Curve Ball
You gotta love when life throws you a curve ball. After three hours in the OR, the urologist came out to tell me that he didn't find any stones in Jack's kidney, ureter, bladder, etc. What he did find was that Jack's entire right kidney was lined with a coat of calcium that, apparently, looks like stone on the CT scan. The urologist said that he can't remove the calcium lining. The urologist is stumped. My concern is, if there are no kidney stones, what is the source of Jack's pain?
What has also been nagging at me for awhile now is the reliance on what they see on Jack's CT scans. I order copies of the reports for all the CT scans and what every report has in common is the following language: "evaluation is significantly limited by spray artifact" (this is due to Jack's spinal fusion hardware). The radiologist acknowledges that he can't see certain things well or at all due to the artifact. So, I get frustrated when I hear, "the CT scan shows ...", when it's a given that the CT scan is limited in what it can actually show. I don't know what the alternative is, if anything. I just know that we still don't have answers. Post-op, Jack has been fine from a pain perspective. We'll see how his night and tomorrow goes and then figure out where we go from here. I'm hoping it's out the doors of this place!
I'm glad I decided to make an appointment with the urologist in St. Louis, I think a second opinion is definitely needed in this case.
Onward.
(shortest update on record! :))
7 comments:
oh no - i was hoping this would be a turning point for jack - get rid of the stones and get him feeling better....curve ball indeed! glad to hear he's got a second set of drs ready to take a look at him next week!
feel better!!!
Sheesh, Ann! WTH is going on? I just can't believe what you all are going through! I don't even know what to say. Other than I am so sorry that you are still there, and still without answers. And I know what it's like to have your whole family, house, life in disarray and it sucks. But, you're right, focus on what's most important, and get to the other stuff later.
Huge hugs my friend. HUGE.
Christy xoxo
Seriously? You've been waiting in there for all this time to treat kidney stones that don't exist? Ann, they need to figure out what's going on because no matter how badly you want to leave you can't take him home if the level of pain he's been having is requiring morphine. Right? I'd want them to take a look at those screws from the spinal fusion that "broke but didn't matter." or whatever they said. This just stinks for you and Jack. I'm sorry.
Heavy sigh and big question marks followed by sympathy interspersed with happy thoughts. My oh my, what a day, week, month, year, decade, life, you've had. Please oh please, won't someone whisper the answer into the mind of a doctor right away and get you all some relief speedily?
How absolutely freaking frustrating! All this time, waiting for the big surgery to find out there isn't even a stone. I am so sorry!!! I hope that Jack can remain comfortable, that you all can get out of there, and that the Dr.s in St. Louis will have some new thoughts. What a journey you have been on thses last months....stay strong and focused...and drink some wine!!!
So sad that things have yet to be resolved. You were afraid of a bandaid solution leaving the hospital but it doesn't even seem like you have a bandaid anymore...Continued prayers for both of you. Lots of love as always!!
Oh my. Ann, I'm exhausted just reading the blog I can only imagine how your entire family feels. Hug Jack for us-you guys continue to be in my thoughts and prayers. I just pray for an answer. Hugs
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