BMT Day +177 Eliminating the kidneys

The procedure

It is hard to imagine a scenario in which dialysis would be a life choice one would look forward to.  But that is the nature and extent (5 months 1 day) of Teri’s nephritic suffering.  That is where Teri was on Monday.

Tonight Wednesday, Teri went to interventional radiology at 5 pm to embolize (clot off) both kidneys and to place a Permacath (special large bore catheter) to begin temporary hemodialysis.  This was performed under general anesthesia.  The former involved placing an arterial catheter up to the renal arties and injecting beads to stop the regional blood flow in the kidneys followed by injecting coils in the main arteries.  The kidneys will quickly become hypoxic (lack of oxygen) and die.  We are told there will be a lot of pain initially.  Eventually they will become scar tissue.  She will be on a PCA (patient-controlled anesthesia) continuous infusion of Dilaudid (a narcotic) to control her pain.  They will initially leave the nephrostomy tubes in place but they should be removed before she returns home.  

She is still in post-op recovery getting her endotracheal (breathing) tube removed. She returned at 9:00, intermittently sleeping and smiling.

Notes around the house

Everywhere – bathroom sink, kitchen, dining table, breakfast table, laundry room – are notes instructing Ben and I on exactly what needs to be done and exactly how to do things.  That’s Teri. 

I wonder if it is more than that.  It’s away of reinforcing a memory that has slipped during her illness.  It’s a way of making life tangible, paper-more, visible.  It’s a way of staying actively involved in what goes on.  It’s a way of leaving her she-dog mark.

In the quiet of her absence, we miss the squelch of her walker.  

Ben

It is really nice to have Ben here.  For support.  I have bounced some intricate family matters off him and he is a good listener, critical thinker, and level headed.  An insightful sounding board.  I found he is also a good judge of people and has a finely tuned bullshit detector that will serve him well in his future endeavors.  He is mature.

I reminded him of a favorite memory of mine.  When he and Rachel were 9-11 years, I would occasionally bring them to Children’s Hospital (now Nationwide Children’s in Columbus) for my Saturday ward rounds.  The highlight of course was going to the cafeteria and choosing lunch from a plethora of visible possibilities.  One Saturday morning in my office, Ben said, “When I grow up, I want to have a desk right here facing yours, Dad.”  It was the sort of memorable statement that warms a parent’s heart and creates a pleasant fantasy.  Now, it seems our desks could be in proximity if he is a willing geriatrician in the old folk’s home where I retire.

Ben and I have cycled a bunch together this week and I have thoroughly enjoyed it.  It is great to be able to do something fun and active with your progeny.  After his crash, he had to replace parts of his 1987 Vitus 979 one of the early light weight aluminum frame cycles but it is spinning smoothly.  Yesterday, we cranked up to speeds of 23-24 mph for stretches.  He is clearly a strong biker.

We watched some soccer together.  He has a great eye for soccer detail as the U.S. tied Mexico 1-1 in a ‘friendly’.

Ben enjoys and recommends great literature as he eyeballs his way through the top 25 books of the last quarter century.  Since I read non-fiction and mysteries, I have managed to bypass most of this fine literature.  He just finished Great Plains by Ian Frazier and highly recommends it.  It is next on my list.

It is great to have kids that you learn from.