July 25, 2011 Update

Dad had asked Tom to call Dr. Chang, the urologist, for a consult on why he was peeing so much. Tom took dad today and they performed an ultrasound. There were no major revelations. Dad has some blockage of the kidneys and Dr. Chang ordered a test for that. He is also going to do a urine retention test. Have Dad drink a lot of fluids in Dr. Chang’s office and then they will measure how much Dad pee’s and the strength of the stream. That test is tomorrow. There is also some blood work being done to determine the state of his kidneys. Dad’s been doing well the last couple of months. He was scheduled to do a kidney follow-up with Dr. Nichols in August, so the timing of this is about right.

That’s it for now. Hope everyone is well,

John

May 20, 2011 Update

I'm in 100% agreement with most of what you said and 120% with the rest, including my cooking skills. :)

Thanks for a great update.

...Jim

On May 20, 2011, at 12:57 PM, "John "  wrote:

Dad played tennis this morning. He seems relaxed. He played well. He went to Grant’s baseball game last night and enjoyed seeing Grant hit the game-winning run in the bottom of the last inning. 

We have cancelled Dad’s appt with Dr. Chang. He’s happy with his prostate function and for now sees no need to have the tests Dr. Chang wanted. 

This is a risky strategy and could come back to haunt us later, however I believe that this approach is best for Dad. Who knows how long his eyesight and/or kidneys will last? Since these don’t appear to be easily treatable conditions, I agree with the approach to let him have as much fun as he is able to right now. (I know that last sentence sounds ominous. It is not meant to be. I just want to acknowledge that we are aware of the risks involved in this decision.) For now he continues to appear stronger, healthier (probably from Jim’s cooking) and has resumed his activities and that is the most encouraging sign of all. 

John

May 9, 2011 Update

Hi Everyone,

Dad is home and is looking awesome. His energy level is improving
daily. He's glad to be home, however he's already bitching about
missing Mary's cooking.

Today's doctor appointment with Dr. Nichols went well. Dr. Nichols
gave dad a full exam and redressed his incision and re-packed the
wicking. He told Tom that he has done an amazing job being a male
nurse and if it wants to make $38/hour - he's welcome to join his
medical staff. Tom's retirement is looking solid!

All kidding aside, now that I have watched the clean-up procedures
twice, I have a better understanding of what is going on. Tom has
achieved rock star status in my book.

Dad's vitals were good, BP 126/74, temp 97.2. He's in good spirits,
not in a lot of pain, more discomfort than anything. The swelling is
doing better but still has a way to go. Dr. Nichols asked to see him
again Friday at 11:45am.

Dr. Nichols said he wasn't too concerned over Dad's kidneys. He said
he didn't feel his elevated levels were in the dialysis range. He
also was blunt about the suggestion we place him on a new diet. He
said it is common for people to want to listen to a nutritionist and
try to fix things. He said, at 87 let him enjoy what he enjoys. To
Tom's point however, living on cookies and cereal is simply not
healthy. I get it though, cooking for one, especially for guys, is
pretty boring. I did go shopping last night and restocked his
kitchen. I totally understand a lot of it may go to waste - but I just
couldn't stand to see no real food in the house. Tom/Mary have done a
great job of making us aware of this; I'm not sure what the solution
is. I'm fearful if we have food deliver, he'll simply not eat it and
it will stack up. It might be a good idea to go grocery shopping for
him every 2 weeks anyway and also throw the dated stuff out. If it's
here, he might make better choices.

He's glad to be home, he wants to go to Grant's last baseball game
tonight (which Tom has green lighted) so things are looking good. He
gets to taste some of my home cookin tonight, so the pressure is on me
to deliver. I better go, I have to go turn on the food channel.

Love,

...Jim

Jan 19, 2011 Update

---

Subject: Dad's Upcoming Procedure
Date: Wed, 19 Jan 2011 10:59:51 -0800

Cate, Bill, & Jim,

We have more information on Dad’s upcoming procedure on January 26^th. There are two approaches to opening the urethra. One involves laser and one involves scraping. The scraping procedure is a little more invasive. Either way Dad will be out of commission for two to six weeks depending on the severity of the procedure and his healing time.

As with any medical procedure, especially on an 87 year old, there are dangers. Dad is having a kidney function test on Friday and goes in on Monday for a pre-op check. His heart has tested well, but the anemia could be a problem. His procedure will last 2 hours. We believe his doctor to be competent and thorough.

Tom and I discuss our roles here at great length. We try to relay the information we have accurately and completely. We understand the distance between us must make it very frustrating for you. It’s difficult to word this without sounding dramatic. After all, the doctor says he has been doing this procedure for five years and has performed it on men as old as one hundred. Tom and Mary will take care of Dad after the procedure. They are very good at this and Dad is very comfortable with them. But Tom also wants all of you to know that his home is open to anyone who may want to come down to be with Dad before, during or after the procedure. It may be a bit crowded at his house, but he wants you to know that everyone is welcome.

Again, it’s difficult to convey this kind of stuff through an email. Are we worried? Yeah, we are our mother’s sons. It’s genetic. Dad has never had a surgery, so we have nothing to compare this experience to. Are we confident this is the right direction? We believe so. For Dad to want to undergo a surgery to correct this problem demonstrates how much it is cutting into his quality of life.

If anyone has any questions, please feel free to call. If anyone would like to come down, Tom’s home is open.

Love you all,

John