Figure out this medical condition
 

The condition is: Focal Segmental Glomenlosclerosis Reflux Nephropathy.

Discuss...I'll explain it later.

Demonstrating that yes, in fact, I do know how to use Google.
 

from here:

"Glomeruli" are structures in the kidney that filter harmful or unnecessary substances out of the body. Each kidney has thousand of glomeruli. "Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis" is an illness where scar tissue forms in some of the glomeruli of the kidney.

The term "focal" means that some of the glomeruli become scarred, while others remain normal. The term "segmental" means that only part of an individual glomerulus is damaged.

Symptoms:<ul><li>Foamy urine
<li>Swelling of the body, called generalized edema, from retained fluids
<li>Weight gain
<li>Poor appetite
</ul>

I've found the section on Focal Glomerulsclerosis in my Merck Manual under "nephrotic syndrome". There are a wide variety of possible causes, from toxins to infections to heredetary factors.

This is information from 1992, so it's not the most current, but it sounds like a very, very nasty business. I hope you haven't brought it up here for the most obvious possible reason.

I think this describes two related aspects:

Reflux Nephropathy

Reflux nephropathy is based on persistent reflux of sterile or infected urine from the bladder to one or both kidneys via the ureters.

The infection resulting from this ailment causes scaring, which is the nature of the following pathology:

FOCAL SEGMENTAL GLOMERULOSCLEROSIS

The term was not spelled correctly in the first post.

Geez. I was just gonna guess you had blinky eye spasms. It sounds a tad more menacing.

No, no... that's a symptom of Recto-Cranial Inversion Syndrome. More than a few Dwellars suffer from this malady, but I don't think that's what Syc was talking about here.

Recto-Cranial Inversion Syndrome
 

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And now, explanation.

Rho usually goes to the dialysis clinic once a month for blood tests and a general checkup. Yesterday, she went for her results (everything's looking good, except her phosphorus levels are a bit high), and she happened to ask her doctor just what exactly her condition is.

Yes, Nic, they are two conditions: Rho has Reflux nephropathy which has caused Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis in both her kidneys (Rho's doc has crappy handwriting...big surprise, eh? ;) ). The first part is a condition she has apparently had since birth, which led to a manifestation of the latter around last March or so (and was diagnosed last June).

We both had heard the terms before, but didn't give them a whole lot of thought. The main train of thought that ran through our minds was "kidney failure...dialysis...will need new kidney one of these days...fuck..."

So, when we actually saw the conditions written out, we both got a laugh out of them. Yes, they are incredibly serious conditions...but we try to lighten things up whenever possible.