Perhaps not *quite* so bad

After review from Mom, we agreed that my earlier post from yesterday afternoon was somewhat too pessimistic. We edited the online version, but the original one went out by email. This one will hopefully be more accurate!

The situation is not quite as bad as I initially made it out to be. Yes, Loki's kidney is probably partially blocked, but that is not confirmed. And while surgery is likely, it is not definite.

Today is mainly a day of waiting and observation. The problem is that Loki may have two things wrong: reflux causing an irritated esophagus causing him to not eat enough, and a partially blocked kidney. The evidence of each can interfere with that of the other, making a diagnosis difficult. Thus, today the goal is to get him hydrated back to normal with an IV so that tomorrow's MAG3 scan of his kidney looks only at kidney problems, without dehydration getting in the way. The drawback of the hydration-by-IV is that it can even further decrease his appetite. And his left hand is bundled in bandages and an arm board, frustrating him when he tries to play with toys!

In fact, most of Loki's symptoms could be explained by the esophagus and lack of eating: Less but more concentrated urine, and high levels of creatinine and potassium in the blood. However, his enlarged kidney remains the mystery. (Update 4:15 PM: His creatinine level is 3.6, down from the earlier high of 4.6 and closer to his level a couple months ago of 3. This implies less problems with the kidney.)

Loki's mood is clearly more down today. This may have been partially caused by Mom's absence: Last night was there first night apart since Loki first came home from the hospital in February. I was unable to get him to smile, but when Mom arrived, he has pure happiness.

Loki is also eating very very little today. And unlike yesterday, he does not like the liquid Similar formula and prefers beast feeding.

In some ways, this is a more labor-intensive time than in the past. Even compared to April's surgery, Loki is busier, with his hands, toys, etc. He needs almost constant attention at the hospital.

The upside of this is that Mom was able to have the fullest night's sleep that she's had since September. She had a beer, and then slept for 7 + 1/2 hours.

Our friend Christine came to the hospital today with super food, and stayed for a few hours. Much appreciated!

We'll be here several days. We'll try to alternate evenings. I should go to work tomorrow.