My challenges this week

As I mentioned before, my implementation of the MIND diet may have contributed to the formation of a good-sized kidney stone in my right kidney.  It's apparently too big to pass on its own, so they want to break it up with shock waves.  That's supposed to happen on Wednesday.  I'm told the process is unpleasant and protracted.

Also, I have a new (additional) neurologist who wants to further explore the possibility that my balance problems are actually caused by hydrocephalus rather than (or in addition to) Alzheimer's disease.  About a year ago I saw a neurologist in Seattle known for his work on hydrocephalus, and he concluded hydrocephalus was not my problem.  But he didn't do the standard test for this, which is to drain about 30ml of spinal fluid and see if that improves balance and gait.  Draining spinal fluid drains fluid from the brain, which may relieve excess pressure on the part of the brain that controls balance.  Tomorrow, the new neurologist will drain that 30ml of fluid, and we'll see what happens.

So this looks to be an exciting week.  Monday (today) for the spinal tap (more properly called a lumbar puncture), and Wednesday for the kidney stone procedure.

As we discussed in Beating the Dementia Monster, I had a spinal tap for the SNIFF study.  I didn't find it terribly onerous, despite its reputation.  The kidney stone procedure is another matter.  My urologist tells me that no one likes him very much after it's all done. 

I have one reservation.  The kidney stone procedure requires general anesthesia, and this is known to aggravate Alzheimer's disease.  What will this mean for my memory and cognition?  And then, the doctor tells me that some fragments of the stone may still be too large to pass, and I may need to return in a couple of weeks to try again with another course of general anesthesia.  This will put more stress on my brain.  On the other hand, the stone could kill my kidney if it's not removed.