Bad News, Good News

A man went to see the doctor.

“What is ailing you?” the doctor asked.

“Doctor, I am not feeling too good.”

After a thorough examination, the doctor said, “I have bad news and I have good news. Which do you want to hear first?”

“Give me the bad news first,” said the man.

“One of your kidneys is atrophied and probably not functioning.”

“What is the good news then?”

“Well, you can still live with one kidney.”

That pretty well sums up the situation after the ultrasound of my abdomen. My right kidney is 10cm, which is a normal size, while the left is 7cm. The atrophy could be due to the reflux of the urine from my bladder back into the kidneys. This is a preliminary diagnosis by the radiologist. I still need to go back to see the urologist for further assessment and treatment. This checkup is pursuant to the blood test which showed an abnormally high serum creatinine and uric acid levels.

Author: Peter Tan

Peter Gabriel Tan. Penangite residing in the Klang Valley. Blissfully married to Wuan. A LaSallian through and through. Slave to three cats. Wheelchair user since 1984. End-stage renal disease since 2017. Principal Facilitator at Peter Tan Training specialising in Disability Equality Training. Former columnist of Breaking Barriers with The Borneo Post. This blog chronicles my life, thoughts and opinions. Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook.

6 thoughts on “Bad News, Good News”

  1. Sorry to hear that, Peter. Praying for ya that the situation will not be aggravated.

    Still, I must say that it’s a cool way to blog your visit to the doc’s. At first glance, I thought you wanted to share a typical ‘Bad News, Good News’ joke…

  2. Hi Pete,
    Sorry to hear the news. Will be praying for you. Again, let me say, I greatly admire your courage and determination. Yours is one of the few websites I frequent, and I always enjoy reading your entries. You are candid and witty, and really share from your heart. God bless you.
    Carol

  3. i seem to have read the latest post first and then this one. hmm. Are they going to try and treat the atrophied kidney at all? Anything can be done?

  4. At the moment, the urologist is recommending very conservative treatment via medication and intermittent catheterisation. That is all until my next consultation in two months’ time.

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