PSPINC CEO Kenichi Uchikura's Blog

After undergoing surgeries for diabetes, anemia, kidney disease, and liver cancer, I spent nearly three years on dialysis. I received dialysis on Mondays and Fridays most weeks, allowing me to schedule domestic business trips within the U.S. from Tuesday to Thursday. When traveling to Japan, I relied on dialysis clinics there and never missed my twice-weekly sessions. However, my condition never seemed to improve significantly.

 

After more than two years, doctors determined that my liver cancer was unlikely to recur, and I gradually became a candidate for a transplant. In 2025, I finally received approval to undergo a transplant. While I was happy about this, I had no prior experience with such a procedure.

 

On January 27, 2025, I received a call from the hospital informing me that my transplant was approaching. Honestly, I didn’t take it seriously enough at first. I had planned business trips to Japan in both February and April. Then, on January 31, 2025, I was informed that I needed to be hospitalized for the transplant. From that moment, the surgery took place, and my recovery process began. Naturally, all my trips to Japan were canceled, and I won’t be able to travel internationally for at least a year.

 

This is the journey of my illness and the path that led to my transplant. Now, I feel that my health is gradually improving. However, since I haven’t been able to rest adequately, I often feel a bit sleepy. Still, I believe my surgical wounds are healing well.

 

Although I’ve only written about the most recent events, this has been a battle against chronic illness for nearly 20 years. I always say this, but I truly hope none of you have to go through the same experience. However, I know that many people are heading down a similar path.

 

I was fortunate enough to receive a new kidney. More than just sharing my story, I want to encourage everyone to take care of their health. We only have one life and one body. Receiving a second chance, like I did, is rare.

 

Thank you for taking the time to read my story.