kidney surgery

• kidney surgery - not sure if this is the right board...

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I’d like to go back to medical secretary work.  I’ve had cortisone shots in my ECU tendon 3 or 4 times and was warned not to have too many or my tendon could rupture.  It’s been very weak for a year or so and my left wrist is smaller than my right wrist.  I can’t type at all with my left pinky so I think it’s ruptured.  I have Word auto correct and Instant Text set up so I very seldom type As, Qs, or Zs.  I haven’t had surgery because I have my own account, no subs, a DD in college to support, and no disability insurance and didn’t want to take time off work for surgery.  I do have medical insurance though my DH. 

I’m debating whether to get a job, save up sick time, and have the surgery while getting sick time pay or have the surgery first without any sick time pay.

I’ve done medical secretary work before.  I figured if I use Word there I can save their Auto Correct and transfer mine.  If they use EMR, I can make my own shorts to stay away from Q, S and Z.  I could only accept a job where I don’t type for more than an hour straight, which is what I do now.  Then I started worrying about what if I have to use someone else’s computer?  What if I unexpectedly have to type more than an hour?

I think I have cold feet about getting a job outside the home after over 7 years at home AND I’ve had cold feet about having surgery!  Can someone help me think this through logically?  I can’t think straight when my feet are cold.

I have just recently learned I have polycystic kidney disease (my mother died of kidney failure) and the cysts are on my right kidney, adrenal gland and on recent CT, (only two months from my first one), I have now developed cysts on my liver too. The kidney cysts are bleeding. :( I have daily right-sided aching and back pain. My right kidney is deformed and I have reflux on the right as well as kidney damage from childhood.

My whole illness started out about eight months ago as benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and it was horrible with nausea, anorexia due to that, and significant weight loss. I had two Epley maneuvers that corrected the vertigo. A CT of the abdomen and pelvis was done and that is when the first cysts on the kidney were discovered which I was told were not concerning in someone in their 50s. In the meantime, I had started eliminating a couple of my Rx meds and the nausea stopped, and so I felt they were the cause of my nausea which in a sense I feel could still be true but perhaps more due to not metabolizing the meds appropriately due to kidney and/or liver problems but I do not know that yet. I do not see a urologist until 09/07 and will find out more then.

It is my understanding that this is a hereditary/genetic disorder and there is no cure and progression to kidney failure is quite high by the time you are 60 and I am 52.

I was just wondering if anyone else has this or knows someone who does and what info they may be willing to share. 

Thanks so very much. :)

     This is a personal question, not exactly related to work.  I am going in circles with at least 2 doctors now (and several unrelated specialists) who are not concerned about my lab values, but from what I have looked up, it seems they should be doing something, even if it is just explaining what is going on and why.

Since August last year, my GFR has been 55-59, and from what I've read, that means kidney damage.  I am still on indomethacin, which I believe can contribute to kidney damage.  I don't know what else could be contributing or what might make things better, or if like they say, it's "within normal limits" and "nothing to worry about".

Any input?

He was extremely happy to be off the dialysis and looked quite a bit healthier for a span of time (kidneys do things the plastic tubing just can't), but he only lived an extra 3 years and had to take lots of antirejection meds in the meantime, was in and out of the hospital a lot.

I agree with the person who posted below about talking to a physician about the downsides. Find out exactly what quality of life most transplant recipients have and how many extra years most of them receive. This is a big decision. It will change your life and probably in ways you can't fathom yet.

Wish I could give you better answers. It's so hard to watch people we love suffer.

Just to let you know the condition I am in, and I am not looking for sympathy here, but I had a major foot surgery.  I was born with clubfeet.  I had to undergo a calcaneal reconstruction due to bone damage, and I underwent an Achilles lengthening and reattachment.  I was totally non-weightbearing of the right foot for 8 weeks, and then another 8 weeks of rehab.  Again, my doctor did not want me to go back to work yet, but due to the insurance and FMLA situation at work, I had to go back. 

I am just belly aching I guess, but it just seems that this other FMLA person gets away with murder.  I am more than willing to work 4 to 6 hours a day, as my foot withstands it, but it would mess up my insurance coverage, which is the only reason I have stayed at this facility for as long as I have.  Such is life!

I waited way too long before taking steps to stop it.  Good for you for doing this now.  Make sure to get an ergonomic keyboard and mouse.  They have new ball mice (is that right for multiple mouses??) that is supposed to be really good at preventing cts.  Taking breaks and wearing the splints at night are the keys though I think.  Hoping that you can stop this in its tracks. 

when I thing of some of the doctors I've known over the years, we could probably learn brain surgery before they could learn transcription ! 

Has anyone ever had it?

all have had complications 3+ years after the surgery.  They were all done in different locations (states) and by different doctors.  All 3 were done open, not laparoscopic because if there were any complications it is easier to fix during surgery.  My niece, who is one of them is now bulemic.  My 2 girlfriends have had tummy trouble since that eventually require hospitalizations to drain hernias, abscess, etc. 

A friend passed along my name to a lady who does medical billing for a surgeons office, and they are looking for a Transcriptionist also.  This person asked me if I knew of the following:  Do you know of any good toll free services to use for dictation?  I'm not sure what she means?? Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Cheryl

was doing a lot of writing.  I was back to normal as soon as I had my stitches.  I missed 3 days of work and really could have gone back the next day, but was recently married and just took advantage of having a surgery to have some down time.  After a week the stitches were pulling and I had discomfort until they came out at 2 weeks and I was back to normal activity after that.  I found I did lose some strength in my operative hand.  I was the one that could open those stuck jars, can't do it anymore, but I had surgery 20 years ago this year and all is well.  I do get some discomfort if I work a lot of hours, like now when I have been working OT for months, but after some rest it is better. 

They have perfected techniques now and although the surgery wasn't a major surgery when I had it, recovery time is shorter these days. 

My employer is strongly considering outsourcing, so I'm looking for a national company with insurance that will help pay for laparoscopic surgery. 

15 years now.  Yes, it was painful, more painful than childbirth for me, but I had really easy labors and deliveries.  LOL  Probably the worst pain came from my toddler bouncing on me and bashing my wired shut jaw with his hard little head.  I darn near passed out one time.  I lost 30 pounds in six weeks thanks to the pureed diet.  I still hate soup, milkshakes and pureed foods to this day.  I had to carry wirecutters in my front pocket in case I aspirated.  On the positive side, my symptoms are gone.  The cosmetic results were great, too, because I don't have the overbite and receding jaw now.  It was worth it.

You better get to job hunting.  You just got fired over on the company board!