This past Monday was Biopsy Day! I arrived at the hospital at 7:30 and was checked in pretty quickly at the main desk. I was then told to wait in another waiting room. Shortly after I was there, the same young woman who had to reschedule my last attempt at the biopsy called me to get changed into a gown. She led me to the restroom, and no joke, as soon as I finished changing into the gown, she told to put my regular clothes back on. Okaaaaay. “We can’t have you waiting in the waiting room in a gown.” Yep, I can agree with that. So why did you call me back? I had a seat back in the same waiting room until I was called again.
This time it was a nurse who called me back, and I was taken into, if not the same, an identical room as the first time I had the biopsy done. She said she was there to put the IV in my arm. “You’re going to put the IV in before I change into a gown?” She just looked at me. “Seems to me it will be easier to change clothes without the IV in my arm.” She shrugged and said, “If that’s what you want to do.” I’m still shaking my head on that one. My guess is she hasn’t had a lot of IVs in her arm. They’re awkward, and painful, if you move your arm the wrong way. So I’m sure she thought I was the weird one, but I went ahead and changed into the gown before she put the IV in.
Then the ultrasound tech came in. Same guy as the first time! Very nice guy. He explained everything that was going to be done. I had to lay face down on the bed. If only they had the face cut-out thing like a massage table. But no dice. I have a bad neck so I couldn’t turn my face to the side. Instead I just put my hands under my forehead to prop my head up a bit so I could breathe. Of course I was wearing a mask as well. I was instructed not to move.
There were at least two other people in the room, both female, but of course I couldn’t see them. One I think was in training, as John the tech was showing her what to look for on the ultrasound of my kidney. He asked me which side they did the biopsy on before, and I told him both times it was the right. It would be the right again today. He was showing her how to hold the wand (wand? I don’t know what it’s called) and in what part of the kidney the doctor will usually do the biopsy.
I think the other woman was the first one who had me get changed prematurely. I don’t know what her function was. Then the nephrologist came in and sort of patted me on the head, which seemed kind of funny. I heard a bunch of rustling as he was putting a gown and mask on. John showed him the ultrasound, and I was told on a few occasions to take a breath and hold it. Marks were made on my back. Then the doc told me he was going to inject lidocaine, which would burn, and then I wouldn’t feel anything. It sure as hell did burn! Luckily it didn’t last long. Then he said, “Okay, I’m going to make a small incision,” and then he said, “Okay, here we go.” I heard a sound exactly like that of a staple gun. I really couldn’t feel anything other than a “tugging” sensation in my back, but it certainly wasn’t painful. He obtained another sample, so another “staple gun” sound, and then both samples were given to a pathologist who was also in the room (same exact thing as the first time I had the biopsy done). Both the nephrologist and pathologist agreed that the second sample was better.
And that was that. A bandage was put on my back (which I found out later was literally a normal-sized Band-Aid), I was told to turn back over onto my back, and a towel was folded up and put under me against the area to reduce any bleeding.
Before the doctor left, I heard him and the ultrasound tech talking and laughing. The doc said, “First time you’d called in sick in 10 years!” So I gathered the reason the biopsy was cancelled last time was because John was out sick. I don’t know if he’s the only one who does the ultrasounds for kidney biopsies? That doesn’t seem practical. Maybe the nephrologist just likes his expertise and prefers to work with him. Of course, the first time I had it done, it was a different doctor. I guess he just knows what he’s doing.
Then I was wheeled into recovery. I asked the nurse was time it was. “8:51.” I mean, that’s how quick it was. From the time I got changed and got the IV inserted to the time I was in recovery was like 20 minutes. So completely different than the last biopsy that just took forever. That was such a nightmare. I still have some mild PTSD from it, no joke. Never again, baby. Any future biopsies will be done by a nephrologist, if I’m awake and alert enough to have any say so.
The nephrologist came to see me shortly after I was taken to recovery, and I met his nurse practitioner. I’d seen her name on the website before but had never seen her. She would be the one the recovery nurse would be in touch with regarding my lab work and such. I was told no moving or getting up for six hours, no lifting anything over 10 pounds for the next week (ha, yeah, they don’t know the nature of my job), and to call if I had any issues. I have a follow up with the nephrologist at the end of the month.
The recovery nurse was really nice. She was a traveling nurse named Kelly. She had been in Albuquerque for about three months and was supposed to stay through September, but she said she was going to see if she could stay longer. She said she really liked it here. Of course, like most people, she had fallen in love with the green chile.
