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Thursday, June 9, 2016

Down For The Count (Updated)


I'm having some health problems and am in a great deal of pain (lower left quadrant of the abdomen).  The pain (renal colic) has become severe enough that I'm missing the last day of classes of this school term.

I'm now in pursuit of a definitive diagnosis and treatment.  And relief!

A CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis has detected an abnormality of the left ureter.  Today I'll be spending the day in the urologist's office and in various labs. Part of the time, I anticipate having access to post any comments trapped in moderation.

Back whenever.

Update (June 10, 2016)

I have been diagnosed with hydronephrosis of the left kidney. Stage 3.

Nuclear imaging on Monday, June 13 to evaluate the output of each kidney. Cystoscopy and ureteroscopy on Wednesday, June 22 — if not sooner.

53 comments:

  1. "Democracy is the road to socialism."

    ~ Karl Marx

    What do you think this idea meant to Karl Marx?

    What does it mean to you?

    Could it mean that democracy is inherently evil, or that socialism is inherently good?


    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It simply means he believed that history would move in a logical progression.

      Delete
    2. "when the people find that they can vote themselves money, that will herald the end of the republic." - Benjamin Franklin

      Delete
    3. Well, Ducky, then Marx was certainly wrong, wasn't he?

      There's nothing logical about the way history has moved in the past hundred years.

      Matthew Arnold writing in the mid-nineteenth century was much closer to the truth:

      ... And we are here as on a darkling plane
      Swept by confused alarums of struggle and flight
      Where ignorant armies clash by night.

      Delete
  2. Praying for you AOW. Doctor visits are never fun. May the LORD bless and keep you. Please keep us posted at your convenience. ~:)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Sparky,
      I finally got around to blogrolling you. Sorry for the delay.

      Delete
  3. My thoughts and prayers go out. Feel better soon.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Diagnosis: hydronenephrosis.

    Not a kidney stone.

    The good news: should be fixable with scoping and stent. Kidney probably can be saved.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I wish you the best, AOW.
      Glad they can 'scope it.

      Delete
    2. Duck,
      If it's a congenital defect, I will have to undergo reconstructive surgery of the ureter.

      Delete
  5. Cystoscopy and ureteroscopy on June 22.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Less than two weeks away. I hope and pray not only for success with these procedures, but that you will be able to get respite care for Mr. AOW and the kitties.

      I'm no doctor, but I firmly believe you need a BREAK and a COMPLETE REST from the constant stress and aggravation you've lived with since 2005.

      I also recommend getting away from politics COMPLETELY for at least two weeks. Doubtless, "the scene" has been making ALL of us sick one way or another.

      How could it not?

      I wish I could help, but Alas! it's a physical impossibility. I've reached the stage where I need lots of help, myself, just to get through the routines of ordinary day-to-day living.

      Delete
    2. FT,
      Less than two weeks away.

      Thank God! Sooner if Monday's imaging shows that I have dangerously low kidney function (left kidney).

      I hope and pray...that you will be able to get respite care for Mr. AOW and the kitties.

      I have my good friend Sharon lined up -- as well as two cousins.

      Tammy or The Merry Widow will fly in if necessary, but that necessity is not anticipated unless I have to have reconstructive surgery or the kidney removed.

      Delete
  6. HYDRONEPHROSIS

    https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/hydronephrosis

    PART ONE

    Hydronephrosis is the swelling of a kidney due to a build-up of urine. It happens when urine cannot drain out from the kidney to the bladder from a blockage or obstruction. Hydronephrosis can occur in one or both kidneys.

    The main function of the urinary tract is to remove wastes and fluid from the body. The urinary tract has four parts: the kidneys, the ureters, the bladder and urethra. The urine is formed when the kidneys filter blood and remove excess waste materials and fluid. Urine collects into a part of the kidney called the renal pelvis. From the renal pelvis, the urine travels down a narrow tube called the ureter into the bladder. The bladder slowly fills up with urine, which empties from the body through another small tube called the urethra. Hydronephrosis occurs when there is either a blockage of the outflow of urine, or reverse flow of urine already in the bladder (called reflux) that can cause the renal pelvis to become enlarged.

    Hydronephrosis may or may not cause symptoms. The main symptom is pain, either in the side and back (known as flank pain), abdomen or groin. Other symptoms can include pain during urination, other problems with urination (increased urge or frequency, incomplete urination, incontinence), nausea and fever. These symptoms depend on the cause and severity of urinary blockage.

    CONTINUED

    ReplyDelete
  7. HYDRONEPHROSIS

    PART TWO

    What causes Hydronephrosis?
    
Hydronephrosis is usually caused by another underlying illness or risk factor. Causes of hydronephrosis include, but are not limited to, the following illnesses or risk factors:
    Kidney stone
    Congenital blockage (a defect that is present at birth)
    Blood clot
    Scarring of tissue (from injury or previous surgery)
    Tumor or cancer (examples include bladder, cervical, colon, or prostate)
    Enlarged prostate (noncancerous)
    Pregnancy
    Urinary tract infection

    How is Hydronephrosis Diagnosed?
    
An ultrasound is typically used to confirm a diagnosis. This procedure uses sound waves to create an image of your kidneys. A doctor can also confirm a diagnosis with x-rays, computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Diagnosis could also involve a cystoscopy, which uses a long tube with a light and camera at the end (cytoscope) that allows the doctor to look inside the bladder and urethra.

    Blood and urine tests can also check kidney function. The doctor can also check for blood in the urine, which can be caused by a kidney stone, infection or other factor.
    How is Hydronephrosis Treated?
    
