I'd Love to Share Our Good News With You!

Unfortunately, we don't have any.

Vern's surgery today was, yet again, unsuccessful.

The doctor and the radiologist worked for hours to gain access into the kidney but were simply unable to because of the size of the stone. The stone is impacted so tightly in his kidney that there is absolutely no room for the insertion of the necessary tubes and tools to remove it.

So he is home again and waiting for the next effort. The current plan is two-fold. Vern is going to return to the hospital over the next two weeks for insertion of a series of tubes, each one larger than the last, until the entry into his kidney is large enough for the doctor to reach in with his fist and haul out the stone (okay, not really quite that large, but you get the idea.)

The other step is that the doctor is going to consult with the various university hospitals in Chicago to see if they have input into the situation and it is possible that we may have to transfer his care to one of those facilities.

Meanwhile, he has returned home with a series of tubes, bags, and drugs.

This sucks rocks. Literally.

(We would like to thank our friends and Vern's coworkers who have called to check on him and offer help. Your calls and support have meant a lot.)