getting there

Dave and his entourage went to the kidney doctor Tuesday.  It is always an adventure when we go anywhere.  This time caregiver Cindy had the honor.  First she opens the door and the ramp creaks out, then I roll in, turn and roll my chair onto the locking bracket.  This might take several tries.  Finally, it is Dave's turn.  He pushes the walker up the ramp, parks it and sits down.  Of course this entire process is repeated in reverse when we arrive at our destination.  Is it any surprise that Todd meets us so he can save time?

Once there we fill up the waiting room.  It is always fun to see the nurses face when the 3 of us head for the exam room.  It was bad enough with my chair, but you add Dave's walker and the room gets smaller still.  We had stopped to pick up copies of all the labs just in case.  The doctor did have all the blood tests, and she was pleased that the kidney numbers were continuing to drop.  There is no way to predict where they will settle, but she did say that seeing him in a month would be fine.  She also noted that he was anemic, probably caused by all the blood tests.  He had blood work every day in the hospital and ended up getting two units of blood.  (No, I don't know how much that is nor how much was taken for each draw.) The first week home he had blood work Monday Wednesday and Friday.  His was unsure how often he was supposed to go the second week. 

Once a month would make her happy but I think the cancer doc may want it once a week.  We see him next Thursday so we can find out then.  Things could get interesting soon.  The cancer doctor would love to get a scan of the tumor with contrast because it is a much better picture.  This means drinking some kind of liquid followed by an IV.  I thought the kidney doctor was going to jump out of her skin at the thought of doing that.  She managed to calm herself and say that any IV for a scan would be too much for Dave's kidneys.  Part of me wanted to laugh at her reaction, but it was nice to get a direct answer.  The blood draw on Monday and the doctor’s appointment on Tuesday were the only medical events this week.  YEAH -- sure makes it easier to have fun when the day does not focus on medical stuff.

So we will wait to see what the cancer doc will say on Thursday.  He has told us that the kidneys and liver must come around and start working as good as possible before he can recommend any type of treatment.  Right now all Dave is taking is a few pain killers during the day, and some Ativan at night to help sleep.  The night sweats are the worst in his opinion because he has to change shirts several times a night to try and stay dry.  He gets tired easily, and usually takes a nap after lunch.  Nothing new in that for those of you who know him well.  So we will try to keep you up to date as the week unfolds.