Aaaand, I'm in the hospital...

[Dragonflight]

It seems I have significant degradation of the kidneys. Currently they've taken a ton of blood, and done an ultrasound. For the moment, I'm on a restricted diet, and just biding my time. They say it isn't in end-stage yet, and if they can stop the slide there's no knowing how much I'll recover. Lots of gray here. So for the moment, I just stay here and wait for more information.

[robkelk]

Guess I'm not dropping off that gift in your mailbox this weekend.

Get better soon! Please.

[Bob Schroeck]

Ah, geeze. Definitely get better soon.

[Matrix Dragon]

Oh hell. Hoping for good news.

[Dragonflight]

Still in a holding pattern. They've ruled out all the conventional reasons. I'm not diabetic, it doesn't appear to be a known third party issue, like prostate cancer, and so on. I get the feeling they're a little baffled. This one isn't going to give them the solution in the first 48 hours. Hopefully they'll get a feel for the issue this weekend. For now, it's some more bloodwork, and some urinalysis. In between, I stare at the walls. Heh. Maybe I should dig out the notes for the old story and see if I can tap out a chapter.

[Dragonflight]

Well, the tissue biopsy has been recommended at this point, so I'm having that this morning. They say I'll be on my back most of the day afterward, so I'll try to have the tablet handy, but messages might take a while.

[Bob Schroeck]

Good luck with it...

[robkelk]

Fingers crossed that they actually find the cause...

[classicdrogn]

Yikes, man. I hope things go well, or as well as they can given where you're at.

[Jinx999]

And mine as well.

[aku]

Good luck.

[Dartz]

Good luck.

[nocarename]

Good luck.

[Cobalt Greywalker]

Fingers crossed here.

[LynnInDenver]

Yeah, 2021 is only looking up right because, well, it's got such a damned low bar to clear compared to 2020. Get well soon.

[Skyfire2020]

You have my best wishes for a full recovery

Mark

[Dragonflight]

So, the biopsy went well enough. They took half a dozen samples, which is high. The reason is that the filter layer of the kidney was apparently thinner than it's supposed to be. No clue yet exactly why that is. The key will be to devise a treatment plan that slow or maybe even halts further loss of filter tissue. Right now, it filters toxins just fine. Creatinine is like a ballpark signpost. "here there be trouble." It's not a toxin in and of itself. So as long as I'm still filtering toxins, they have something to work with. So we'll see where that goes.

it's a boring weekend for me, though. The results won't be back before Monday, so I spend the weekend largely just resting and recovering. I'm okay with that. I've lost track of all the blood they drew from me. It's going to take a few days to put it all back. For now, I just have to avoid breathing deeply or sneezing, as both make the kidney jump a little. That, and try to forget what the last three pulls felt like. Because of the thin layer, they had to wander afield from the planned site. So those sites weren't frozen. It's hard to describe the feeling of being shivved from the inside, but that's kinda what it felt like.

[Black Aeronaut]

Criminy!

I really hate it when work keeps me busy like this. I wind up missing shit like this.

Please keep us posted. If drastic measures are needed, then so long as there's a will, there will be a way.

[Dragonflight]

So far, it looks like things are moving forward at regular speed. The doctor seemed optimistic about medications that can slow or even halt the degradation of the kidneys, so there may be answers moving forward I can build on.

For the moment, it's slower (so far) this weekend. Which is good. I need the time to recover from last week.

My roommate is interesting, btw. A total metalhead, his favorite relaxation audio are radio plays that sound like a cross between the Christian Television Network and the Twilight Zone. Sounds like someone with severe concerns about his future status, if you ask me.

[Dragonflight]

Current news is that once the lab sends back their report on Monday, they'll have a definitive idea of what's going on. They may have a preliminary medical prescription, but regardless, I'll be referred to the kidney specialty center in Ottawa and discharged from the hospital after that. So I'll likely be going home on Monday, and then the medication and maintenance side of this starts.

[robkelk]

Fingers crossed that the lab tests go as expected.

[Bob Schroeck]

Yeah, here's hoping all goes well.

[Dragonflight]

So, I've been prescribed medication at this point. Sodium Bicarbonate, 500mg, taken four times a day. Yes, baking soda. Apparently, it has proven ability to manage out of control creatinine issues and support ailing kidneys, so that's all good. Considering the quantities, I'm working with the doctor to get a special needs form filled out for ODSP so that they'll cover the costs.

The diet plan they've served here is easy to reproduce. I've been keeping notes, and will likely be making a few changes going forward. What's nice is that nothing is unusual or hard to come by. Also, the combinations work surprisingly well to create that feeling of fullness without requiring large quantities. I also discovered this week that I prefer croissants over white bread rolls. Didn't see that coming...

[robkelk]

Is there a medical grade of Sodium Bicarbonate, or can you just buy it at the grocery store? https://naturalfoodpantry.ca/products/pu...-soda-453g - guaranteed to be just baking soda.

[hazard]

Medication generally comes in doses small enough to be inconvenient to handle personally. It's also possible there's a few other substances involved to make sure it gets to where it needs to go, rather than being converted in your stomach into water, carbon dioxide and salt.