Swollen kidney
"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 2 Cor 12:9
“Swollen kidney?!?”, I asked in a puzzled manner as the nurse on the other end of the line tried to inform me that the doctor had seen the CT scan of my lungs and I needed to see a urologist on 29 June 2010.
“There’s nothing wrong with my lungs but instead it was my kidney?” This bit of news was more than a little disturbing as googling “swollen kidney” did not reveal much and 29 June was more than a month away.
It was 19 May and I had been coughing since 15 March when I was in Israel. The cough didn’t get better even after visiting various doctors on at least eight occasions. My whole body was racked by the prolonged cough so much that I felt I had bruised ribs. Finally the Respiratory Medicine Consultant ordered a CT scan of the lungs to see what the matter was on 12 May.
“Swollen kidney?!?”, I asked in a puzzled manner as the nurse on the other end of the line tried to inform me that the doctor had seen the CT scan of my lungs and I needed to see a urologist on 29 June 2010.
“There’s nothing wrong with my lungs but instead it was my kidney?” This bit of news was more than a little disturbing as googling “swollen kidney” did not reveal much and 29 June was more than a month away.
It was 19 May and I had been coughing since 15 March when I was in Israel. The cough didn’t get better even after visiting various doctors on at least eight occasions. My whole body was racked by the prolonged cough so much that I felt I had bruised ribs. Finally the Respiratory Medicine Consultant ordered a CT scan of the lungs to see what the matter was on 12 May.
A phone-call to my cousin James who is a urologist that very night meant that a CT scan of the kidney was arranged two days later to find out what it meant to have a swollen kidney.
21 May arrived and Cindy kindly accompanied me for the CT scan and the visit to James’ clinic. It was a long wait at James’ clinic from about 4.30pm and we were the last people left in the clinic as the day drew to a close. We sat quietly, reading, occasionally exchanging a few words – perhaps we were just being optimistic.
“…a tumour on the right kidney … about 10cm … 95% malignant … op needed a.s.a.p…no way to save the kidney…go on medical leave immediately…” the words slowly sank in as James pointed out the significant findings of the CT scan images in his office while tears started brimming in my eyes.
21 May arrived and Cindy kindly accompanied me for the CT scan and the visit to James’ clinic. It was a long wait at James’ clinic from about 4.30pm and we were the last people left in the clinic as the day drew to a close. We sat quietly, reading, occasionally exchanging a few words – perhaps we were just being optimistic.
“…a tumour on the right kidney … about 10cm … 95% malignant … op needed a.s.a.p…no way to save the kidney…go on medical leave immediately…” the words slowly sank in as James pointed out the significant findings of the CT scan images in his office while tears started brimming in my eyes.
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