Zsazsa Padilla shares struggle of having rare condition megaureter
Zsazsa Padilla opens up about her health condition.
OPM icon and actress Zsazsa Padilla gave an update to her fans on Instagram about her health condition.
The mother of It’s Showtime host Karylle opened up about being diagnosed with a megaureter.
Based on the information from my.clevelandclinic.org, a megaureter is a condition wherein a ureter is bigger than expected. It mainly affects infants and children. It doesn’t usually cause symptoms. But symptoms may include discomfort or blood in your child’s pee. Most times, providers find it during prenatal imaging tests or a child’s UTI exam.”
A ureter is the tube that carries urine from the kidney to the bladder.
In her Instagram post, Zsasza wrote, “I was born with a mega ureter. My left ureter was the size of a sausage when it should be a thin tubular structure with a 3 to 4 mm diameter. My right one is normal. I like how my new doctor describe it as “you have a structural problem” instead of my usual “I was born with a defective left ureter”.
“It has bothered me for as long as I can remember. I was often scolded as a child “kasi pinipigilan mo wiwi mo” and I thought while sitting on “maligamgam” water in a small planggana that it was partly true since I’d rather be playing in the streets and holding my pee than going to the bathroom!”
The Kapamilya diva continued, “For many years, I’ve had endless battles with UTI (urinary tract infection) and taking oral antibiotics has become routine. They had no proper machine in the Philippines while I was growing up and doctors only saw my real problem in 2007!
“So, my first surgery to correct this problem was 17 years ago. Right after filming Zsa Zsa Zaturnah in 2007, I underwent open surgery to finally correct my left ureter. It was tapered and reinserted in my bladder.”
“Last year, the infection I was having was harder to cure. I became resistant to most antibiotics and tests showed that I was already having a (pee) reflux and the function of my left kidney was so much lower than my usual,” the singer stated.
Zsazsa continued her story in the comment section of her Instagram post and revealed that she needed to go through a laparoscopic surgery in a hospital in Singapore.
“I then thought of Singapore since I heard of people going here for their medical needs, and asked my friend, Alice Eduardo to give me a recommendation. They gave me an office number that’s based in Manila. And they coordinated with Doctors who could help me with my problem.
“We had a teleconsultation then Conrad and I took a 3 day trip to Singapore so I could see Dr Shirley Bang of Advanced Urology in Mt Elizabeth Novena Hospital and she could run some tests. When we got home, we had another teleconsultation to discuss the rest of the test results. They told me they could do laparoscopic surgery to correct my problem. We set a date and now I’m still in hospital recuperating. I’m glad they didn’t open me up.
“And of course my case wasn’t an easy one since I was already operated on before. And there are scar tissues to deal with. Dr Bang said the surgery was straightforward. They didn’t perform a boari flap as planned. Part of the ureter was cut then reinserted in my bladder. And I have 6 new holes from the laparoscopic surgery.”
Fans of Zsasza will have to wait for her for a little bit since it will take time for her to recover from the medical procedure.
The actress-singer noted, “My body is a map of all the surgical battles it’s been through. This is my third surgery with regard to the left side of my kidney. In 2012, after Dolphy died, I had a growth taken out so a partial nephrectomy was performed on my left kidney.
“By the grace of God, I pray that it continues to function so that I may be healthier.”
“I can’t wait to be doing my normal routine like playing badminton with Conrad in the mornings.
“So, I’ll be taking it easy for this month and the next then I’ll see you when I promote my new album. We have exciting new songs we can’t wait for you to hear! I love you all and wish to thank those who’ve said prayers for my surgery. And to those reading this, kindly say a prayer that everything will be alright and that I will have a quick recovery.
“Thanks for your time in reading this.
“Thank you, Jesus. You continue to give me many chances in life. And I praise you for being merciful. 🙏🏼Thank you to my family who surround me with healing love. 💕 Love and light to everyone.”
