Guys: Imagine, if you will, someone punching you in your left testicle (yes, just your left one). Now think of that wonderfully uncomfortable sensation immediately after the punch. You got it? Now add to that an excrutiating pain in your lower left abdominal region. This is the type of pain that does not let up, it's continual and sharp, it keeps getting worse and doesn't ever get better. I'm not done yet. Now imagine throwing up everytime after the pain worsens. This is what I had the joy of experiencing yesterday.
The cause of all of this, in case you haven't guessed yet, was a kidney stone, making its way down from my left kidney into the bladder. We were visiting family in Wichita when it happened, so my Dad ended up taking me to the ER at Galichia Hospital on north Woodlawn. The drive over there seemed like it took forever, but once we got there, I only had to wait about 5 minutes to get into a room (still in excrutiating pain). Once they put an IV in and took some blood, they were finally able to give me some pain medicine. Since it came in intraveniously, the relief came pretty quickly. This was the first let-up in the pain that I had experienced for about an hour and a half. And it was good.
This is my second stone. The first one I had, I started feeling pain for about 2 weeks ago in my lower back. It managed to travel from my right kidney into my bladder without causing any more pain. I passed it just last Monday. Of course, I didn't bring my pain medicine with me from the first time, because I was feeling pretty good and didn't know about the second stone until I started hurting. But that's okay. The doc prescribed me the strongest dose of percocet that's available in pill form, along with an anti-nausea pill to take with the pain pill so it doesn't make me sick to my stomach.
My conclusion is that kidney stones suck. I hate them. The worst part is that I don't think there's much I can do to help prevent them. According to the lab reports, my kidney stone is a calcium oxalate stone, the most common type. I'll have to change my antacid pills to something without calcium, try to eat a little healthier, and drink more water. Other than that, I'm not sure what else to do. I'll have a chat with my family doctor in Emporia and see what she thinks.
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3 comments:
You draw a great conclusion. Actually, there's several things that conceivably can hurt worse than this (or at least as bad).
Intractable pain from cancer is one. We are blessed, so far, to not have to experience that.
I've heard you should lay off the caffeine as well, but I'm sure your family doc will give you all kinds of tips and tricks for avoiding those nasty stones . . . I'm glad you're feeling better.
Linda
It does come close to natural childbirth pain, I would imagine, but even that doesn't last for a week. And (at least when I gave birth), there was no throwing up afterward. I do commiserate with you!
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