I have two new body parts! I have both a kidney stent and a NEPHROSTOMY TUBE.
(For more detail see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ureteric_stent as well as
I was the recipient of these gifts from a new guide Andrew Cox, MD specialist in interventional radiology. He delivered these gifts to me Friday afternoon at the Good Samaritan cath lab. As the last patient of the day, I was given undivided attention of the entire staff and was ay the hospital only 4 hours.
Thursday’s, “regular cd scan” of my abdomen and pelvis showed a blockage of urine flow from the right kidney. Blockage showed up in Thursday’s CD. That CD showed an engorged kidney and associated ureter. The blockage is located at the junction of the ureter and the “drain pipe” which leads to the external stoma.
The two new parts were inserted to ensure the kidney would drain thereby easing my pain and lowering infections. Both were inserted through the right flank. Both the kidney stent and nephrostomy tube permit the flow of urine from the kidney. The stent allows urine to flow down the ureter and into the ‘ “drain pipe” (created May 24) whereby urine can continue to flow to the external bag.
If (when?) that stent gets clogged the Nephrostomy tube will permit direct drain from the kidney to a new bag.
Regardless of whether the blockage is caused by cancer or scar tissue, apparently both inserts are temporary fixes…
I am to find out more on Tuesday when I return to Dr. Pitre, urologist and Dr. Cox radiologist.
John, I am following your progress. You are in my thoughts. I want to thank you for something you did years ago. I was a student at U of Oregon in one of our classes on marketing or something. My parents had just divorced with no warning signs that I had been able to detect at that unformed age. I wrote a paper about my experiences in the Marine Corps where I used the expression "rifle computer". You really liked that paper and told me that you had no idea what I would become but that I had a bright future. My art career has flourished and is going through a little renaissance now. Thank you for encouraging me when I most needed it. Your Friend, Mike Speaker
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