The stent is out! Yay!

(Really, there is no adequate way to express my relief here.)

Surgery has been scheduled: February 28. Probably very early in the morning, although it's unclear when "very" is.

Recovery time averages a day or two in the hospital, followed by a few weeks of "taking it easy," however that looks. (Thankful to not have toddlers!)

Since we're not doing the biopsy till after the surgery, I won't have pathology to report until a few days after removal. That will give a better picture of what follow-up will look like, but at minimum it will include regular monitoring of the Well-Behaved Kidney and His Surrounding Cohorts.

Adding new medical terms to my vocabulary by the day: nephrology. It's fun to say.

Oh, and here's a selfie of the bastard:

Thank you so much for your support through this. As always, my main concern is for the kiddos. So far, so good on that front; they know what's up - this will mark the end of a chapter, but the book is still open. Nothing's guaranteed in this life, and that uncertainty is difficult for anyone to accept, let alone a young person. Please keep them in your prayers.