Tag Archives: ct scan

Good news…for once

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So I got notified that there is no indications of any stenosis in my artery feeding my new kidney according to my CT scan. This is great news. That means no need to do an angiogram to open up the artery.

Good news for once is great to hear. On a different note…

We went to visit a nurse practitioner the other day to evaluate insulin pumps. Those are ungodly expensive but worth every penny I’d think. They can cost upwards to 5,000 bucks. That’s extreme though. I think with my insurance I would end up dishing out about 800 to a 1,000 bucks. Still pretty costly and it doesn’t include supplemental supplies like the tubing and the catheters.

I also learned I probably wouldn’t benefit too much from using it since I would have to replace the insulin every other day or so. It’s because I use anywhere from 150 to 200 units a day of insulin. Yes it’s quite a bit. Exercise and better eating will help this.

I’m going to see a nutritionist to see what she can recomend. I already know I need to eat more food that has a low glycemic index. I also know I need to become more active. With the neuropathy and back pains it’s Really tough for me but I have to do it.

I think I might pass on the insulin pump only because my case is a bit different. I am very very insulin resistant. And I already spend a fortune on medicine and Medicare. I don’t think I need to add onto that. I should probably talk to my wife about it and come to a final decision. Crazy!

CT Scan of the kidneys

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CT scanSo this past friday, I had a CT scan of my donated kidney. They suspect there might be a bit of stenosis (abnormal narrowing of a bodily canal or passageway) of the artery feeding the new kidney. It was explained to me that everyone has different size arteries, and it was quite possible that the new kidney had a smaller artery than my own or vice versa. This is why the ultrasound was done, and it did suggest that I could have some stenosis.

It’s also possible the kidney might have shifted. Because it’s not behind the peritoneal wall (the membrane that holds all the organs), it could move because of how I might move my body. Of course, this makes me nervous since I can actually feel my new kidney and I worry every time I bend over, lean, or whatever. If this is the case, the artery could kink or go into a position that restricts flow.

The only reason they haven’t been too aggressive is because my kidney functions (specifically my creatinine, which last week was 0.98 – very good) are in normal ranges. But now (3 months post-surgery) is the time to act, and to fix the problem, which is not Really a problem, before it becomes a Really big problem and it’s an emergency situation. I agree. I don’t want to have to worry about this later when it’s a severe problem.

So now, what are the things we can do? If there is indeed stenosis and it’s a narrowing of the artery, then they will most likely do an angiogram. This would either involve a widening of the artery or inserting a stent (A slender, hollow tube inserted into the body to relieve a blockage.). I suppose if the kidney itself is shifted or kinking the artery, they may have to move it, but I’m not exactly sure what they would do in this situation.

Either way, I’m just waiting to hear the results of the test to see what they will do next. All I know is the surgeons and doctors at University of Washington are top notch and I’m in good hands.