Showing posts with label lithotripsy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lithotripsy. Show all posts

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Randy's LAST Kidney Stones Graphic Pix , Medical Descriptions

From the last procedure! Inside Randy
Great news today!  Randy went in for his ESWL (Extracorporial Shock Wave Lithotripsy) today at the Reagan Surgery Center.  He brought his x-rays that showed the 2 mm and 3 mm stones that have been lodged in his kidney for basically 3 years.  They were what was left over after his last procedure and after the ones over the past 2 years. He wanted to wait until after his colonoscopy so it's been about 6 weeks since his laser lithotripsy..
Before they were shards!

About 2 weeks ago, he had a small stone that passed without too much incident.  Then for about a week, he's been uncomfortable and could feel a fairly large stone traveling and then right at the top of his bladder for about 2 days and yesterday, he passed it!  He was able to retrieve it to take to the doctor.  Here are the pix:







Pretty gross, right?

Well, I walked Randy to his appointment.  The surgery center is right across the street from my work.  I left my number and Christa's number with them as Christa was picking him up for me.

They took him back. Got him ready.  Gave him the meds to make him sleepy.  Started the scope and .... No kidney stones!  They were gone. Completely.  No sign!  The doctor help up the one in the plastic bag to the x-ray.  The profile matched!  After all that time they picked the day before the surgery to come out.  Randy didn't get the procedure as he no longer needed it!

Thanks to all our family and friends who kept him in their prayers!  We feel truly blessed today!!!

Friday, April 29, 2011

Randy's Kidney Stones, Stent removal. Semi-graphic description

Randy got more bad news about his kidney stones.  There is another one in the kidney.  I am beginning to believe that his doctor is milking the IPA for visits, though.  He is sending him for another x-ray to verify where the stone is saying that the one Randy has is not clear enough.  How can it be clear enough for him to say he has another one, but not clear enough for him to schedule the procedure to remove it?  Even if he needs another x-ray, it would seem that the authorization process should have started with what he already has. SMH.

The doctor did remove the stent in his office.  Randy said it was a much better procedure than when the last stint was removed by the other M.D.  But I had a feeling something was wrong and went home for lunch instead of seeing my mom.  I wound up taking the whole afternoon off.  Randy was in pain.  Do much pain I wanted to take him to the E.R.  But he wouldn't go.  Stubborn man!  He took a TON of medicine and it was still climbing.  Climbing all the way to a 9 on the pain scale. He called his pain management doctor and never got a call back.  He was jumping up and down to try to loosen whatever was inside hurting him.  He drank 5 pints of water to try to flush it out.  Finally, around 5 p.m., he was able to pass some debris and the pain finally eased.  Thank God!

Randy called Dr. Yeske, his primary care doctor, to get him to fax over the order for the x-ray to my office and asked about his state Disability paper work as well.  The doctor still hadn't filled it out.  He told Randy to have Dr. Wu fill it out since Dr. Yeske didn't know the right codes for the kidney diagnoses and procedures.  I mean really?  Have you heard of Google?  That's how my office looks up code we don't know!  So, Dr. Wu didn't want to do the paperwork either.   What?  Randy had to tell him.  You do realize I've been out of work for almost a month and I have a mortgage and bills to pay, right?  Could you go a month without YOUR income.  He finally agreed to fill out the forms.

Randy came over to my office to fill out new forms since Yeske wouldn't fax them to Wu since he had "messed them up" and got to show off the stent they had just pulled out of him in an autoclave bag.  YUCK!  But it was shorter than I thought.  I guess the x-ray is actually enlarged.  But it was still long and bloody.  Gross!

So now we wait again.  This time it should be easier.  The ESWL is a much less invasive and less painful procedure.  The shoot sound-waves at the stone in the kidney to break it up and get it flowing.  The only problem is you do still have to pass them and that can be excruciating.  And they made need to do another scope if any of the fragments are too big to pass.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Randy's Kidney Stones. Graphic Pix

Picture of Randy's Stones

The procedure went well.  Better than either Randy or I dared hope for. There is such a difference between this time and the last time he had to have this done.  Randy notice immediately that he didn't feel anywhere neat the pain he felt with the last procedure.  His sense of urgency to "go", wasn't nearly as bad.  In the day that has passed, he is still having some pain, but it is easing and continues to gets better.  He is seeing hope at last.  It has been such a long time since he hasn't felt defeated by the situation.  Over a year of constant pain.  It works on a person's psyche.  He has been so miserable for so long!  But even in the bad times, his attitude has been great. He is always thinking of others.  If it had been me, I would have been a royal bitch and there would have been no living with me.  I adore my brave, patient, wonderful husband!

They found two stones in the ureter.  The doctor is sending him for another x-ray on Monday.  He is hopeful that the stone in the kidney passed into the ureter and that another procedure, this time a non-invasive one (ESWL), wont be necessary.  Otherwise the stone was bigger than they thought and broke in two.  They left a stent in and it is quite irritating to him.  But this time they did not leave the strings hanging out of him this time and he is therefore, coping much better.  They would have to leave the stent in if he needs another procedure.  Let's hope it is gone completely this time!