Yet another Bump in the Road to Recovery

I would like to report that I’m well on my way to a full recovery. But it is not the case. The cystectomy was a very complex surgery. An aftermath I did not expect arose in my left kidney. On February 9, hospital day 65, I got an ultrasound scan before getting discharged. The scan found a large hematoma on my left kidney. A hematoma is a collection (pool) of blood that has leaked out of a damaged blood vessel and collected in the surrounding tissue.

The scan report revealed the left kidney is compressed by the hematoma, but vascular flow is maintained to the kidney. I got a chuckle when the radiology report on the scan added, “The bladder is surgically absent”.

My left kidney is 4.25 inches in size. The hematoma is 5.24 inches by 3.19 inches by 2.8 inches. Needless to say, it engulfs the entire kidney. This was judged to be not too significant to prevent me from my discharge. My hematoma and I are home and the hematoma is being monitored.

The ultrasound scan was not the normal one, but included a Doppler version of the scan. A Doppler ultrasound is a type of ultrasound scan which doesn’t show structures; it shows blood flow, how fast it is moving and in what direction in arteries and veins. It is widely used to look for things like narrowed or blocked arteries, blood clots, problems with veins in the legs, and blood flow issues. Doppler ultrasound uses high‑frequency sound waves bounced off moving red blood cells to measure the speed and direction of blood flow. The good news was the mega-hematoma was not impeding the blood flow through my kidney. I hope another scan next week will show the hematoma is dissipating.

This picture shows Joanne, my nurse, two weeks ago and in 1967. Her visit to the neurologist is to continue evaluations for a neurological issue she is having. She is much stronger than I am, continuing to take care of the house, run errands, pursue hobbies and look after her 80-year-old husband as he rebuilds his stamina.

Prior stories about my recovery