Saturday afternoon news: A whiff of optimism

At home, I just got a call and an update from Mom. While there are still no conclusions or diagnoses, there is reason to be a bit more hopeful. Most importantly, little Loki is producing some little Loki urine. In fact, it is near a normal amount. His blood pressure remains high, though. Results should be available soon for his blood electrolytes (i.e. potassium and sodium) and ultrasound, and available later for a blood culture to test for an infection. An arterial line is being put installed. This is a more permanent IV that allows frequent blood sampling without new pokes.

No one knows exactly what is wrong. The two main groups of specialists - nephrologists (kidney doctors) and urologists (urinary tract doctors) - are sort of pointing to each others' system as the cause. There is now less reason to believe that the kidney is not functioning, and more reason to believe that Loki's body is in a type of shock from the surgery. (I hope that is the case.) However, Mom was warned that, if Loki is having a shock reaction, his condition could get worse before it gets better. In fact, he may end up on the ventilator and breathing tube again, briefly. He could also have an infection, which would not be good, but is easier to treat than kidney failure like ATN.

Mom is sitting at his bedside, talking and consoling him. All the nurses and other staff say that his appearance has greatly improved since she arrived, and I am not surprised. When I dropped her off, I went with her to Loki's bed, and he clearly responded to her voice, trying to find her with his big blue eyes. With his vision poorly developed, I believe that sound is his main sense, and that hearing Mom's voice again after a few days without it must be encouraging.

Myself, I went the doctor, and she said that I am not, nor have I been, very contagious. I probably have a mild virus that is irritating my vocal cords. Barring any sudden developments, I plan to stay at home today.