Acknowledgements
Acknowledgements
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I –
I took the one less travelled by,
And that has made all the difference
- Robert Frost In 2002 when I decided to follow my heart and move to the Netherlands (many dear to me
probably considered it not one of my wisest decisions or that I had lost my way), I certainly did
not foresee my future would include completing a PhD thesis. What an unexpected and
wonderful surprise this has been! I thank all who have made this PhD possible and the journey
to it so much more memorable.
I thank all my colleagues at the Department of Clinical Epidemiology for your gezelligheid and
helpfulness. I have learnt a lot from you.
To the patients in the study, many thanks for your participation. This thesis would not have been
possible without your continued dedication in completing those questionnaires. I thank also the
nursing staff of the participating dialysis centres and the staff of the Hans Mak Institute for their
invaluable assistance in the collection and management of data for this study.
To my paranimfen: Li Hua, I really appreciate the ‘girl talks’ we shared over all those delicious
meals. Yee Fun, thank you for taking the chance to be my housemate all those years ago…who
would have thought we would end up such great friends!
Ria, you knew what I had in mind when I approached you for the cover design… a big ‘THANK
YOU’ for your beautiful painting.
外婆，感谢您对我一直以来无微不至的关爱和始终如一的支持. Mum and Dad, thank you for your
love, trust and support…especially when I go down unexplored paths!
And Jochum, you are my greatest support. I look forward to exploring many more roads with
you.
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