Good News

The good news is that the contrast medium CT scan results came back and there is nothing to worry about.  What appeared on a standard CT scan as a "mass" is actually just a misshapen left kidney, which could be congenital, or the result of injury or infection long ago.  The CT scan also showed the right kidney; you can see a couple of tiny fragments left from Dr. Spencer playing Space Invaders in there with the laser.  These should pass over the next several months, but there will be a second X-ray in September to be sure.

I was in a lot of pain today, which Dr. Spencer indicated was to be expected, considering how recently I had this surgery done, and I should expect to be in pain for another week.  Beyond that, it's time for more examination. 

In addition, there is a test that allows them to determine whether this is a one-time thing caused by the heat, or whether I am unusual risk of future kidney stones.  The test involves taking all my urine for 24 hours and testing it.  If I am at unusual risk, there is a medication that lowers the risk of subsequent stones.  (And trust me, you don't want to be at any increased risk of having a kidney stone happen again.)

My daughter discovered that there is a connection between kidney and inner ear formation as a result of her work for Child Protective Services.  It turns out that both are formed at about the 16th week of pregnancy.  When I was growing up, it was obvious that I had some balance and coordination problems, and my parents always assumed that it was the very high fever that I had as a child that caused fever ridges in my permanent teeth.  I am beginning to wonder if something did not go right when my mother was 16 weeks pregnant with me.