Well perhaps I should have known this wasn’t going to go to plan and really I am still getting used to this hospital patient lark. Yep it’s Sunday lunchtime, we currently have the most beautiful sunny weather outside and I’m stuck at the Urology department awaiting a flippin flow test. I really should learn to be a more patient patient.
When the hospital called me a few weeks ago to offer me this appointment I asked how long it was.
“The appointment is just a ten minute appointment with your Urology consultant”
”So no other urine flow test or anything?” I queried
“No, just ten minutes. We will confirm the appointment by letter”
”Okiedokie that’s fine, thank you”
So before we left home for the ten minute appointment I made sure I was completely empty, to make walking here more comfortable.
The nurse on duty saw me drinking some water and said I should continue, as I have to do a flow test. This is to make sure my pee is flowing fast enough. I’m sure it is.
Trouble is, as I explained to the nurse, I need to have 1.5 litres inside my bladder before I can pee. So I need to drink plenty, allow time for it to work its way through my slightly dodgy kidneys. At least she explained, they were here on duty until 6:00pm, I certainly hope we aren’t here until then!
To speed things up I have had a large coffee from the hospital’s WHSmith shop as hopefully the caffeine will do its work on me. When we bought the coffee I naturally said it was for medicinal reasons in the hope the assistant would give me a discount. I knew she wouldn’t but it was worth asking.
Also I have tried standing up and jumping up and down a little to speed things up, all to no avail as these things just take time. At least I amused those in the waiting room who smiled.
And suddenly the consultant called me in
We had an interesting conversation to review things following my HoLEP (prostate) operation. I assumed it was a case of a quick chat and then discharging me completely.
Then we hit on a possible snag. The suspicion is my right kidney may not be draining urine into the bladder. The knock-on effect is urine backing up to my kidney and damaging it further. As my Doctor said recently how I “don’t have much in reserve” so it is a serious issue.
So the consultant is now organising an ultrasound scan to look at the size of my kidneys and to see if they are swollen and what is happening with the tube running from the kidney to the bladder. If there is a problem, this will be dealt with by fitting a stent.
No need for a flippin flow test today, this can be done another time.
5:00am Monday. I think my urine is turning cloudy once again…..