Gosh darn bladder!

News on the health front.

I had another appointment today. It ended up being an all day visit to the doctor's office.

The new theory, is I have a condition where the bladder doesn't build enough of a lining, and it causes intense pain in the abdomen. It is a chronic condition, but it is manageable with diet changes and medication.

So I'm going to try out a new medication and see how it goes. It's a little crazy because I take four pills a day. Also, I've got to severely change my diet. They gave me a list of things I can and cannot eat and it is ridiculous. I can barely eat anything. I can't drink alcohol, which will suck big time. I can't eat soy, which is something I eat a ton of everyday. I can eat three fruits. Blueberries, Pears, and Watermelon. No tomatoes. No eggs. No onions. No fake sugar. No coffee. No tea. No pop. No chocolate. No prepared meats (like deli meats.) No artificial ingredients or colors. No Preservatives! So I basically can't eat anything prepackaged. The list goes on an on. Basically, we are trying to cut Potassium out of my diet entirely because it exacerbates the situation.

It isn't a guarantee that this is what is wrong with me, but we are going to act like it is, and treat me for it, and hopefully that will be it. Because it is impossible to give a guaranteed diagnosis without expensive surgery. But he did give me a test this afternoon (which by the way was uber sucky and painful) which made him very confident this is my problem.

So... I say this is good news because it feels good to have SOME answers.

In other family health news, my dad is starting dialysis tomorrow. He'll be on it three days a week from now on. His kidneys are done. I saw him yesterday and was shocked by what I saw. He is extremely jaundiced. Much more so than when I saw him not two weeks ago. But I think this is sort of good news too. We knew this was coming. Now we don't have to keep worrying about when it is going to happen. It is happening. And it doesn't mean his life has to change that much. At least for now, he is still going to work.