So, What Did You Used to Do? (edited)

OK, it's later in the day and I'm adding this picture. You can see Rick is feeling better, as usual not taking the life-threatening illness that seriously. I think just being admitted into the hospital was admitting enough.
Rick says that the docs took a battery of tests and it'll be 72 hours before those results come back. Which puts him here for the rest of the week, at least. The bed rest will do him good -- he has come down with a cold, also. There is some talk of sending him home for a couple of days, if he's well enough, while waiting for test results.
I'm kinda hoping they keep him here and keep an eye on him. I suspect he'll go to work if he is turned loose and feels better.
So that's the news from here. Stay tuned.
***

I wish the news was better. Rick is in Swedish hospital in Seattle, because he went into renal failure. This happened to him in 1997, also, so his kidneys are a weak point. The docs have not figured out what caused it this time. They were looking for a blockage, but have not found one. They are treating him for high potassium levels, which is good, because high potassium levels cause heart attacks, but so far no course of treatment for the kidney problem.
Just spoke with him on the phone; he says, “The gloves are off,” and they're going to start treatment today, probably dialysis. They haven't found a specific cause but are not going to wait any longer to treat the kidney failure. This is good news.
They may do a kidney biopsy today, as well. We don't know what that will involve, but sharp instruments come to mind.
Rick got some sleep last night and is feeling better. Said he had breakfast this morning and kept it down. They have put him on the renal diet, so he got to have french toast and apple juice. He is sounding downright perky compared to the last few days.
When we brought him in to the ER the other night, he had high blood pressure and was given a drug to bring that down. Unfortunately, Rick's blood pressure then did some nosedives, and the room filled with medical people trying to get his blood pressure and heart rate back up to normal. I report that it isn't like the medical shows on TV. Nobody got emotional. They just got very intense and serious and moved quickly to do what was needed to stabilize him. Personally, I liked that much better than TV emotionalism.
At one point, an EMT was babysitting Rick, watching the monitors to see how Rick's blood pressure was stabilizing, and I guess the guy decided to make small talk, so he asked Rick, “So, what did you used to do?”
We both laughed, at the assumption that Rick was retired, and the hard truth of how un-retired he is.
We told the nice well-intentioned young man that Rick was a water worker, and not retired.
“Although this might do it,” I said.
I know that many of you are praying, meditating, and otherwise holding Rick & the family up. Thank you, and bless you. It does make a difference. We feel your support, and we do feel confident that Rick will recover from this. Then he can get back to getting over bladder cancer. One life-threatening illness at a time, right?