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Journal TechnoLust's Journal: TechnoLust in the hospital OR Ouch! Can I have more opiates? 16

Journal by TechnoLust
Ok, first a disclaimer: If you are squeemish or don't like discussing medical procedures or hearing about things that are very painful, you might want to skip this one. Otherwise, read on, knowing that I'm now home and OK, although I have to go back Monday for some follow up stuff.

As you read in my last journal, I was sick Thursday, but I was feeling better by about 10pm. In fact, I had planned on working Friday. I play a computer game Thursday night and went to bed around 11:45, feeling quite well. My work pager went off at 2am, and I got up, but I still felt OK. I checked the system and went back to bed.

At 5am I woke up with the worse pain I have ever felt in my right side about the kidney. Although I have never been stabbed, I must imagine that is what it wust feel like. The pain was localized in an area about 2 inches. It literally felt like there was a blade cutting through my side. The pain was so intense I was nauseous. I went to the bathroom and put my head on my folded arms on the cold porceline sink. That seems to help the nausea, and standing bent over at the waist seemed to take the pressure of whatever was hurting, although it still throbbed pretty bad. I stood there for a very long time, afraid moving would bring the return of the stabbing pain. I walked to the kitchen and took 1000mgs of Acetaminophen. (the stuff in tylenol) I drank some water and tried to go lay down, to see if I could think of what might be causing this. After laying uncomfortable for a period of time, I got up and went to the bathroom. I noticed there was blood in my urine, which is a pretty clear sign that something isn't right. I loaded got dressed and drove myself to the emergency room. (I live less that a mile from the hospital.)

By the time I arrived and saw someone it was almost 7am, so I'm assuming I didn't leave the house until about 6:30, but I'm not exactly sure of all the times. They did some tests, gave me a painkiller (I think he said Adalon, or something like that, but I can't remember. He said it was an opiate, twice as strong as morphine. I remember it burned through my veins in my arm, back to my heart, and then to my brain and spread out to all my limbs. The pain immediately subsided and I felt very relaxed.) took xrays, took blood, and started an IV drip. Although not in that order. I remember the painkiller came after the IV drip, because he put it in the IV's little Y connector with a needle through the membrane. I'm pretty sure the xray came after that, too, because they unplugged to IV drip to do the xray and I clotted during that, so they had to get some saline out of the drip bag and use that to flush the clot out. I also remember getting some sort of scan, it must have been an MRI, of my abdomen. I remember the woman running it asked me my name, and when I told her, she said, "OH! I know you! You went to school with my daughter. Drop you pants." I remembered her having a very cute daughter, which made me glad I had on nice underwear. I would have hated for her to go back and tell her daughter I didn't have any nice underwear. :-) So anyway, they told me to call and have someone come pick me up, because they would be releasing me soon, but they wanted me to speak to the urologist first. I called my neighbor and told her to come pick me up in about an hour. She came immediately, she also called my mother, who then called the ER looking for me. I spoke with her, and she said she would drive up and would be there sometime that afternoon. The urologist came in and told me I had some kidney stones and he wanted to admit me to the hospital for observation. So they kept me on an IV drip with antibiotics and painkillers.

They finally let me out today. I passed 2 of the stones and they want me to come back Monday to see if there are any more. I haven't eaten in 48 hours. The wouldn't let me eat "in case they had to operate." So, as long as I don't start running a fever (signifying an infection) or have trouble urinating, I'm ok until Monday when I go back for tests. I also have to take some antibiotics until then... On the plus side, they gave me a prescription for 20 percocet. :-)

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TechnoLust in the hospital OR Ouch! Can I have more opiates? More

TechnoLust in the hospital OR Ouch! Can I have more opiates?

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  • A few members of my immediate family have had kidney stones, and they have been explained to me as one of the most painful experiences one can have. In other words, I have a lot to look forward to in my medical future. I'm not even going to attempt to feel your pain. I just hope you're feeling much better and the worst is over. Take care.
  • feel better soon, man! ;)

    (Sorry I can't say more; haven't been in the hospital since I was a wee tyke.)

  • Woah! (Score:2)

    by glh ( 14273 )
    I'll keep you in my prayers! I hope you feel better soon. When I saw the JE I was a little worried- luckily it wasn't something "minor". I'm sure it wasn't easy passing those stones.. ouch!! I guess that is the closest a guy can come to giving birth :)
  • If Percocet took the edge off, you must not have been hurting that bad. Seriously, I've had three stones, and Percocet is a freakin' joke. For me, anyway. MRI is nice and all that, but the only thing that really shows up how bad you are blocked is an IVP. Inject you with radioactive dye, give it some time to get filtered out by the kidneys, and see if there is a blockage.

    Did you get to see the stone? Did it piss you off how small they are?

    glh mentioned giving birth. Kidney stones are far worse. First off, giving birth is something that women are engineered for. Second, the relative size of the 'tube' and the 'obstruction' are way different. Finally, I've known one or two women who have done both. Unanimously: stones are worse.

    TL: say goodbye to dairy products. They'll list about a million other things that you have to give up, but dairy and certain acids are the big ones. (Certain acids join with the calcium to form a calcium salt that precipitates in the kidney).

  • And just to tell you: I know how that feels. Well, not the opiates. I had a similar problem about a year ago. Kidney infection, urine as red as blood.
    Besides, I never really recovered from it. My kidneys still hurt often, especially when abusing alcohol. Which I do way too often...unfortunately
  • When I'm teaching a class and there's a lound scream from down the hall at a very unexpected time I tend to say "gee, sounds like someone is passing a stone."

    Now I'll always think of you and the horrible pain that you had... and wonder if you're down the hall passing a stone.
  • i was moving most of the weekend, so i missed out on your slashdot postings. but i did want to send "get better" sentiments your way, even if they are slightyl belated.
  • My brother passed a stone, and said that it felt like "being kicked in the nutz repeatedly for several hours straight."

    What brought it on?
    • That and being kicked in the kidneys at the same time. It's not fun at all.

      As I understand, there are 2 types of kidney stones. Nitrates and Calcium. It was explained to me that an excess of nitrates in your diet caused the former, and a calcium deficiency caused the latter. When you aren't getting enough calcium your body tries to manufacture it, and comes up with something slightly less soluble than the calcium you get from milk. The excess gathers in the kidney and forms stones. Now, I don't know how true this is, but some that had calcium stones told me this is what his doctor told him. He now takes a calcium supplement and has had no more trouble.

      They haven't told me what mine are made of yet. I will find out in 2 weeks when they get the lab results back.

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