January 27, 2007

My Birthday and my Kidney Stone

For the first time in a long time, I've actually had a good birthday. Even though it was cold and rainy all day (par for the course in late January), I got to sleep late, play with the baby, eat some Mexican food and got some nice gifts from Archi-Sapper. He gave me some books I've been wanting as well as a set of professional kitchen knives, which will make cooking a lot easier.

In other news, I'm STILL not done with my kidney stone. I had yet another CT scan Friday morning before work and it showed that the stone hasn't budged. This, despite the fact that I've been guzzling water all week. So I'm going to keep guzzling water for two weeks (oh, and taking my prostate medication) and see if it'll pass on its own. If not, I'm going to have to have surgery. Although it is outpatient surgery, it feels like major surgery since it requires general anesthesia. So for the next two weeks, I'll be guzzling water and praying for safe stone passage.

Posted by Kitty at 04:59 PM | Comments (84)

January 19, 2007

The Stones, Part 2

Just in case you're sitting around thinking, "I wonder if Kitty passed her kidney stone", the answer is: NO. I went back to the doctor's office this afternoon and had a CT scan. Much to my surprise, the scan shows it is still hanging out. The doctor showed me the video of the scan and said helpfully, "It's almost to your bladder!", to which I replied, "It was almost to my bladder on January 2, when I went to the emergency room." He said, "Well, it doesn't appear to be in any hurry." Apparently not.

So, it seems that my options are to either drink lots of water and try to pass it on my own (although my track record at that isn't great), or they can put a "basket" around it and try to get it out. I opted for the former option, mostly because it sounds easier and less invasive. The doctor gave me some free samples of Flomax, a drug he said they give to men "to help them pee better." The Flomax website says it can treat my enlarged prostate, and you know, that's good news. I've really been losing sleep over the condition of my prostate. I'm supposed to take those every day until next Friday, when I return to see if the stone has made any progress.

So I'm thinking that if I'm going to hang onto this stone for this long, I really ought to name it. Any suggestions?

Posted by Kitty at 03:24 PM | Comments (5)

January 18, 2007

Neighbors

I mentioned to a friend of mine that if I see Angelina Jolie at my day care, I'm going to freak out. He replied, "Be careful. She might try to adopt your baby or something." Good point.

Posted by Kitty at 08:52 PM | Comments (5)

January 12, 2007

The Waiting Game

Apparently this week is de-lurking week, so if you've been lurking on this blog, feel free to unburden yourself.

Today I had my follow-up appointment for my kidney stone. People keep asking me if I passed it, and the honest answer is that I don't know. I know I'm not in pain any more, so I'm quite happy about that, but since I don't have any.....um.....evidence that I passed it, I can't be sure that I did. The very pleasant physician's assistant confirmed that today and scheduled me for a follow-up CT scan on Friday, so I guess I'll know more then.

The funniest thing about my appointment today was the waiting room. While I was sitting there, I looked around at the clientele. Every filled seat held a man who was over the age of 50, wearing loose fitting pants and was hunched over the armrest, telling his seat mate some war story. And then there was me, my book and my Treo. I can usually blend in in most places but this wasn't my usual crowd. Just when I was wondering if I could pass muster with the Urology crowd, I looked up and saw none other than Sheriff Harry Lee. Every time he comes on t.v., Archi-Sapper cracks me up by imitating this incredibly cheesy commercial that the local movie theater used to play that starred Harry. So when Harry walked in and looked straight at me, it was all I could do not to start cracking up. I felt like a kid in church who can't stop laughing.

I think it's official. I know I've become a boring parent when the funniest part of my week is in the waiting room of the local Urology department.

Posted by Kitty at 10:07 PM | Comments (0)

January 04, 2007

The Stones

I can't believe I tried to go back to work on Tuesday and it didn't take. I got there around 8:30 (which impressed me, since I even got the baby up, fed, dressed and to day care before then) and was getting settled. I had talked to a few people and was clearing off my desk when I found myself in unbearable pain. I started having excruciating pain in my right lower back and started to feel nauseous, as well. I really didn't want to cut out of work early on my first day back, but there was no way I could continue to sit there.

I left at 11:30 and went home, hoping that if I got in bed I'd feel better. Ha! I just continued to feel worse. So, I called Archi-Sapper and told him I was going to check myself into the ER, which I promptly did. I'm happy to report that, unlike all of the other post-K reports I'd heard about the long waits in New Orleans area ER's (4-5 hours is what I'd usually heard), I waited no more than 10 minutes to get into Triage. I spoke to the nurse who took my symptoms and my blood pressure and said, "It sounds like you have a kidney stone. If so, your pain should leave you as quickly as it showed up." She got a wheelchair for me and they wheeled me into the "Fast Track" rooms. A couple of hours later, I had gotten an IV, some Delauded (man, that's good stuff!), a CAT scan, a prescription for Delauded and instructions to drink lots of water and not go to work for four days, or until I passed the stone. The doctor said I have a medium sized stone (6 mm), and it wasn't seriously blocking anything, so they saw no reason to remove it surgically, which was fine with me. Having recently had major abdominal surgery, I saw no need for any additional surgeries. If they keep cutting me open my body will look like the boad game Operation. He said my body will most likely pass the stone on its own (which is apparently the safest way to get rid of these pesky things) and I should follow up with a urologist within two weeks. He also said the stone had progressed about 90% of the way through my system and was almost in my bladder, which was good news.

What a way to start 2007! All I can say is, if someone offers to give you a kidney stone for your birthday, the correct response is, "No thank you." Although I'm thrilled to be out of the woods (so to speak) stone-wise and now pain-free, the pain that led me to the hospital was the worst I've ever experienced and is something I wouldn't wish on anyone. Ugh.

Posted by Kitty at 09:14 AM | Comments (4)

January 01, 2007

Back to Normal

And we're back. The second half of Christmas break was great, the only exception being all of the driving. Central Texas was lots of fun and while there we did some serious shopping at the new Ikea in Round Rock and the outlet mall next door (and we got there by driving past a town called Rattlesnake Junction, so we knew we were in Texas). We headed home yesterday and ended up stopping in lovely Beaumont, Texas to spend the night. The baby did well on the trip, but he's got a definite limit on how much car time he can tolerate. Our trip tested those limits. Although Archi-Sapper and I both enjoyed the trip overall, we agree that if we do this trip again we need to do it in a larger vehicle. A Honda Accord isn't enough room for mom, dad, baby in car seat, dog, stroller, luggage and presents.

So far, my New Year has been productive. We got home around 3:30 and after Archi-Sapper unpacked the car, I went grocery shopping. I plan to make some chili this week from the new Rachael Ray cookbook my sister-in-law gave me for Christmas, so I needed a few ingredients for that. I cleaned the kitchen, packed the baby's daycare bag, paid a few bills and have even read some blogs. I can't believe I go back to work tomorrow.

Posted by Kitty at 09:09 PM | Comments (0)