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 January 4, 2007 09:14 AM

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