Thursday sucked.

Serious lower back pain. Swollen, tender gut. Nausea. You know you’ve hit rock bottom when you feel like puking all day long and you grab a porous wooden wastebasket as a puke bucket because you know you won’t actually be able to accomplish anything that might make you feel better. So I dry heaved at my wooden bucket multiple times, all for naught.

Here’s the sum total of what I managed to eat yesterday: two organic smoothies (fresh strawberries, bananas, and apple juice); one raw carrot; and half a white chocolate bar. The only thing that brought any relief was Cecily’s healing hands on my lower back and abdomen. That launched me toward two naps and a final slumber that put an end to the miserable day.

Last night it wasn't looking like I’d be able to get to the appointment with the urologist today. But I slept through the night and felt like a million bucks most of today. The urologist said that even though my kidneys (yes, both of them) are being stressed by tumors that block their outflow through the ureters, my blood tests continue to indicate normal kidney function. So the urologist did not recommend inserting a stent until there is a measurable decline in kidney function below normal levels (something about the benefits not outweighing the risks). This is a scenario that has been replaying itself from coast-to-coast. Doctors review my imaging studies and then walk into the examining room expecting to have to step over me. I love watching the expression on their faces as they try to locate the patient.

Anyway, I learned today that the kidneys are much higher in the back than I had thought they were. So the diffuse pain that I've been experiencing in my lower back is NOT my kidneys. Who knows if that’s good news or not. But I want to be prepared when and if the pain returns.

When we visited the Santa Barbara oncologist on Tuesday I inquired about pain killers. He recommended against the ibuprofen I’ve been taking (stresses the kidneys) and in favor of acetaminophen (although it taxes the liver). I took lots yesterday and it accomplished nothing. So it was back to ibuprofen late last night.

I asked about muscle relaxants but he did not want to prescribe any because of their addictive properties. I then inquired about medical cannabis (the state of California allows its use under the Compassionate Use Act in situations like mine). He stated that there was no harm if it worked. But it was clear that the establishment that he works for only advocates synthetic medicines produced in factories by big pharmaceutical companies, not natural products produced by God. (I'm guessing that the former offers more opportunities for involvement by middle-men.) So I had to go to another physician after my urology appointment this morning to get the “cannabis referral”. And then to a "dispensary" to get the prescription filled. We’ll see if it’s more or less effective than ibuprofen during my next encounter with unbearable back pain. I’ll let you know . . .