagnosis is often challenging. While health care professionals may provide insight as to the condition and the treatment protocols, patients and their families may be at a loss to understand what the condition means for their daily lives. Dr. Oyenusi provides sharp insights as to the daily realities of living with renal failure. The author avoids complicated jargon, explaining the medical condition in clear terms and discussing what the patient can expect. The format of the book is highly reader-friendly, with many short subsections that allow the reader to navigate directly to need-to-know information.
RECOMMENDED by the US Review