A Sunday Diversion

The body is a wondrous thing. If you assault it in one place, other forces amass to ward off destruction. If you poison it or try to fry it, the poor body tries to fend off such assaults by improvising protection. For instance, Jim's throat has been irradiated for almost seven weeks. The protective instincts think he is being sunburned from the inside so they try to coat his throat with thick mucus to keep the flesh soft and moist. This, of course, means he can't swallow and makes him gag. And since he can't, or shouldn't swallow in order to protect the damaged throat, and since, too, the taste buds get fried, nothing tastes good so he is not even tempted to eat. But perhaps some protections are overwhelmed by the treatment.

When Jim has chemo he is thoroughly hydrated with saline solution along with the poison. Typically the water goes right through him and he traipses back and forth to the loo many times. As fast as it drips in it drips out. But this time it appears to be different. Both during treatment and since, the plumbing has not been working properly. Yesterday he noticed that his feet and ankles had gotten a bit swollen. This morning, after being outside puttering in the garden, sweeping up leaves (see yesterday's post!), and fussing with the pool, he came in and said that the swelling was much worse. I took a good look and decided not to fool around with this. If his kidneys are compromised we need to know this ASAP. I called the emergency advice nurse at the hospital. She got him an appointment for 2:30 this afternoon. I was insistent; Jim was compliant. So we bid Alex good-bye, got in the car and tore off to Sacramento.

The doc read through all of Jim's file, noting the drugs, injections, etc., then ordered lab work. He ticked off the symptoms of kidney failure, most of which Jim has. But these symptoms are also the side-effects of both radiation and chemo. So how can we tell? He also noted that Jim is a bit on the jaundiced side. However, he felt that, overall, Jim was doing OK and these symptoms are probably the accumulation of all the treatment and drugs. We went down to the lab for tests for kidney and thyroid function -- after all, they are frying everything in his neck -- and a urinalysis for albumin. We will get the results tomorrow when we go to radiation.

When we got back home Alex was just about to leave for the airport, ferried there by the father of the bride (see previous posts about the wedding). Jim went to bed shortly after our arrival home. Even though we did not get any definitive answer as to why he is swelling up, I am glad that we got it on the record. Perhaps it is just a conjunction of time and treatment, as the doctor suggested. Perhaps it is "normal" under the circumstances. Tomorrow we will talk to Jim's regular doctor to see what the tests might show him.

Jane Tennison returns tonight on Prime Suspect. Yet another diversion on this wet, cold Sunday.