Nollywood actress and producer Ufuoma McDermott has bravely shared her 12-year battle with kidney disease and how she triumphed over its most critical stage, Edum News reports.
Speaking in an interview with media personality, Chude Jideonwo, Ufuoma revealed that her health challenges began shortly after losing her younger brother, Uvie Eseoghene Ejenobor, to kidney failure in 2017.
The 43-year-old actress shared that her brother’s death and her ‘chronic pain’ led her to overuse painkillers, ultimately worsening her condition to Stage 4 kidney disease.
Sharing her ordeal, she said, “For a long time, people didn’t understand. When I say I cannot afford to put on weight, I just laugh. My initial diagnosis was Stage 3 kidney disease, but a delay in treatment worsened my condition. I had pushed my body, and I was borderline stage 4 (kidney disease). Last year was a very trying time in my life where I thought I was going to die.
“I was negotiating with the doctor about my life. I need you to go home and rest,’ and I said, ‘What if I get home – I promise you (the doctor) I’ll sleep. She insisted, ‘Ufuoma, I need you to sleep now. Suppose you can take tablets and just sleep. I need you to rest and your blood pressure to drop.
“They (the medicals) had to adjust my medication slightly. This life-altering journey has changed my life and how I approach my health but has also shaped how I manage my work-life balance.”
