Punching Stupid and Evil in the Face Since 1986!

"We are on strike, we the men of the mind. We are on strike against self-immolation. We are on strike against the creed of unearned rewards and unrewarded duties."-John Galt

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Kideny Update: Well it could have been better news........

I made a visit to a new doctor yesterday-the guy who will place the Peritoneal Dialysis catheter. He was great. Very informative in fact....he told me several things I did not expect to hear.

First, there is a chance I will not be a candidate for peritoneal dialysis because I have had so many abdominal surgeries. I have been cut open along the main line of my abdomen no less than four times and with the build up of scar tissue there is a chance they will not be able to feed the line through. If they do get the line through there is a chance my abdominal cavity is divided into pockets and the PD would not be effective in that case. Unfortunately, there is no way to know this without going in. Next Monday I will go under, they will make a small incision on the side of my person and feed the line in. They will use this line to shoot a very small amount of contrast into my abdomen to see if the lining is divided. If it is I will have to have already made the choice as to what I want to do next. I can go with the more commonly known hemodialysis and get a fistula, which I really wanted to avoid or I can try to find a doc who does the PD catheter insertion laparoscopically. If they do it laparoscopically a surgeon will break up the scar tissue and then possibly I could still go that route. The problem with that? Most likely at some point the scar tissue reforms.

Ugh. All of this was very disappointing hear. I thought I was going in to learn all about the procedure I had picked that I didn't want, for an issue I wish I didn't have. Of course there have to be additional issues. I'm starting to feel like that is how this whole thing is going to go. It's not doing much to lift my spirits.......

The other tiny piece of information he gave me is that apparently transplants generally don't last a lifetime. Most last about 10 years, though occasionally they will go as long as 20. Well that's awesome. I can go through all this crap now, then I get to do it all over again. As young as I am it is certainly possible I would need a transplant 4 times. I can't even imagine.

I saw my nephrologist last week and my numbers look to be holding steady. That is good news. Because this failure came on so suddenly I have been constantly worried about how fast it was progressing. It is good to know for now I am holding my own against progress. Of course, I always wish I would go in and she would tell me it was all a huge mistake. No such luck this go round. Maybe next time.

2 comments:

  1. Michelle, My heart goes out to you. As a person with a kidney disease and a family history of it, I completely understand what you are going through.

    My grandfather had a kidney transplant 17 years ago and his donor kidney is still functioning with great success. His doctor says that his levels are just as good now as they were when first transplanted. I say that to you to hopefully give you a bit of good news during this frustrating ordeal.

    Keep your chin up! You're a strong woman! It sucks but God knows what you can handle!

    Take care and I'll be praying for you!

    Cindy Chafian

    ReplyDelete
  2. Find a doc who does the PD catheter insertion laparoscopically......have you talk with Dr. Cheng at Barnes, I had messaged you about him a week or so ago. Prayers your way!
    Gemey McNabb

    ReplyDelete