Stone
I was planning to write my next installment of the Ragnar Report today, but one of those life experiences intervened.
It started Monday night with excruciating pain right in the middle of the evening rush of making dinner and washing dishes. I'd been feeling growing pressure in my back all day but dismissed it as residual soreness or issues from all the running mixed with sleeping on rock hard gymnasium floors. But it quickly became obvious that it was something more than that. It felt similar to being in labor. That's the best comparison I can make. Within a few minutes I was snapping at my husband in my extreme discomfort. A few minutes more and I was crying hysterically. Truly, I couldn't even breathe normal for the pain in my lower right back. Shortly after that I was vomiting-- like I needed anything else on top of the pain!
I thought I was going to die. At least with labor you know what's going on and why. The fear of what was causing this and if it ever was going to end was making things even worse.
I made a decision that a trip to the hospital was going to have to be made, despite the $150 co-pay. A few phone calls later and my mom was on her way to stay with the kids, Kristi had sent her son Nic over to help temporarily, and a friend from church was on his way over to help Terence give me a priesthood blessing. Thank goodness for all you guys! You were lifesavers!!!
After the blessing Terence drove me to the ER, where thankfully they did NOT tell me it was all in my head. (I'm always afraid of that. Probably stems from that doctor's visit I made in college after I got hit by a car while riding on a bicycle. He told me the pain was all in my head and prescribed a tranquilizer for my "hysteria.") The ER people got me in right away, where a doctor quickly saw me and decided it was most likely a kidney stone.
Some firsts for me though-- they gave me morphine and I got to have a CT scan. Morphine made me feel much calmer and sleepier, though I could still feel the back pain (and the annoying IV pain). Still, everything was bearable after that, thank goodness.
The CT scan showed that I had a kidney stone and gallstones. Luckily for me, the gallstones were probably not causing me any problems or, as the doctor explained, I would have been in even worse shape. Yikes! It was bad enough as it was.
Once they had confirmed the kidney stone, the doctor prescribed four different drugs with orders to hang out and wait for the stone to pass. So I am home waiting for the stone to pass, while feeling slightly stoned the whole time. (Painkillers definitely make me feel out of it.) Hopefully it will pass soon so I can go back to my non-medicated life!
I am so very, very grateful that this happened Monday night though. Can you imagine what it would have been like if I had gotten the kidney stone Friday night, right in the middle of the Ragnar?
Comments
My only advice is to drink water LIKE CRAZY. It kills because water makes the stone move and it hurts the worst when it moves (duh), but it'll get it out quicker. It took a week for me because I hardly drank any water (probably because I was so stoned and sleepy all the time). And don't just drink water frequently, but large amounts at one time. Like a 16 oz bottle at one sitting. It's gonna hurt like hell, but it'll be worth it once that egg of Satan is out of you. I pray they figure out what's causing them so they can prevent more. Good heavens. And keep taking your anti-depressants.
The doctor in college told you you were imagining the pain of being hit by a car?? What?!? I never knew that!
Am I going to be able to see this thing when it passes, Abby? (It's about a 3mm one.) Or will I just know it's over because I don't hurt anymore?
As for if you'll know, the pain eased tremendously after the stone finally made its way into my bladder. It's not blocking anything in there so it doesn't hurt anymore. Such a relief. It stayed in there until the next peeing session (for me anyway) and then I could feel it sorta shoot out into the hat. It was weird as get-out, but it didn't hurt coming out. You'll be so happy when you finally see it. You might have some residual pain along your urinary tract for a while because that dastardly little thing does some damage along the way and it'll still be swollen for a little while, but it won't hurt nearly as much as it does now. Good luck dear lady. Tell us when you get it!
How could a doctor look at the bruises on your legs and not think that hurt??
I am glad that it happened after your race.
don't gall stones have to be surgically removed? how in the world do you get kidney and gall stones anyway?
i'm so sorry you had to go through that, but like you said, thank goodness it wasn't during the ragnar. how awful.