Friday 7th Dec – Pre OP visit…

Hi Everyone,

I promise this will be a quick one, I know some of my recent posts have been huge! So yesterday I had an appointment with the physician who was going to be performing the operation (planned for 14th Dec) to insert PD catheter. The visit didn’t exactly go as I had hoped…

Upon meeting a stand in physician (as the one who was supposed to see me had to rush over to Manchester), he asked me if I had any previous abdominal surgery, when I told him I had my appendix removed in Feb 2009 and a double hernia operation in 1984, he looked a little concerned.

He asked me to expose myself, and he proceeded to prod and feel around the existing scars the one to my right hand side (quite a neat scar – see picture below) from the appendicectomy and the two either side of my groin (no picture for this just take my word for it), all the usual “cough please” to see how everything was down there. Then he explained that as PD basically puts dialysis fluid (dialysate) and thus pressure around this area that hernia is a concern with this method of dialysis and so having a repaired hernia was a worry. He left to speak with another doctor and returned about 10 minutes later…

Appendix – small horizontal scar on my RHS (pectoral scars obviously not related)

…Upon his return he explained that due to the previous surgical work in this region, that he nor any other physician would be able to perform the operation to insert the required tubing, and that I would need to see a surgeon for this, he told me that he had put me down for an urgent referral but also said realistically this would mean that I would not be fitted with my additional plumbing (my words not his) until the new year.

Now, as you will have seen from my post ‘one man and his feelings’ I was quite happy and content knowing what was going to happen and when, now, all of a sudden due to an issue that well, lets be honest should have been looked at prior to this visit I am back in a state of limbo. I don’t exactly know what this means for me in the short term, but needless to say I was a little down as I left RPH (Royal Preston Hospital) yesterday.

Will I be able to wait it out without dialysis until new year and just accept the delay in PD? will PD be suitable for me at all now given the concerns over the previous abdominal work? Will Doc Doom forcefully suggest that a fistula (I will explain this in a separate dialysis blog) which I have been trying to avoid, be inserted now? will I have to undergo dialysis through lines in my neck???

Questions without answers…I hate this feeling as you may have already read, I spoke (well actually text) a good friend of mine straight after this visit, and briefly explained the above…cool as ever, I was told, which ever of the above scenarios actually plays out, the end result and target remains the same and that is live donor transplant (fingers, toes, legs and eye’s crossed) in spring 2013, after a brief moment of reflection, I realised she was of course absolutely correct.

I Guess I will just have to see how things pan out over this next few weeks, my next scheduled appointment with Doc Doom is Friday 21st Dec, so hopefully I will be in a position to tell you what happens as we cross into the new year then. One positive note to this dialysis delay is that I am no longer going to be finishing work early for the year, this as much as it may not look like it at first glance is good, I spend enough time in my own company as it is, there is only so much daytime TV one man can take!!

See, told you it was a short one.

Onwards and Upwards

Dan

P.S

Just as a footnote, I would like to thanks everyone for your kind comments of support and appreciation, I have received many on here, but also twitter (@dandevi1) and facebook. Yesterday I received a mail from an old school friend who is now a GP, she asked if she could pass this blog around a forum of her peers, so the word is getting out there, and I am glad of that. I truly welcome all comments, good or bad, so many thanks again. x

P.P.S

Apologies if any lady readers went all weak at the knees earlier while studying my washboard like chest picture, I will try not to show too much more flesh in my future posts