Hydronephrosis is usually treated by addressing the underlying disease or cause, such as a kidney stone or infection. Some cases can be resolved without surgery. Infections can be treated with antibiotics. A kidney stone can pass through by itself or might be severe enough to require removal with surgery.

    In cases of severe blockage and hydronephrosis, excess urine may need to be removed using either a catheter to drain urine from the bladder or a special tube called a nephrostomy that drains urine from the kidney. The key to treatment is to get it addressed as soon as possible in order to avoid any permanent damage to the kidneys.

    Severe cases of urinary blockage and hydronephrosis can damage the kidneys and lead to kidney failure. If kidney failure occurs, treatment will be needed with either dialysis or a kidney transplant. However, most people can recover from hydronephrosis if treated promptly.

    https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/hydronephrosis

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Congenital blockage (a defect that is present at birth)

      [...]

      Urinary tract infection


      Those are the two which this nephrologist believe are the main possibilities. Cancer tests are being run right now, but the nephrologist thinks that it is not cancer because there is nothing else showing on the CT scan which I had last Friday.

      Delete
  8. About Monday's nuclear imaging:

    From the web site: Based on the body area of interest, a nuclear medicine procedure is performed with the introduction of a specific type of radioactive “isotope” injection, followed by imaging of the area of the body where this isotope collects. After being introduced into the body, the radioactive substance takes approximately 30 to 90 minutes to travel through the body and be absorbed by the tissue under study. During this time, the patient rests quietly, avoiding significant movement or talking, which may alter the localization of the administered substance. The imaging portion of the study generally take 30 to 45 minutes.

    BORING! BORING! BORING!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Rx: Assuming there's no hideous "background music" dinning in your ear, which would drive ME over the Edge, take the waiting time to close your eyes, and try to remember and relive all the pleasant, stimulating, nourishing experiences you've had in your life starting from your earliest recollections.

      Concentrate on lovely things and funny things.

      The time will pass quickly, and your body may be better able to receive therapeutic treatment.

      Naturally, we'll all be rooting for you. Collective Good Will may be far more powerful than most suspect.

      Dr. FreeThinke

      Delete
  9. Down, but never out my heroic blogger buddy!

    I know you'll get through this and come roaring back!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. SF,
      I'm a tough old broad, but these waves of pain and nausea are rough. The waves last 30-60 minutes.

      Delete
    2. up to 60 MINUTES? That's not a WAVE that's an OCEAN. SO SORRY for this awful discomfort.
      And very glad you have a diagnosis...am looking forward to your return to good health.
      Am praying! xxx Z

      Delete
    3. Z,
      I hope that they will let me listen to a book on audio CD so that I'm not bored out of my mind.

      Delete
    4. I hope so too. Good luck :)

      Delete
  10. I recommend leeches...and Johnie Walker Red Label. (Pabst Blue Ribbon if you're on a PPO) Hope you get to feeling better soon!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. that made me laugh out loud! GREAT solution!!

      Delete
    2. Mike,
      I prefer Jack Daniels Black Label.

      Delete
    3. Old Mother Slipperslopper said,

      LEECHES, eh? Didn't you know it was leeches what killed George Washington?

      A heavy high colonic, 1 part gin, 2 parts water, is always good for what ails ya.

      Delete
    4. I prefer to take my gin orally...

      Delete
    5. BUT GIN WITH OLIVES, of course.
      two olives is a martini.
      four olives is OLIVE SOUP
      my preferred "as many olives as possible" is OLIVE STEW!

      Delete
    6. @Mike ~ OMGoodness! That made me laugh out loud! I'm glad I wasn't drinking something. Good answer. ~:)

      Delete
    7. "I prefer to take my gin orally."

      All right, but's known to be more than twice as effective if taken in by the oral and anal orifices simultaneously.

      Ana L. Teagarden

      Delete
  11. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

      Delete
  12. I have a question for all you crooked Hillary supporters... "are you ALL lesbians?"

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Huh?

      That doesn't make sense, Farmer.

      Delete
    2. that doesn't make sense from ANYBODY.

      Ducky, what's with you and trying to figure out screen names? You think there's a spy under every rock! or something? !!

      Delete
  13. Replies
    1. This is the "phony" criminal investigation... charge her for thing's she'll be exonerated for (drone comms to Pakistan), and NOT charge her for the crimes she's actually guilty of (TOP SECRET data on her private server).

      Delete
  14. The perfect graphic for Elizabeth Warren's endorsement of the HillaryBeast.

    ReplyDelete
  15. GREAT POSTER! I've just shared it with many. Here's to a speedy recovery!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Thank you for keeping us up-to-date on the diagnose. Prayers for your healing. God bless.

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  17. Hey Sparky,

    Thanks for all of your great comments. From one 'Biker' to another what are you riding? I'm on my 12th cruiser since 1964. Keep up the good work, my FINE, Lady!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Glad you liked the Warren endorsement :) All my love and prayers for a quick recovery from what ails ya.

    ReplyDelete
  19. If Hillary wins the presidency, combine that with her choosing of the next several Supreme Court justices, and a constituency that will approve of anything she does, and this country is headed for one of two directions. The completion of its transformation to socialism or civil war. Because We The People are either going to allow the decline to communism or fight back. Either scenario is devastating, but I assure you, those are the only two outcomes that are conseavable

    ReplyDelete
  20. AOW, I hope all goes well and easy for you.

    ReplyDelete
  21. EXCELLENT! Thank you.

    Backatcha. };^)>

    Heinous
    Inimical
    Ludicrous
    Lesbian
    Ambitious
    Rancid
    Yawping

    Callous
    Leering
    Incisive
    Noxious
    Obstreperous
    Nasty

    ReplyDelete
  22. The worst mass shooting on our soil in modern American history!

    ReplyDelete

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