JANUARY, 2019 | Th e HEALTH Plus
07
p07
24 years old
with heart
failure
My family was the
most supportive
during my time in
turmoil. I wasn’t
allowed to be at
home alone at
all times, as they
think I would be
depressed. They
had also installed
a lift on my
house’s stairs so
that I was able
to go up and
down with my
wheelchair.”
T
HE alarm blares from the side table. K.K Ng was
asleep when the noise took him off guard, and
he woke up to start his day like he would on any
other day. He was getting ready, although one thing
was a bit diff erent that morning. He felt dizzy, and was
feeling sluggish. He didn’t think much of it, and was
soon heading to work.
On his way in the car, K.K suddenly felt out of breath,
and his chest was in pain. At that time he was sure
something was off . He quickly called his mother and
was brought into the hospital for a checkup. It took
a few months in and out of the hospital, the doctors
needed to make sure. He was fnally diagnosed to having
end-stage heart failure. He was 24 years old.
At the time his life became dark and gloomy. How
could he had heart failure? He was healthy, and was
active in all sorts of sports. It was even more disheart-
ening when the doctors told him that it was probably
congenital. He was born with an abnormally weak
heart.
K.K was an active kid. He was into swimming and
cycling. He never experienced anything even remotely
unhealthy, except the occasional fever and fl u.
“Th e doctors said that my heart was working on
overtime when I was younger to keep up with my
activities. Th en, when I reached my age now, the heart
has considerably weaken, leading to sudden onset of
symptoms and diagnosis. Th e damage to my heart was
irreparable.”
“Since then, the hospital became my second home.
My life depended on medication and oxygen masks all
the time. I also had to be very limiting with what I eat.
Too much water or salt puts me at risk. My only hope
is heart transplant, and it was then that I was put into
the transplant list.”
“My family was the most supportive during my time
in turmoil. I wasn’t allowed to be at home alone at all
times, as they think I would be depressed. Th ey had also
installed a lift on my house’s stairs so that I was able to
go up and down with my wheelchair.”
K.K’s heart failure is unique, according to his doctor.
Heart failure patients will usually have anomalies on
the left side of the heart, but his was on the right.
He went into surgery in 2011, a year after he was
diagnosed. And the fi rst year after his heart transplant
was the toughest. “I had to be on time when it comes
to my medication, I had to limit my activities, and my
diet. It was a tough transition period.”
“But it was through that discipline was I able to
– KK
DAMAGE... My heart
has considerably weaken,
leading to sudden onset of
symptoms and diagnosis.
The damage to my heart
was irreparable.
recover quickly. And I learned to listen to my doctors
word by word.”
It has been 7 years since his heart transplant, K.K
is 31, and is now able to return to his mostly active
lifestyle. He has continued his passion for cycling,
trekking, swimming, and even surfi ng.
“I am always careful in making sure that I don’t exert
myself when I do these type of activities. And I espe-
cially value the need to listen to the doctors.” — Th e
Health Plus
I love taking walks around the neighborhood and
spending all my time with family. Alas, I am 70 years
old now. I can’t do much, but I do keep myself busy
with chores and errands.” – Albert Gunaratnam
fi nd a new heart for me. Nothing can describe what
I feel then.”
Road to recovery
20 YEARS... Albert is 70 years old and he has
been living with a donor’s heart.
pioneers of such a surgery.
He was referred to IJN as a heart failure patient, and was put
on the waiting list in March of 1998. Being a person with a rare
blood type, Albert still had doubts on whether he would get a
new heart in time, or at all.
Two weeks after he was put in the waiting list, he hears of
a news that he might have a suitable donor. His views in life
changed that day.
“I didn’t believe it at fi rst, but it was true. Th ey were able to
He was admitted into the operating theatre early
morning on Friday. And By the end of it, he was on
the road to recovery. “I had a fast recovery, although
I was a diabetic patient, my wounds healed without
any complications. I felt great!”
It has been 20 years since his surgery, which
makes Albert the longest survivor of heart transplant
in Malaysia.
His lifestyle changed drastically after. “I never
touched a drink at all since then. I ate healthier, and
being a diabetic and a heart transplant patient, took
ALL of my medication as instructed on time.”
He has been enjoying life since. Living with his
family in Kajang and running errands whenever he
is up to it. “I love taking walks around the neighbor-
hood and spending all my time with family. Alas, I
am 70 years old now. I can’t do much, but I do keep
Albert with Tun Dr Siti Hasmah.
myself busy with chores and errands. I am glad to
have gone through what I’ve gone through.” — Th e
Health Plus