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Don't Ignore Those Symptoms!

TomVal

Well Known Member
I hope sharing this with all of you may prevent what almost happened to me.

I have been ignoring my difficulties in passing urine for about a year. My annual blood test revealed a highly elevated creatinine level.

I was immediately sent to a hospital for a urinary tract ultrasound. I received a call by a urologist the following day (April 24) to report immediately to his office. I was asked during the call if I was in pain…I said no…I happen to be working on my airplane.

Now at the office, the doctor said, “Do you realize how sick you are?” I said, “No”. He replied, “If you wouldn’t have come in today to begin treatment, you would have been DEAD by May 7th. I said, “Oh my…that doesn’t sound good!.”

So, I am sitting here with a catheter installed and on meds. I see the doc on follow-up next Tuesday to see what menu item he will select.

At age 70+, I have been blessed with good health but I guess my stubbornness to acknowledge those symptoms almost done me in…I must now recognize my ironman days are over.

Please don’t ignore those symptoms.

Now…back to working on the airplane…need to finish by May 7th (just in case)!

Regards,
 
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Tom, I'm glad you and the doc caught it in time to prevent something more serious. I won't bore you all with my story, but yeah... don't shrug off unusual things happening, they may be symptoms of something more serious than you think (says the guy with two stents).
 
Nice catch! It always surprises me when a date of peril is given. My wife asked me recently if I'd like to know the date of my death and I replied with a no, and why? She said "never mind.":eek:
 
No diagnosis?

Most likely BPH (enlarged prostate). But there could be other reasons for the blockage. If I react positively to the meds, then I will just stay on the meds. If not, or if my creatinine levels are still high, then other treatment options would be considered. I will know more on Tuesday.

I can tell you, within the first 18 hours of having the catheter installed, I lost 6.5 pounds!

Regards,
 
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Similar situation 2 years ago. Observed a slight discoloration in my urine and figured I had an infection. Went to my PCP and had an ultrasound just in case. Turned out I had a malignant golf ball sized tumor in my bladder. I was lucky that I went to the doctor for a look see. Caught it early and am cancer free as of last follow up exam. I've learned a lot over the past couple of years and the fact of the matter is the machine gets older and breaks down no matter how well it has performed in the past. Life and time passes like a roll of toilet paper: turns slowly in the beginning but really speeds up as we near the end. Enjoy every day.
 
And do your PSAs!

Many people still say "Can't trust them; you can have false positives!"

That's true, but look at your PSA test in the same light as your oil pressure warning light: it could be a faulty light or the sender. In any event, you check it out.

My prostate cancer was picked up via PSA test.

Five weeks of radiation followed and after 13 years, PSA readings still below "1".

Do your **** PSAs! We don't need RV estate sales due to prostate cancer... (;>0)
 
And do your PSAs!

Many people still say "Can't trust them; you can have false positives!"

That's true, but look at your PSA test in the same light as your oil pressure warning light: it could be a faulty light or the sender. In any event, you check it out.

My prostate cancer was picked up via PSA test.

Five weeks of radiation followed and after 13 years, PSA readings still below "1".

Do your **** PSAs! We don't need RV estate sales due to prostate cancer... (;>0)

I totally agree, but I will also share that having a urinary catheter in place for an extended time (several days) CAN cause (not in all cases) high PSA readings several months later. It happened to me in 2009 after TWO heart surgeries in three weeks.

Just ask a lot of questions about the PSA. There are lots of answers.

Also, before making a decision based on high PSA indicators, request the 4Kscore Test for prostate cancer. It's another tool that can give you more information to make your decision.
 
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Embarrassing Update

Here is the result of my stubbornness for not addressing my BPH systems sooner.

On 8 May, I was suddenly unable to pass urine...off to the ER. Hospitalized for five days with a 103.4 temperature, partial kidney failure, and sepsis! Corrective surgery scheduled for 8 June.

I dodged a bullet with sepsis...the outcome is often not good for those over age 65. Right now, I have a very low energy level. I was told it may take weeks to regain my strength.

I was in the process of completing SB's on the -12 plus installing a new generation 4 Jabiru 2200 engine. All of that has been put on hold.

So, if dealing with BPH, please address those symptoms early!

Regards,
 
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Here is the result of my stubbornness of not addressing my BPH systems sooner.

On 8 May, I was suddenly unable to pass urine...off to the ER. Hospitalized for five days with a 103.4 temperature, partial kidney failure, and sepsis! Corrective surgery scheduled for 8 June.

I dodged a bullet with sepsis...the outcome is often not good for those over age 65. Right now, I have a very low energy level. I was told it may take weeks to regain my strength.

I was in the process of completing SB's on the -12 plus installing a new generation 4 Jabiru 2200 engine. All of that has been put on hold.

So, if dealing with BPH, please address those symptoms early!

Regards,

Has your kidney function rebounded? Many times it does when the obstruction is resolved.
 
Has your kidney function rebounded? Many times it does when the obstruction is resolved.

Hopefully, after the surgery the kidneys will do better. I have a catheter installed which should be the same as having the obstruction removed, however, my latest blood test shows the kidney's as mild to moderately dysfunctional. Don't know what residual affect the sepsis has on all this.
 
Hopefully, after the surgery the kidneys will do better. I have a catheter installed which should be the same as having the obstruction removed, however, my latest blood test shows the kidney's as mild to moderately dysfunctional. Don't know what residual affect the sepsis has on all this.

To my (doctor) ears this sounds very promising: "mild to moderate" is much better than what you described in the original post. Your post and willingness to share your experience is a true public service.
 
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