We were on vacation in Yellowstone National Park in mid August last year (2013). Towards the end of the second day of hiking to the many amazing waterfalls in the park, we took a break at a rest area. When I urinated in the restroom, my stream was a dark brown color with gobs of what looked like flakes of brown paper about the size of my small fingernail. It was quite alarming, but I rationalized it as bleeding due to an excessive use of 800mg Ibuprofen on our trip. You see, I have been disabled since 1992 from an underground mining accident that buried me under a ton of rock. My back has 4 compression fractures and a disc removed at L5S1 with a spinal fusion to my hip. I take pain medication on a daily basis that is time released (Tramadol 300mg) and I figured that this along with the Ibuprofen, which I was taking for break-through pain, was enough to cause the bleeding. At least that's what I wanted to believe.
For the next three months, I didn't really experience any serious bleeding. Just some minor spotting towards the end of my urine stream on rare occasions that seemed to coincide with my use of 800mg Ibuprofen. Nothing to really alarm a person. In December, I scheduled an appointment with my regular physician because my free health benefits were scheduled to expire December 31st as I had turned 65 that year. He wanted lab work done (urine and blood samples) so I did that about ten days early...around the 21st.
On the 27th of December, I awoke in the middle of the night to urinate and my stream was very bloody. Towards the end of the stream, it was pure blood like coming out of an artery. The bleeding continued every time I went to the bathroom all the next day and night. The second day, I called up to the clinic and got an appointment to see a doctor on call. She had me do a urine test, which was full of blood and flakes, and a blood test. The blood test showed I had a great blood count of both red and white cells and no infection....but I knew that as I had no pain anywhere. Of course, the urine test showed tons of blood in my urine and she said she wanted to do some microscopic tests that would take some time so she sent me home. By now, it was only two days before my appointment with Dr. Holloway. The next day, I peed blood most of the day but towards evening it began to clear up. By the time I saw my doctor, my urine was normal once again.
Dr. Holloway did a thorough exam and physical including a prostrate exam, all of which were normal. However, as the lab work from both lab tests showed blood in my urine, he suggested that I have a CT Scan done of my kidneys. When they do this exam, they inject a die into your bloodstream and take pictures as it moves through your kidneys. What they saw in the pictures was something totally unexpected...a tumor in my bladder that measured 3 centimeters. I got the call the next night from Dr. Holloway personally. He suggested that I see a urologist in Rapid City so I began researching the available doctors in my wife's insurance network. There were four to choose from so I left it up to the Lord to pick the best...He chose Dr. Christiansen.
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