I am either being courageous and informative or merely grotesque.

In two weeks, a surgery will carve out a little hole near/using my navel to pull out my horribly deformed left kidney that, along with its twin, has wrecked havoc with my life for two decades. In a June medical report, they were described as such:

Redemonstration of markedly enlarged kidneys bilaterally with innumerable
cysts, compatible with clinical history of adult polycystic kidney
disease. Many of these demonstrate increased intrinsic attenuation,
compatible with intracystic hemorrhage. Scattered regions of residual
parenchyma are seen. A large cyst in the inferior pole of the left kidney
(image 56) measuring 6.4 x 6.2 cm demonstrates increased density compared to prior (HU 39), previously measuring 8.0 x 7.4 cm with HU 19.

Additional cysts also demonstrate increased hyperattenuation, compatible
with interval intracystic hemorrhage. Overall, however, the cystic
lesions are not significantly changed in appearance compared to the prior
study. Redemonstration of multiple scattered calcifications involving the
bilateral renal cysts, also not significantly changed compared to prior.
A left renal stone measuring up to 1 cm within the left interpolar region
is not significantly changed. The urinary bladder is decompressed, but
otherwise normal in appearance.

Now, I have officially blogged about the appearance of my bladder.

This report did not mention the full dimensions of the kidney. I know it roughly extends from my lung to my pelvic. That would be about 25-30 cm in length. It’s probably 12-15 cm wide. And then probably another 10-12 cm from its origins near by spine jutting out into my abdomen. Those measurements translate into a mass of somewhere between 3.0 and 5.4 kgs (6.6 and 11.9 lbs.)

So I am hoping to drop roughly 10 pounds with the removal of this kidney.

As for that protruding gut, I have no idea what becomes of it. Will loose skin sag? Will I be lumpy and assymetric, since the almost-as-large right kidney will remain?

I’m sure you’re all looking forward to the AFTER photo…