This year I turned the big 25. Some days it seems like it was only yesterday that I was making fairy gardens and playing dress up with my cousin. While some days I feel like I really have aged and have become wiser and older. But in no way do I feel and if I may say so myself look 25.

But this blog post is not about my quarter life crisis. Nor is it about how I came to terms with my age. In fact this blog post is not my story nor is it even remotely related to me.

This is someone else’s story.

Someone who also turned 25 this year.

Someone who along with reaching this important milestone, faced another life changing event this year: being diagnosed with end stage chronic kidney disease.

This is the story of Sunil my patient who I met during my nephrology rotation.

Sunil, a hardware technician from Piliyandala presented with uremic symptoms in April this year. On investigation he was diagnosed with end stage chronic kidney failure. Meaning his kidneys were basically not functioning requiring either life long dialysis or a kidney transplant to survive.

As I stood there listening to his story I wondered what it must be to be only 25 and to be diagnosed with a life threatening disease. Sunil seemed to be handling it pretty well atleast better than I would. He was so optimistic and never complained.

At that moment I couldn’t help but be a little ashamed of myself for cribbing so much about turning 25 this year. Sunil reminded me of how fortunate and lucky I am, that for some people it is an achievement in itself to reach their next birthday.

Turning 25 or any age for that matter can be daunting, but what’s even more daunting is not knowing whether you would be there or not to celebrate your next birthday.