Concerned about the challenges faced by chronic renal failure patients who have been placed on dialysis, Saye Abigail Yong is hoping to bring about change by sharing her experience and the stories of those she has met on her dialysis journey.
Yong developed kidney disease because of diabetes and high blood pressure. She said she had a seizure which landed her in the hospital where she spent a week before being told by the nephrologist that she was not at the stage where she would need dialysis. However, at the time of her visit, her blood count was very low, and she continued feeling unwell after returning home. Because of complications with her health, she decided to see her primary care doctor who immediately told her that she had to go on dialysis. She was sent to the Woodlands Hospital where she started the treatment. Like many Guyanese, hers began with a procedure to implant a central venous catheter, which is a tube inserted in a vein in the chest.