A Week of Doctors, Part II . . .
Alrighty then. Moving on to Wednesday . . .
If you've been keeping score at home, you'll remember that I had a kidney stone in late February. The past weeks have been a game of hurry up and wait. I would be lying if I said I hadn't been worried waiting and waiting to find out the full story - I had no idea how long it takes to make a kidney stone, and I was afraid I might be making another while waiting.
You can reread all the stuff leading up to this point if you click over on the "Kidney Stone" tag toward the bottom of the sidebar over on the right. Specifically, I chronicled some of the testing and questions leading up to my visit to my new urologist on Wednesday in my March 26th post. I'm going to return to a couple of sections of that post and elaborate.
There was a question about the amount of follow up I've had since the stone and whether that was normal. I've come to learn that my urologist (the new one) is absolutely amazing. The follow up and tests that I've had in the past few weeks are what a urologist should do. Particularly the two back-to-back 24-hour urine collections. I've heard that some doctors only get one rather than two. Two is better because it gives you a much more complete picture of what's going on in your body. So, all the additional tests were not out of line. At all.
In addition, I had some personal concerns and wondered if they were why more care was being taken with me. Neither of them had any bearing on the follow up and number of tests I had. Kidney disease is not the same as kidney stones, and although the ER doc told me as much, when I told the first urologist that my dad had died at the age of 33 from kidney disease, he wrote down that my dad died from heart disease. (Yes, he really did - just another reason we weren't a good fit.) Once I heard the same info from a doctor I trust, it really eased my mind (that I heard it again from my primary care doc on Friday, sealed the deal and allowed me to let that fear go).
So - I finished all the tests his physician's assistant had ordered, and I waited - impatiently, I might add - until this week. Finally, on Wednesday, I got to actually meet with my new urologist!
Oh. My. God. What a difference. Let me tell you that he rocks so hard!! My primary care doc really picked the perfect "stone guy" for me. Instead of hearing, "get another renal ultrasound in six weeks and make another appointment," I finally got some functional information.
I learned that based on the second ultrasound, it appears as though there are no other stones lurking in my kidneys - but I will have to have another CT scan in three months as part of my follow up - he wants to be very sure. I'll also have to have another follow-up 24-hour urine collection in three months (only one this time :-) ). When those things are completed, I'll see him for a followup visit.
The differences between my first urologist and my current one are substantial. I'm grateful to the first one for getting the stone out of me, but he's history. My new urologist was kind. And he listened to me. And he answered all my questions, as well as as sharing what I need to be able to move forward with my life.
I don't say "move forward with my life" lightly. There is more to share. It's not horrible news, but it is life-changing. And yes, I'm going to make you wait - again - because this post is super-long already ;-)
Oh - and I've pretty much decided on this pattern: Penne (Ravelry link) as the winner for that Cubs-colored sock yarn. I really want to make that cousin something - he's had a rough go lately, and he's a major Cub fan - I think this would cheer him up :-) My other pattern choice is the Ben Lomond fingerless mitts, which I actually think is a better choice, but the pattern is written for sport weight yarn rather than the fingering weight I want to use. Anyone out there a wiz at transposing knitting patterns between yarn weights?? :-)
I'm still wanting to cast on something with that Cyborg Craft Room yarn - sadly, the dyer passed away this last year (I got this last April at YarnCon), so there will be no more from her. It's 250 yards of DK weight. Any ideas?
Some Sunday morning laid-back Beatles:
If you've been keeping score at home, you'll remember that I had a kidney stone in late February. The past weeks have been a game of hurry up and wait. I would be lying if I said I hadn't been worried waiting and waiting to find out the full story - I had no idea how long it takes to make a kidney stone, and I was afraid I might be making another while waiting.
You can reread all the stuff leading up to this point if you click over on the "Kidney Stone" tag toward the bottom of the sidebar over on the right. Specifically, I chronicled some of the testing and questions leading up to my visit to my new urologist on Wednesday in my March 26th post. I'm going to return to a couple of sections of that post and elaborate.
There was a question about the amount of follow up I've had since the stone and whether that was normal. I've come to learn that my urologist (the new one) is absolutely amazing. The follow up and tests that I've had in the past few weeks are what a urologist should do. Particularly the two back-to-back 24-hour urine collections. I've heard that some doctors only get one rather than two. Two is better because it gives you a much more complete picture of what's going on in your body. So, all the additional tests were not out of line. At all.
In addition, I had some personal concerns and wondered if they were why more care was being taken with me. Neither of them had any bearing on the follow up and number of tests I had. Kidney disease is not the same as kidney stones, and although the ER doc told me as much, when I told the first urologist that my dad had died at the age of 33 from kidney disease, he wrote down that my dad died from heart disease. (Yes, he really did - just another reason we weren't a good fit.) Once I heard the same info from a doctor I trust, it really eased my mind (that I heard it again from my primary care doc on Friday, sealed the deal and allowed me to let that fear go).
So - I finished all the tests his physician's assistant had ordered, and I waited - impatiently, I might add - until this week. Finally, on Wednesday, I got to actually meet with my new urologist!
Oh. My. God. What a difference. Let me tell you that he rocks so hard!! My primary care doc really picked the perfect "stone guy" for me. Instead of hearing, "get another renal ultrasound in six weeks and make another appointment," I finally got some functional information.
I learned that based on the second ultrasound, it appears as though there are no other stones lurking in my kidneys - but I will have to have another CT scan in three months as part of my follow up - he wants to be very sure. I'll also have to have another follow-up 24-hour urine collection in three months (only one this time :-) ). When those things are completed, I'll see him for a followup visit.
The differences between my first urologist and my current one are substantial. I'm grateful to the first one for getting the stone out of me, but he's history. My new urologist was kind. And he listened to me. And he answered all my questions, as well as as sharing what I need to be able to move forward with my life.
I don't say "move forward with my life" lightly. There is more to share. It's not horrible news, but it is life-changing. And yes, I'm going to make you wait - again - because this post is super-long already ;-)
Oh - and I've pretty much decided on this pattern: Penne (Ravelry link) as the winner for that Cubs-colored sock yarn. I really want to make that cousin something - he's had a rough go lately, and he's a major Cub fan - I think this would cheer him up :-) My other pattern choice is the Ben Lomond fingerless mitts, which I actually think is a better choice, but the pattern is written for sport weight yarn rather than the fingering weight I want to use. Anyone out there a wiz at transposing knitting patterns between yarn weights?? :-)
I'm still wanting to cast on something with that Cyborg Craft Room yarn - sadly, the dyer passed away this last year (I got this last April at YarnCon), so there will be no more from her. It's 250 yards of DK weight. Any ideas?
Some Sunday morning laid-back Beatles:
Comments
Michelle, you're cracking me up :-D There will be more today :-)