Hello KDA community, my name is Alvin and I am writing this all the way from Malaysia!  

Everyone has their goals in each day of life, and I am into running activities and cycling.  

In 2017, I decided to be a runner and now running is my passion. I mostly participate in tournaments that are set up by Malaysian programs like StarRun, Run With Shade, Go Green Run, and the Penang Bridge Run.

It was 2020 when I decided to donate my kidney to my wife. She had been undergoing dialysis for the past three years. I was happy to donate my kidney to her and to be able to give her new life. I can see her smile now again!

Donating in Malaysia is probably a little different than it is in the United States. I had to give urine in a container for 24 hours, which I had to do a few times for the transplant hospital. I also did many checkups before finally doing the test to see if I was a match for my wife.  

In the United States, donors seem to talk with many specialists along the way. I had one primary specialist handling my case so I mostly worked with one person.  

My wife was very nervous and worried for me to go through with the surgery. It was my first time ever being admitted to a hospital! I did have some fears going into the surgery. I would start to get worried as the donation got closer, but with God all was good. I was admitted on October 5^th, had surgery on October 8^th, and was released from the hospital on October 11^th.

I drank alcohol before the surgery, but I do not anymore. The transplant staff suggests not having more than 1 or 2 glasses of beer at a time, but I decided to not drink at all to stay as healthy as possible. I also keep a healthy diet where I don’t eat much fast food and focus more on home-cooked meats, vegetables, and lots of fruits. I also make sure I drink plenty of water!

My wife is still doing well and has regular checkups to monitor her creatinine level. Before the transplant, she couldn’t sleep well at night and would wake up late. She felt tired all the time and could hardly do any housework. Now she sleeps well and wakes up early! She does more around the house and is starting to go out more often to meet with her friends. She also started to do yoga and go for walks in the morning. She has a totally different lifestyle than she had previously.

 

My fitness level was obviously lower after surgery and I’ve been trying hard to get back to my feet and keep my passion moving forward 😊 . I am almost back to my pre-surgery fitness level. There haven’t been any tournaments in Malaysia since my surgery due to COVID, but I do have plans to participate in a virtual event soon! 

I am happy that I was able to donate my kidney to my wife.  Share your spare 😊  .