Anyway, since it was early, for a long time I was the only one in recovery, but then slowly more patients were brought in. A couple of hernia repairs, other biopsies (not kidney), colonoscopy. Most of the others were pretty much out when they arrived. Most of them left long before I did.
I didn’t need much of anything. The last time I was there I had to pee in a bed pan so I did everything I could to avoid that this time. The day before I only drank 40 ounces of water instead of my normal 80. The morning of the biopsy I couldn’t have any water, other than to take my meds, and in recovery, I only had a small amount. It’s difficult to drink when you’re flat on your back, and you can’t raise your head! Even with a straw, it’s not easy.
After a couple hours, my blood pressure started to drop, along with my heart rate. When my heart rate dropped below 50, the machine would start to beep. My blood pressure dropped to the low 90s over the low 50s, which for me was very low. I felt perfectly fine, although of course I was just laying in bed. I imagine if I were upright, and it was that low, I would have felt dizzy or noticed it somehow. But it was really odd. The nurse came over and reset the machine to take my BP and heartrate more frequently, and it stayed that low for 15 minutes or so, then very slowing started to go back up to normal. Weird!
I killed time by watching the last couple episodes of “Succession” on my phone. (Eh, I thought it was okay. Wasn’t blown away by it. Sue me.) Kelly asked if I’d like a sandwich, and I said yes. I think it was turkey, and it was pretty good. She had to cut it up into fourths for me like I was a preschooler, and I still had to just lay flat on my back and eat it. I managed to not make a horrific mess.
After about four hours of just laying there not being able to move, the pain really began to set it. Not from the biopsy but just from the immobility. And it wasn’t like I was in an actual hospital bed. I was just in a “procedure” bed. Horribly uncomfortable. Probably not so much if you can move around and lay on one side vs. the other, but when you just have to lay flat on your back, it’s really excruciating. I just tried not to think about it and distract myself with my phone.
Around 3:30, they did more blood work. My hemoglobin had dropped more than a point to 10.2. That was considered an expected decrease and not indicative of abnormal kidney bleeding, so I was allowed to go home. First stop: bathroom!
When I got home, I realized I hadn’t even taken my blood pressure medication that day! That was purely accidental. I have to take my thyroid meds about 30 minutes prior to anything else, and I guess I just forgot to take the other medications. In hindsight, it was good that I didn’t take it, or else my blood pressure may have really bottomed out.
The next day I was back at work, having to lift more than 10 pounds, but I tried to be as careful as I could. The doctor’s medical assistant called me that afternoon to see how I was feeling, which I thought was very nice. I hadn’t gotten that type of call on either of my two previous biopsies! I felt fine, although that evening after work, I was really tired. Could have been a complete coincidence, just tired because of a long day.
About two weeks prior, I broke the little toe on my right foot. I’ve broken my toes so many times, I ought to be used to it by now. But it’s still painful as hell. I ordered a boot from Amazon, which I’ve been hobbling around on. It’s really a big help, not just for pain relief but to protect that toe as well. In the past, I’ve always managed to kick something with that toe while it’s healing, and that hurts worse than the initial break. So far, with this fashionable piece of footwear, I have managed to kick many things but not hit my toe. I’ll probably wear the boot for one more week then go back to my tennis shoes.
And a week ago, I was driving back from work in Colorado when one of my crowns was suddenly just swimming in my mouth! Geez! I called the dentist’s office and got an appointment for the following Wednesday. Luckily it wasn’t painful but there was a very sharp edge to it where it broke off that irritated my tongue. I wondered if I’d even be able to get another crown—to me, it seemed like so much broke off, I wasn’t sure what a new crown could even be adhered to. I could not even list all the issues I’ve had with that particular tooth. I was expecting the dentist to say I would need an implant.
But when I showed up Wednesday at 7:00, they said my appointment was at 10:00. There’s no way I would have made the appointment for 10:00 because I had a meeting at work that morning at 9:00. So they screwed up. I didn’t make a fuss but I was disappointed. She gave me an Amazon gift card and got me rescheduled for Friday at 7:00. Luckily they did have me on the schedule Friday at 7:00. But while I was waiting, another woman came in at 7:00, and they told her her appointment was at 9:00. So… they are having some issues. I will be sure to always confirm the time of my appointments there!
And I was lucky again in that the dentist said I would not need an implant, that I just needed a crown. Only a $500.00 hit and not a $3000.00 one. For now, they glued my broken crown back on, I’ll go back in a week to have that removed, a new temporary put in place, and the permanent crown ordered. At least for now I’m back in business.
