Yesterday's surgical procedure (the third and last of 3 that were planned) appears to have gone well. My right kidney has been suffering from a condition known as hydronephrosis, which basically means that it's been blocked internally, leading to bloating, twisting itself into weird shapes, and generally causing a lot of trouble. Yes, a kidney stone was involved, but that's only one aspect of the condition.
The first two procedures cleared up part of the problem, but blockages remained. They had to be dealt with, or else the kidney might deteriorate to the point that it could no longer recover, and might have had to be removed. This third procedure appears to have cleared the final blockages, in that it's now working like a firehose. That's a problem in itself: from the first twinge that lets me know something wants to come out, to an eruption of fluid, can take as little as five seconds, and because I still have an internal stent, I have absolutely no control over it. The volume is also significantly increased, so that conventional absorbent underwear (as discussed earlier) can accommodate only one incident before needing to be changed. The (frequent) sudden scrambles for the bathroom also make it difficult to share a bed with my peacefully sleeping wife. Our living-room couch, suitably waterproofed, will likely come in for some use over the next week or two!
As for the pain level, it's greatly increased at present, and I'm popping more painkillers than ever before. I've been assured that as soon as the last stent is out, that will change. Can't happen fast enough for me! The doctor says I must give it a week or so to let the kidney empty itself out, then he'll remove the stent and we'll see how it copes over a few weeks of "normal" operation. If it does, great. If not, well, back to the drawing board, as they say in the classics.
Blogging will be ad hoc for the next day or two. I hope to feel well enough to get back to a normal schedule by Thursday or Friday.
Thanks to everyone for your prayers and good wishes.
Peter
21 comments:
There is a condom-like attachment with a hose and bag receptacle. That avoids having a catheter tube into the urethra. May The Lord be gracious to you and yours.
Stefan v.
Urologic issues are among the most unpleasant and inconvenient of issues that accompany aging.
Glad to hear that the kidney is functioning normally again! I was quite worried about you!
Hope the pain passes.
And that the flow eases soon
Not to get too personal, but a condom catheter might get you through the night Peter. It's noninvasive and would let you rest and not have to get up to pee or wake up all wet. You might ask about it. Or, keep a urinal next to you to avoid the mad scramble and risk of falling/accidents.
Nice to know you are in the mend.
Keep the good fight!
I hope you continue to recover and your prognosis to avoid this happening again is high. Maintaining health in our later years can be a challenge.
Glad you are well and on the mend! Prayers for you and yours.
Please! Please! Please!
Don't complain about a firehose; as other readers have mentioned, there are (comparatively) easy remedies.
I know a number of guys in their eighties who would just love to have a firehose condition: it's called Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia or BPH or trickle for ten minutes.
I'm happy to hear you're on the mend.
God bless.
Anticipate a bright future. Hopefully this will soon be nothing more than a memory. Rest, recover and get well.
Glad to hear of the improvement. All Best going forward. As previously mentioned a urinal bottle may help. Uncap it, stick in and let go, seal the cap. Had to use one while recovering from hip surgery.
Congratulations that it was a success and best of luck with your recovery.
Good news! I'm hoping you will feel great soon and get back to working for a living :) .
It's worth the short-term misery if that puppy's working again. You must be very relieved. I hope the recovery is swift and that normal function is a long term thing. Best wishes.
Hope you are better soon.
Best wishes for a speedy recovery, Peter.
Heal quickly Peter.
Hubby was put on dialysis. Got the bill for the 1st week was a little over $75,000.00, now he wasn't able to be insured so looking at the bill I said to him, Honey, sorry, but your gonna die. But kidney dialysis was paid for by the kidney foundation. Please check them out for the help they provide and for me they had a recipe site of what not to feed a person if diet had played any part in causing the problem. If your on dialysis you cannot eat star fruit. Kill you.
So glad it over and your immediate problem will go away. So enjoy that kidney working so well now.
Re the first comment, it's often called a Texas catheter, or a condom catheter. Rolls on just as you would expect from the description. We use them a lot in the hospital, clean and convenient for both the patient and the nurse.
Ask your nurse if she can give you a few.
I feel your frustration. Mr. Bladder rules my life. As others have suggested, I keep a version of a thunder jug bedside. Getting untangled from the CPAP mask and careening to the bathroom leads to falls and accidents.
Well, at least 'some' good news, now prayers up for a reduction in the pain levels! And yes, 'draining' the kidney is good!!!
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