Today's the day

So this afternoon I am having kidney surgery and I have to say that my preparation has not been perfect. Monday night I stupidly fell out of bed and hurt my wrist. That took me back to the doctor, and luckily nothing was broken, but I have had the use of only one hand for the week.

Other than that, everything has simply been all the little things going wrong. For example, I had to take my son to the doc yesterday, and she was running 45 mins late which sent the rest of my day into a tail spin.

What is annoying is that in the lead up to surgery I like everything to go like clockwork and this time it hasn't. The fact remains that I am still having surgery so I still have to make sure that I am prepared. And right now that is mainly a mental thing. So I simply just planning to pack and relax so I can get my head in the right space.

I will try and keep everyone posted as to how I go on twitter. @shakesandstones. Next time I will blog about my experience and continue my segment on doctors. Until then, stay well:)

Doctors

Doctors. Doctors are the most important medical professionals you will deal with. They are highly talented and highly knowledgeable people who we trust to figure out what is wrong with us and more importantly, how to fix us.

However, no matter how brilliant and amazing the are, they are still human, and capable of making mistakes, and susceptible to all the same frailties as the rest of us. Often doctors are guilty of arrogance or complacency. I have been a victim of both faults in the past.

So, when it comes to doctors, there are many questions that are raised:-

1. How do I pick a doctor?
2. How can I be sure of his treatment options?
3. When should I change doctors?
4. etc. etc.

This is a massive topic and I will cover as much as I can over the next few posts. Different types of doctor require different attributes too. But for now I will leave you with three important tips when it comes to all doctors.

1. Don't be afraid of your doctor. All to often as patients we put doctors high up on a pedestal. They are not gods and should not be treated as such. They are paid handsomely for their service so don't be afraid to treat them as an equal.
2. If in doubt get a second opinion. It's your body and your health. If you have any doubt, better to be doubly sure.
3. Take charge of your own treatment. Doctors know diseases, you know you! Know yourself exactly what your problem is and what your treatment options are. You know what works best for you and you can discuss this with your doctor.

Next time I will talk about the person everything should start with. Your GP. Until then, stay well:)

Back Again...

Well, last post I said I had some news, and I do. But to properly set the scene I should probably go back five years.

Five years ago was around the time I had my epic kidney surgery which left me in hospital for three weeks. Medically it was the darkest time of my life and that part of my life was like a black hole, sucking everything that was good in my life in after it.

Around that time too I felt that every time I had to see a doctor I would get bad news. I always had a stone in my kidney, my neuropathy kept getting worse, and my tremor seemed to jump around like a hyperactive goblin with a single purpose to make my life hell.

However, that was the low point. Luckily I managed to find the strength to wrestle back control of my medical conditions. DBS was a godsend, my neuropathy seems to have stableised and I have only had one bout of kidney stones in the last five years. Yes, in recent times, my doctors appointments have been relatively painless, with good news mostly, until now.

Last week I saw my urologist armed with an xray that had been taken that morning and it took about five seconds for him to deduce that I needed surgery. However, where as in the past I would have looked upon this with doom and gloom, my outlook is now much more positive.

Don't get me wrong, I am not looking at this through rose coloured spectacles like it was a Hawaiian holiday, I am just much more realistic and rational about the whole process. Fact, the procedure is far more advanced than what it was five years ago. Fact, I know exactly what is going on.

In years gone by I would be totally absorbed in what could and would go wrong. This time, I still know all this, but I am much more concerned with living my life. When surgery day comes I will be ready, but not at the expense of today. I will be sure to keep you all posted.

My other bit of news is you can now follow me on twitter @shakesandstones, so you can keep right up to date with all my medical adventures as they happen. Until next time, stay well:)