My StoryA personal account grounded in observation and physiology, illustrating how overlooked blood pressure patterns shaped kidney risk—and how timing awareness changed the trajectory.

When My Body Started Whispering

Before It Started Screaming

I didn’t wake up one morning and suddenly feel sick.
It started quietly.

I was always tired — not the kind of tired that sleep fixes. I would rest, but the fatigue stayed. Then came shortness of breath. Simple things like walking a short distance or standing for a while felt heavier than they should. My legs and feet began to swell. At night, acid reflux made sleeping uncomfortable.

At first, I explained everything away. Work stress. Age. Maybe malaria. Maybe I just needed more rest.

But my body was already telling a different story.

The Day the Tests Made It Real

When I finally went for tests, I expected something simple — maybe an infection, maybe anemia. What came back was more than that.

My blood level was very low. That explained why I felt weak all the time. My kidneys were not working as well as they should. There was protein in my urine, which meant my body was losing things it needed to keep fluid balanced.

An ultrasound showed that both my kidneys were enlarged and under strain. They weren’t failing completely, but they were clearly struggling. At the same time, malaria was detected, which made everything feel worse, but it wasn’t the real cause of what was happening.

That was when I was told I had Chronic Kidney Disease, Stage 3.

Not kidney failure.
Not dialysis.
But not “normal” either.

It was the stage where things can still look fine on the outside — but inside, damage is already happening.

Living in the Middle Ground

That period was confusing.

I didn’t look sick. I could still work. I could still move around. Some days I even felt okay. But my body would remind me that something wasn’t right — the swelling, the breathlessness, the constant tiredness.

Because I wasn’t “critically ill,” it was easy to underestimate the seriousness of it. I took medications, but once I felt better, I slowly stopped paying close attention. Life moved on. I didn’t go back for follow-ups the way I should have.

Looking back now, that stage was a warning — not a sentence, but a signal.

What I Know Now That I Didn’t Know Then

I now understand something very important:

Chronic kidney disease doesn’t always announce itself loudly.

It whispers.

Through fatigue you can’t explain

Through swelling that comes and goes

Through breathlessness you ignore

Through stomach discomfort you brush aside

By the time it starts shouting, the damage is often advanced.

At Stage 3, my kidneys were still fighting. There was still room to slow things down. But chronic illnesses don’t pause just because you feel okay.

Why I’m Sharing This

I’m sharing this because someone reading this might be where I was then — still functioning, still strong, still pushing through symptoms and telling themselves it’s nothing serious.

If that’s you, please don’t ignore the whispers.

Get checked.
Follow up.
Stay engaged in your care.
Ask questions.
Take your condition seriously — even when you don’t feel “sick enough.”

Today, my journey has gone further than I ever expected. But this story didn’t start with dialysis. It started years earlier, when my body was quietly asking for attention.

I just didn’t listen soon enough.

When I Decided to Take Control

When I returned to Cambodia in 2022, I knew one thing for sure:
I couldn’t pretend anymore.

I had already been told I had chronic kidney disease. I had felt what it was like when my body slowed me down without warning. This time, I didn’t want to wait for things to get worse before paying attention.

So I started checking my blood pressure regularly. Not occasionally — consistently. I wanted to understand my body, not just react to it.

I followed up with a general practitioner and began running tests again. I wasn’t chasing perfection. I was chasing stability.

Living Life While Watching the Numbers On the surface, life looked normal. I could work. I could move around. I could still coach football and stay active. But underneath that normal life, the numbers told a quieter story. My blood levels were still low, which explained why fatigue never fully went away. My kidney numbers showed that the disease hadn’t disappeared — it had simply continued, slowly. Sometimes things looked stable. Other times, they crept in the wrong direction. What stood out to me was this: Even when I felt okay, my body was still under stress. That was a hard lesson.

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SUPPORT FOR TREATMENT

Thank you for taking time to read my story.

Living with kidney failure requires ongoing dialysis, medication, laboratory tests, and supportive care. While faith, discipline, and community continue to sustain me, the financial demands of treatment remain a constant part of daily life.

If you have been inspired by this story and wish to support my treatment through a bank transfer, please know that your contribution—no matter the amount—is deeply appreciated and responsibly used toward medical care and related needs.

Support is entirely voluntary and is received with humility, gratitude, and accountability. If you are unable to give financially, sharing this story or keeping me in your prayers is equally meaningful.

Thank you for your kindness and for standing with me on this journey.

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