Imagine trying to function with two tubes penetrating your lower back…
… draining urine from your kidneys into bags strapped to each leg.
24/7.
For seven months.
Imagine trying to keep everything clean.
Imagine trying to sleep.
Imagine trying to take a shower.
Imagine trying to put your clothes on.
24/7.
For seven months.
Imagine being shocked awake because one of the urine bags is leaking into your bed.
Imagine the nasty urine stink that permeates your urine bags after just a few days… and then realizing that the hospital didn’t even tell you this would happen and sent you home with no replacements.
Requiring a home care nurse visit to care for the inflamed Nephrostomy wounds because you can’t see them or reach them yourself. (The photographs shall remain classified Top Secret)
Along the way, more pain.
An E-coli infection.
Tubes replaced more than once, once with insufficient anesthesia. (You don’t want to know)
Stents finally installed.
Excruciating capping trials.
And all the while, the rest of my cancer story hasn’t taken a holiday.