Update

The scan is set for next week.  That was in case there was the IV dye was to be injected.  It was not ordered that way, and the Oncologist office has just been in touch again -but had to leave a message.  The wonderful hospital that was has been sold to a terrible hospital chain who is only interested in the bottom line - not patient care.  They finalized the sale Sept.1 and began laying off people Sept. 1  This was a hospital owned by the doctors and they wanted a very nice hospital.  Guess they are all retirement age and decided to cash out.  It is where I had my mastectomy done eleven years ago.

Yesterday I was worked in to see the urologist the nephrologist wanted me to see.  He confirmed something is pressing on the ureter and urine is backing up into the kidney.  The "who, what, when, and where" will be more determined by the Cat scan.  I will see him the day following the procedure.

He asked if I had been having pain.  With my disintegrating back, no.  I have had pain in that area for thirty years.  It was worse, but I had not gotten a cortisone injection to ease my sciatica, etc in over a year.  I just attributed the pain to all that.  When you get old with your various aches and pains, new ones don't necessarily tip off a problem.  If that were the case, I should see a doctor almost daily!

Seeing this doctor made me happy that all of my doctors are in the professional building associated with the hospital and that I have had the diagnostic testing done there.  I was supposed to pick up the ultrasound from the nephrologist (whose office was next door).  The nephrologist had "pulled some strings" to get me my appointment yesterday.  They had a cancellation over the weekend and I got in.  I left a little early to stop by the nephrologist to get the paperwork and to my surprise THEY WERE CLOSED!!!  They didn't tell me they were closing early and they knew what time I had gotten the appointment!  I was really quite upset.  I was feeling that my meeting with the urologist would not be nearly as productive as I had hoped because he wouldn't have that part of the puzzle.

When he came in, I told him my plight.  He gave me a rather coy smile and said he had the results!  Since this is his main hospital for practice - he can get all records like this!  So that is why I will see him the day after the CT.  He will have those results. 

So in the meantime, I have called the oncologist to make sure (after the nephrologist told me to) that the kidneys are going to be included and that there will be no IV dye used - only oral.  I have been a little put out with my oncologist.  It seems he has become part-time - only having office hours on Tuesdays.  And HE didn't call me with the results of the ultrasound. 

G had a deep blood clot a couple of months ago (DVT) and had seen this doctor for hematology.  The hospital couldn't reach the doctor when he went to the ER.  So he now has another hematologist who is also an oncologist.  I have considered "switching horses in mid-stream" here!

If this turns out to be another cancer, I may go to the world-famous cancer hospital here - M.D. Anderson.  They have cutting-edge technology.  I am afraid that will be a necessity.