The Tea and Transplant unit

Let’s lighten things up a little.

I had my first transplant in 2015.

I lost that kidney — with all due respect — in the Covid era.

Then came the second in 2023.

And the third in 2024.

By now, hospitals feel less like unfamiliar territory and more like places where parts of my life unfolded.

We all know how highly carbonated drinks — loaded with sugar — can quietly damage kidneys over time. Yet they’re consumed across the world every single day. Of course, health varies from person to person. Genetics differ. Lifestyles differ. Who am I to judge?

But yes — excessive carbonated drinks aren’t kidney-friendly.

Now here’s the irony.

I come from a land surrounded by tea estates. Sri Lanka. Tea doesn’t just grow there — it flows in our blood. High tea isn’t a luxury for us. It’s culture. It’s identity.

And I love tea.

Even post-surgery, I still debate how much tea is “acceptable.” Morning tea is a ritual — the ignition switch for the day. It fuels me through meetings, reflections, recovery, and resilience. Sometimes one before bed too. For me, there is no fixed “tea time.” Any time is tea time.

And no — I don’t take sugar.

Now here’s the part that makes me smile.

During dialysis — every third day from May 2023 until October/November 2024 — life revolved around machines, numbers, fluid restrictions, and patience. Many people say hospital food, especially in transplant wards, is terrible. And yes, salt restrictions and renal diets are real.

But the tea?

Top notch.

At Kings Hospital Colombo, whether pre-transplant or post-transplant, no matter how many times I was admitted, one thing remained constant.

Before medications.

Before injections.

Before the cannulas and lines.

I would tell the kind-hearted nurses:

“Whatever medicines you’re about to give me… just give me my tea first.”

That small cup wasn’t just a drink.

It was normalcy.

It was dignity.

It was comfort in a clinical world.

Even now, when I go for my monthly review with my nephrologist, I quietly walk past the dialysis unit. I say hello to the team. We exchange smiles that don’t need explanations.

And somewhere inside, I still hope someone will say:

“Tea?”

Because sometimes healing isn’t just about surgery, creatinine levels, or lab reports.

Sometimes it’s about a simple cup of tea — served with kindness — in the middle of one of the hardest chapters of your life