Saw Doc a few weeks back for another Urology Consultation. He came into the exam room and settled on a chair with a sigh. He didn’t seem happy.
“What’s wrong, Doc?”
“Oh, nothing really. I was just hoping for better results concerning the stone we’ve been working on. Okay, here’s the deal: even after two—count ‘em—two lithotripsys, there are too few pieces of the stone coming out. We weigh the fragments and the overall amount is no where near the total that X-ray suggests.”
“So—what’s not happening?”
Doc sighed again. “Either your Better Half is not hitting you hard enough, or the fragments are entrapped in the tissue lining.”
“Well, I’m not having any pain from the fragments,” I say. “I mean, they just lie there, right? So—why can’t we leave them alone?—keep an X-ray eye on them to see if they grow bigger? If they do start to grow larger, maybe you could go in surgically and really be sure they come out?”
Doc’s nodding his head. “That’s the next step actually, keeping an eye on them. So, that’s what we’ll do.” He rises from the chair. “I’ll write up another KUB X-ray (kidney/ureter/bladder) for an April consult.” He stood and shook my hand. “Then we’ll go from there.”
“Sure thing, Doc. See you then.”
* * *
Okay! I’ve just had the last of another six BCG treatments because of a tiny tumor Surgeon cut out on Sept 20, 2013. Again, this is the usual follow-on treatment after a tumor removal. Everything went fine with all six treatments! Only a little bit of pressure and pain from the catheter insertion (thank goodness for lubricating/numbing jelly!). Nor was there any urinary track infection this time. Antibiotics are wonderful things!
Perhaps I’m becoming an old hand at this. But no, don’t think so. Just getting used to it. It is approaching Thanksgiving, and about one year ago, Surgeon removed the first tumor. Perhaps there is only another year to go on this path.
Anyway, now it’s off to Nashville for a weeklong stay and play at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Convention Center. The NJBC Bus Group is manic. Yet they are a fun and easy-to-get-along-with group of friends.
Final Result: another Cystoscopy in January 2014 to look-see for more tumors and another KUB with Urology Consultation in April 2014.
Beginning Cancer 