Plan B

Hospital life ... if it's anything, it's all about Plan B (or C, or D, or ....) Jack's CT scan and dye test yesterday showed that the nephrostomy tube has poked a hole in the kidney and, therefore, they can't go in and break up the stone now because they don't want the stuff going out of the kidney into the body cavity - that would not be good.  So, it's on to Plan B.   Today, Jack went back to interventional radiology they put in a "J"-stent and a new neph tube.  Jack will now come home with the neph tube and PICC line. He'll come back in about 10 days to have another dye test done to see if the hole in the kidney has closed up and, if it has, they will remove the neph tube and the PICC line.  Then, he will have to come back again to have the stone externally broken up with the lithotripsy (the procedure most people undergo for kidney stones). These follow-up procedures will all be outpatient.  I do think it's probably better for Jack that he is avoiding a second big surgery. What's not better is that he is coming home with a bunch of extra tubes sticking out of his body. 


The plan is to discharge tomorrow, however, his potassium has been low - even with them giving him IV potassium all day, so it may be delayed a day.  I also noticed this evening that when I moved Jack's arm (the one with the PICC line) - he grimaced.  I manipulated it several times and got the same reaction.  I know the look and it usually means a broken bone.  When I mentioned it to the nurse and said I wanted it x-rayed, she said she would run it by the doctors and see if they agree. At which point, I told her ... "it will be x-rayed and if the doctors don't think an x-ray is necessary, they need to come talk directly to me."  Fortunately, they have ordered an x-ray for the morning.  


I've been very happy with the care Jack's received here at Phoenix Children's, but have confirmed based on my experience a month ago, that the PICU is definitely where he needs to be.  It really was a Godsend that we were able to have this issue dealt with locally because of all the follow-up required.  I'm just hoping that Jack will be bailed tomorrow and it will be years before we are inpatient again.

I posted the first picture above on Facebook this morning and this afternoon, received this: 

Have a great weekend!

(p.s. - when I started typing this post, it was Friday, when I finished, it was Saturday.  So, despite the fact that the date of this post is Saturday, when I say "today", I mean Friday and "tomorrow", I mean Saturday)