Total pages in book: 49
Estimated words: 48187 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 241(@200wpm)___ 193(@250wpm)___ 161(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 48187 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 241(@200wpm)___ 193(@250wpm)___ 161(@300wpm)
I nod and swallow. “The ultrasound looked bad.”
So many dark masses I’d seen on the screen. So fucking many.
“The MRI will tell us the size and number of kidney cysts she has,” he tells me like I’m not a fucking doctor too. “Then, we can evaluate the amount of healthy kidney tissue she has.”
“She needs a specialist to be sure,” I state bitterly. I know I’m insulting my friend, but thankfully he softens, understanding I’m just stressed as hell.
“Of course,” he placates. “A specialist will confirm, but we both know what we’re looking at, Daniel.”
Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease.
“It usually doesn’t manifest until a person’s thirties or forties,” I argue.
“Usually,” he says. “Her mom had kidney disease too?”
“I don’t have her history, just what Lauren’s told me. Something similar if not the same thing.” I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose. “Her mom died.”
He grips my shoulder. “Listen, man. Whatever it is, she’ll get the best care. We’ll make sure of it.”
I lift my gaze to his, hating that emotion burns in my eyes. “I don’t want to lose her. I just fucking found her.”
He pulls me in for a hug. “Don’t go zero to a hundred. She’s going to hate it if you’re already planning her funeral. So drop that shit right here because she’s going to need your medical brain and strength. Together, you two can get through this.”
“When did you become so wise?” I grumble.
“I had a good role model.” He pats me on the back. “You can do this. So can she.”
I sure fucking hope so.
He runs off to deal with another patient. When the door clicks open, Lauren steps through it, looking as pale as the gown she’s wearing. I swoop in and wrap an arm around her waist.
“How did it go?”
“It was fine,” she says tightly.
“Let’s get you back to your room.”
Once she’s settled in her bed, I crawl into the bed beside her. She curls up against me. Her body feels cold and she shivers. I pull the covers over her, warming her up.
“I’m scared,” she murmurs. “I should call my brother or my dad, but I don’t want to yet. Not until I know what I’m dealing with.”
I stroke my fingers through her hair. “We won’t know until the radiologist offers his expert opinion, but I can offer what I saw and determined myself.”
“What do you think?”
“Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. Those dark masses on the ultrasound looked like that way at least. When there are twenty or more present—”
“Twenty or more?” she says, her tone shrill. “I don’t want them. How do we make them go away?”
My heart breaks for her. “Let’s wait until he comes in. He’ll explain it better.”
She grips my jaw, tugging my face to meet hers. “I don’t want his explanation. I want yours.”
“If any cysts are bleeding, ruptured, or infected, they’ll need to be treated accordingly. Depending on the severity of them, you may need further treatment.”
“I got this from my mom,” she says sadly. “Right? I could give this to my kids one day?”
I stroke her hair from her face and kiss her forehead. “ADPKD is either acquired or hereditary. Considering what happened with your mother, it’s probably safe to assume it’s hereditary.”
The door opens and Phil walks in. His brows are furled. When he sees me curled around Lauren, he gives me a sympathetic smile. He sits down and pulls the chair close.
“How are you doing?” he asks her.
She lets out a harsh sigh. “Dr. Dan here was just giving me a preview of what you’re going to tell me. Am I going to die like Mom?”
He flinches slightly at her blunt delivery. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves here, Lauren. I’ll be frank with you because you clearly need me to be. It doesn’t look good. I’m shocked at the quantity of cysts on your kidneys, especially your right one. I believe the ones on the left can be treated with diet regulation of salt and protein intake. With proper medications, we can control your hypertension and renal stones. If that right kidney starts giving us problems, then we may progress to dialysis and transplantation at a later stage.”
“So I’m not dying?”
“Your body is sick right now, but it’s still in a controllable state. If you stick to what your specialist requires, you’ll live a higher quality of life than if you let it slip. You cannot afford to let it slip.”
As he continues to discuss her options and treatment, I squeeze her hand and hope to hell I can help her through this.
I need her to be okay.
Lauren
One week later…
My phone buzzes, but I can’t look at it. I’m tired and I feel empty inside. It’s like this when Daniel goes to work. I have nothing or no one to occupy my time. My thoughts consume me.