Living with Kidney Stones

Thanksgiving 2008, I had just sat down to a nice dinner by myself (did the family thing a couple weeks ago). About 6 bites into my meal, it felt like I was stabbed in the lower right abdomen. The most serious pain I’d ever felt. I ran to the bathroom and immediately got ill. I broke out in a heavy sweat, then got chilled, and kept on a cycle of being sick, sweating and chilling for about 20 minutes. I thought I was seriously dying.

I live next to a good hospital, so I took myself there, whimpering, crying, and moaning, the entire time. One person was ahead of me, but I cried to the registration clerk how something is seriously wrong inside me, and I can’t wait, something isn’t right I kept screaming.

The got me in back and rushed to a bed where they asked a few short questions (allergies, location and secerity of pain, time of onset, etc…). Then the nurse, or as I like to call…. my angel, started an IV and shot me full of dilantin. in about 4-5 minutes I was at last able to breathe and open my eyes.

Had a CT scan and was found to have my first stone. a 2mm baby that was still very high up with a ways to go. A bit more waiting, another shot of dilantin, and off they sent me with my strainer, a prescription for 30 percocet, and motrin. Now it’s Sunday night and I’ve still not passed anything. Still have the pain, but it’s manageable on my dwindling supply of pain meds. Still been vomiting every morning and waking up 5 times a night in pain.

I’m glad I’m not dying since it certainly felt that way, but I now just want this thing out of me. I thought I’d be looking at 12 hours, maybe a day. But 72 hours and counting?!?

The pain is horrific, but it too…, shall pass.