Mosaics' Blog

OUCH!

Celiac.com Sponsor (A13):
 

I had a kidney stone attack on Monday. I don't think I've ever felt such pain...maybe childbirth, but this was different. It was a sick pain with no end in sight. At least when you birth a child you know it will end and something good will come of it.

The pain started at about 10:30 in the morning. It was a sharp pain like a muscle spasm from my bladder down my urethra. I thought it might be an extra bad bladder infection, so after a while I took some aspirin and an AZO. It lessened a bit, so I went on about my day. Then at about 3:00 I started getting a dull pain right above my hip in the back. I decided to call my sister because she has passed a kidney stone and I wanted to hear what her symptoms were. We were on the phone about 10-15 minutes and by the time we hung up, the pain was taking my breath away.

I asked my son to take me to the doctor's office and I called him enroute. At his office, the doctor examined me briefly and said it sounded like a kidney stone and I should go to the ER. By that time, I was in so much pain that I was nauseous and about to pass out. They had to wheel me around in a wheelchair with my head between my knees to keep from fainting.

I got checked in at the ER and by that time, I couldn't even sit and was shaking uncontrollably. I asked for some blankets and a pillow and made myself a pallet on the floor. For some time I was able to just lie still and suffer, but after over an hour of laying on the floor in horrific pain, I was writhing and whimpering. I was trying to be quiet so as not to call attention to myself. The nurse was apologetic, but said she could not get me in a bed any faster because they were just too full.

My husband finally arrived and relieved my poor son (who took wonderful care of me) and he made the decision to take me to another hospital. I had been on the floor about two hours by then. He called my mother and asked her to call the hospital near her to see if they could get me in and they said they could. Just as he was about to get me up, I was overwhelmed with such pain that I could not move. I was about to faint and I just started throwing up. Thank goodness I had asked for a barf bag previously. I was trying desperately not to faint because I didn't want to be throwing up while I was unconscious. Eeew.

As soon as that episode was over, I was able to get in the car and my husband rushed me to the other hospital. Thank goodness they got me right in and into a bed. Within a half hour of arriving, they had put in an IV and pumped me full of pain killers and anti-nausea meds. Sweet relief. I opened my eyes for the first time in hours and saw that it was 7:00 p.m.

They took me for a CT scan and found that I had two stones, one in each kidney. The one on the left was moving out and that's what was causing the pain. The one on the right is still there, awaiting a most inopportune moment to make it's move, I'm sure.

Well, they gave me narcotics and sent me home. I only had to take the meds for about 24 hours so I have a lot left. Those will go with me everywhere I go so that when the other stone makes its move, I'll be ready.

I never want to go through that again. Unfortunately, people with kidney stones often do have more than one. My father had several, my brother has had at least two, and my sister has had one. I suppose it's hereditary for some families.

Great, just what I need. What other lovely medical conditions have I inherited from my parents?