It's six am and we all stagger to bed. I don't know what time the boys wake up. I wake up at ten to that familiar feeling. I head downstairs to reload. Ducky is asleep on the couch and the boys don't notice me. I head back up to bed and wait for the medicine to kick in. About 10:15 our lovely neighbor comes over to apologize for not hearing us. I hear all this while still hoping for relief. It doesn't seem to be coming. I head downstairs. I whine, just a little. I am ready to go off the deep end. We decide that we will head back to the ER. Without the boys. They will go next door.
It is now 11 am and we are back in the car. As we approach neighboring suburbia, the pain eases. By the time we enter neighboring suburbia it is gone. Turn the car around and head back home.
After we get home, I get proof. Proof that the pain is over. A stone in the little strainer that they gave me Thursday night in the ER. 61 hours from start to finish. Sweet relief. I still plan to take Monday off. I have not eaten anything since Thursday dinner. My stomach is still queasy from all the pain, the pain pills, the stress. I head in to work for an hour to get everything ready for my substitute. Joys of teaching, you can't take a day off without at least an hour of planning, usually two or three hours.
But my back still hurts. Maybe there was more than one stone. By this time I am too tired to care.
Monday, rest, recover, do laundry. Talk to Urology.
"We need to schedule an appointment. I have x, y and z open. Are you still having pain?"
"Yes. X, who is the doctor. The stone has passed."
"Did you collect it? And it is Dr. R."
"Yes. I want to see someone else."
"Well that changes things. We won't need to see you."
"Okay." Not wanting to try to fit a doctors appointment in to the week.
Later, my doctors office called. My doctor is currently on maternity leave. (Please let her come back, she is so fabulous. I miss her.) So, I get to talk to the advice nurse from her office.
"We have a message here that you were in the ER over the weekend.?
"Yes, the stone has passed but I still have pain and ......." As I fill them in on how I am feeling, what my complaints are and so on. They decide that I need to see Urology after all. So Urology calls me back. The very same person, at the end of a very long day. She is scheduled to go home in three minutes. After a little back and forth, she schedules me with Dr. R.
I gently and ever so politely remind her I don't want to see Dr. R. What else have you got? I hear the tapping of keys. She comes back with 8:30 with Dr. S.
Okay, even though that is way too early. Will I like Dr. S? She assures me that everyone does and that he usually ends up on the best of lists. Excellent.
Next up, scramble to find people willing to take my children so they don't have to come with me. Done. Thanks again, lovely neighbor.
Long story, not so short. Dr. S lived up to his rave reviews. He labeled me a chronic problem stone former. He worded it much better than that. Wants to run some tests to see why I form stones. Wants to see me in a year to see if any new timebombs have developed. Let me know that the residual pain should be gone by the end of the week. Told me they would be very liberal with pain meds should I have another stone. And agreed that the stone looked like a nasty one. It had a hook, like a fishing hook, complete with barb on the end. Gave me a short list of don'ts and only one do.
"The solution to pollution is dilution." Drink more water.
So today, my back feels better. It is just in need of a massage. I was supposed to get one last Thursday night, but my friend and masseuse got strep. My stomach is mostly better. And I am slowly getting caught up on life.
9 comments:
man, what agony. dr. s sounds like a good doctor, though. and drinking water as a preventative? can it be that easy?
i drink about three bottles of water a day. i learned that years ago in weight watchers. i guess they should teach it to you in stone watchers, too, eh?
glad you're better.
hope it never happens again.
That sounds really nasty Ped. Glad it seems to be gone though - and get that massage. Preferably accompanied by a glass of whatever alcohol you're allowed...
I have a girlfriend that has semi frequent stones. She says the pain is far worse than labor. Even following the doctor's suggestions, she continues to get them, though less frequently now, and is also considered chronic.
I hope you can control yours by following lovely Dr. S's suggestions.
Are you a tea drinker and an ice cream eater? I don't know much about stones, but it seems I have heard that somewhere, that combination causes it. I am glad that saga is over for you. Here's to keeping the stones away, huh?
I'm guessing that you're not a big water drinker? If you mix something like Crystal Light in it will you drink it or is it more that you just don't remember to do it?
I sure hope that you don't have to go through this for a long, long time. And that you've got a doctor who sounds like he knows what he's doing.
Wow! What a story! Glad you are feeling a bit better and I hope you get that massage soon!
I am so glad you are better! I try to drink lots of liquids during the day: juice, water, herbal tea. I think it is hard for teachers to consume a lot of liquids though because you probably can't in the classroom, and you don't want to be running to the teacher's lounge too often. Here's to hoping this weekend is twice as good as last. I hope you have three days off, too.
laurie - probably yes it is that easy. I am getting all kinds of lab work done to see if there is any other reason, but I think it is mostly water.
potty mummy - my massage is scheduled for next Thursday. and thank goodness.
kaycie - it all depends on the stone. I didn't enjoy labor either. at least I only had to do it with one of my children. scheduled c-section was much easier in every way.
lcm - not really, believe it or not spinach is on the no no list along with quite a few other healthy things.
RC - it is both. I'll go into the logistics of my battle with water in tonights post
rachelc - thanks, i'm getting a massage and a pedi
two cents - being a teacher is part of the problem, they frown on leaving your class unattended, they don't mind if you drink, but it becomes a problem once you gotta go.
I cannot imagine going through that, glad it passed in the end and hope it does't happen again
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