Wednesday I had chemo. My lab work showed that my hemoglobin had rebounded from Monday’s 10.2 back up to 11.5, so that was good.
Friday I also got my flu shot, then had to go to Tri-Core for blood work for my upcoming endocrinology appointment. But they said the order had expired so they couldn’t do the blood draw. I sat for on hold 20 minutes with the endocrinology office, and when someone finally answered, she said they would “try” to get the labs sent to Tri-Core that day. I told her if they couldn’t get it there the same day, I would need to cancel my appointment with the doctor because there’s no reason to see her if there’s no lab work. And because of my work schedule, Friday was the only day I would be able to get the labs done. She didn’t sound hopeful. She said if I cancel the appointment at the end of August, the doc’s next opening wasn’t until July. I said I wanted it noted in my chart that if I cancel the appointment, it’s not my fault—they let the lab order expired. That’s THEIR job to make sure the lab orders are current.
Lo and behold, about two hours later, she called to say the lab orders had been sent again to Tri-Core, so I headed back over later in the day and had those done. They also needed a urine sample. Nope, still not able to efficiently pee in a cup.
It’s pretty amazing how quickly lab results come back now. I got the notification the next day that the test results were in. My A1C was 6.4%, which I think is okay for someone with diabetes. (Per the googles, it makes me “prediabetic.”) However, I’m pretty sure my last A1C was 6.2%, but I can’t recall. Because I have the palate of a 12-year-old, I’m always concerned the test result is going to come back like 12.5% or something. So I was okay with 6.4%. We’ll see what the doc says.
So next Monday I’ll get my temporary crown then I have appointment with the endocrinologist, Wednesday chemo and an appointment with the oncologist, and Thursday, an appointment with the nephrologist. My assumption is the nephrologist and oncologist will talk amongst themselves before I see either of them and develop a plan for (hopefully) reducing the chemo. But we’ll see. I should know better than to assume things like that. But regardless, I should have some updated information by the end of August.
I’m working this week, then off the last week of August! Yay! And Nurse Rose is coming out to visit! Also yay! It’s going to be a low-key visit. It’s so freaking hot here, it’s not like we can go anywhere or really do anything. And of course I have the four doctors’ appointments that week. (I know how to spend a week off!) But we’ll have a few things going on. Kyle’s band is coming over for pizza and to get to know our dogs a little better so they’re not so freaked out by them (the dogs, not the band). And we’ll celebrate my mom’s birthday that week, AND we’ll go to one of the band’s gigs. So we’ll work in some fun amidst doctors.
We decided to go to Placencia, Belize, for our vacation in October. I’ve been there before but Kyle hasn’t. It’s very beautiful, gorgeous water and great snorkeling, very slow-paced and relaxed. Because I’ve been there before, it’s an easy trip to plan. This will be my first trip out of the country since COVID, and I felt a little rusty (and honestly, tired) trying to schedule a vacation. We’re also hoping that Rose can join us. That will be fun.
The biggest issue was finding a dog sitter but I think we have that squared away now. I really can’t wait to get away. It’s been far too long.
Kidneys in the News!
This first one is really important and could have a huge impact on people in need of kidney transplants.
“Pig Kidney Xenotransplantation Performing Optimally After 32 Days in Human Body”
The headline is pretty self-explanatory, except to say the pig kidney is still going strong. The article said they will continue to monitor it for another month, or whatever the family approves. The recipient is “neurologically dead,” and they removed his kidneys to ensure that whatever kidney function they are seeing is actually from the transplanted kidney. Apparently, prior to this, recipient bodies rejected pig kidneys immediately but researchers were able to identify and “knock out” the gene that caused this rejection. “Additionally, the pig’s thymus gland, which is responsible for educating the immune system, was embedded underneath the outer layer of the kidney to stave off novel, delayed immune responses.” I certainly don’t pretend to understand all this but it’s truly amazing. If this sounds familiar to you, it’s because this was done prior with a deceased subject and monitored for 54 hours. That too was a success. Now, one month and counting. Of those waiting for transplants, 85% need kidney transplants and upwards of 5000 die each year on the transplant list. This could be a serious game changer. (Not for me, but that’s okay. For someone. So many someones.)
This is a three-minute animation of how the pig kidney transplant worked. It’s very interesting.
“A teen needed a kidney. His geometry teacher happened to be a match.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2023/07/29/teacher-student-kidney-donor-mccarthy
Again, a self-explanatory headline, but a feel-good story nonetheless. There are a lot of selfless people out there.
Low, Low, Low 