Fun-a-day 20: Urine Casts

I have been thinking a bit about kidneys lately.  I'm a big fan of "professional quilter", Mark Lipinski, and have been following his Facebook updates, blog, and Internet radio show, "Creative Mojo".  If you haven't listed to it, you really should (Wed. from 12-2 EST on Toginet radio)!  Lately, he has shared his struggles with a genetic kidney disorder.  It seems that I also have some "kidney issues" on one side of my family, and I also have been trying to make some sense of it.  So, I decided to "draw" urine casts on my block today.  These are generally seen in the urine when a person has kidney problems.  The problems can be many things, including kidney infection, and kidney failure.

On my block, I also put an epithelial cell (skin cells) all the way to the left, which is normal in a urine sample.  Next to it is a "cellular cast".  At the top right is a hyaline cast, which can be seen sometimes in healthy patients.  Below it is a "granular cast", and a "broad waxy cast" is on the bottom.  These are usually only seen in cases of severe kidney disease.  There are other casts as well.  They're formed when an excess of protein is present in the tiny tubes that collect urine.  The protein (which is not normally present in urine) make things "sticky", catching cells and such.  They eventually break free, which is just what a cast is.

On another note, I sold my first ebook case!!!  Whew hew!!!

Just got to add, that I started this post in the afternoon, right before I had to make a fast dinner  for the family (elk steak chunks wrapped in bacon, broccoli and couscous), then take the boys to karate lessons.  I didn't quite finish.  Karate lessons are not just karate lessons!  They are also our "date nights" (DH and I).  We drop them off, then have a blissful kid-free hour at the local coffee house, The Great Pacific (that also sells beer, wine and food)!!  Sometimes we go to a new brew-pub, The Prodigal Son.  It is so totally worth the money we pay for the lessons!  No doubt that my kids will someday become black belts, because we just don't want to give up our date nights!!!  Tonight when I we were driving home from karate lessons, I was talking to the kids about my blog, but I also had to go to the bathroom, so "Becky's bladder" was what the kids heard!!  OMG!  LOL!  Just thought that it was so fitting for today's post!  And it's funny how one thing leads to another!  By the time we got home (only a 4-5 minute drive), I was telling them stories about how my mom spent part of her childhood in a house that had "no indoor plumbing"!  LOL!!  True story!  It's amazing how fast things change!  I love telling my kids family stories like these.  They're so important!