Released!!!

Karl finally got sprung from hospital today. Now we know the euphoria that the characters on Wentworth and Orange is the New Black feel when they are released. Like the inmates on the shows, Karl has to check in with his parole officers...aka lab technicians...on Wednesday and Monday. But, if his kidneys and blood cells are behaving themselves he can stay out on good behaviour until November 27. What happens on November 27? That’s when he will be re-incarcerated. Oh my, I’ve been watching too much Netflix while in hospital! On November 27 Karl will be readmitted to hospital for his TRANSPLANT!!!

So, obviously a good day! Nurse Amy brought us the blood work results mid-morning. The creatinine was down again today. It wasn’t  a big drop from 501 to 460, but it was going in the right direction. Then Dr. Martin came in. He was very pleased. He admitted that he didn’t think Karl’s kidneys would start to recover on their own, but the amount he was peeing and the creatinine and uric acid drop told him that was happening. I asked point blank if that meant we were out of the danger zone for the need for dialysis, and he said yes! Karl will definitely not need dialysis! He said he was going to give Karl a prescription for bicarbonate sodium (baking soda) to deal with the extra uric acid in the blood, but otherwise time should take care of the rest. Karl reminded him that he would soon be going for the ultrasound his kidneys. Dr. Martin said that really wasn’t needed now, but he wouldn’t cancel it because it was just as well to have a look.

The next part of the day was the actual trip to diagnostic imaging for the ultrasound. A Radiologist, Dr. Chan, was there during the procedure and he told Karl that the kidneys looked good, and there were no pockets in his shoulder from the line (which was a perma cath). Then Karl came back to the room and we waited. It just wouldn’t be a proper day in hospital without a lot of waiting.

Just before lunch Dr. Jones came in. He said that as long as the ultrasound came back ok, he was prepared for Karl to go home! Karl relayed what Dr. Chan had said, and we all agreed that home was the best place! But first, more waiting. Dr. Jones wanted to see how the new lower dose of lovenox was being processed by Karl’s body. So he was given the shot, and then he had to wait 4 hours and have blood work. The ultrasound report came back just before the blood work. It did show a small cyst on one kidney, but Dr. Jones said the report did not suggest it was anything to worry about, but it will be investigated. Later. Because we went home!

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