My dad has been back in the hospital since Monday. His cardiologist sent him in after his blood tests indicated kidney failure. We were thrilled to learn the problem is instead a blockage and a cyst on his left kidney. However, his symptoms are mimicking that of kidney failure, including more fluid around his heart.
He had the fluid from around his heart drained yesterday and has a tube in his chest to drain any more that accumulates. The cardiologist and renal specialist said his heart is healthy, that the problems are coming from his kidneys.
He has been taken off almost all his medications (and there were many) to start fresh. Some drugs were actually making his symptoms worse, including fluid in his lungs. Side effects may have been an issue too.
I’m glad he’s been admitted to the hospital. He has a team of doctors working together and literally reading off the same chart. Before, he was driving all over the city, from one doctor to the next. They were all trying to help, but no one had a complete picture of the problem.
I talked to my dad late yesterday afternoon and he sounded better than he has in at least a month. My mom has noticed a clear improvement too. Now we wait while my dad gets poked and prodded some more. That’s not as hard as it sounds — we’ve been waiting for two years as one thing after another has gone wrong and no one can figure out why. To have a good group of doctors with a clear focus is reassuring.
That’s what I know for now. Thanks for all your good wishes and support. I’ll keep you posted.