I-75 (at 70 mph) is no place to start passing a kidney stone!
Well, the good news is that I am back to just stones in one kidney again. The bad news is how it happened (and how freaking much it hurt!)
We had a special work event today at the ballpark and I was headed down the highway on my way there about 8am this morning. I had a somewhat "achy" belly when I was getting dressed... nothing new for me... so I had taken half a Vicodin before I left. Only about 10 minutes from home, my belly started to really hurt, but off on the left side rather than in the usual place. Just a couple of minutes later, my side and back REALLY started to hurt and I started to feel lightheaded. I was still 30 minutes from where I needed to be and knew that I needed to turn around. I got off the highway, called my boss on his cell and explained and then called my mom to tell her I was headed to the closest ER. The pain continued to increase rapidly and the lighheadedness got worse. It was all I could do to keep my eyes focused and stay in my lane. As I got a couple of miles from the exit for the hospital, my hands were going numb. I almost rear-ended the car in front of me at the end of the off-ramp because I did not realize how fast I was going. I know, I should have pulled over and called 911, but I was so close and I just wanted to get there and get some help. By the time I pulled into the hospital parking lot, I was extremely dizzy and nauseous, breathing quickly and shallowly because of the pain, and both my hands and feet were completely numb.
I couldn't even walk away from the car. I slumped to the ground behind the car and was able to call to someone who was walking in that I needed help. Two big security guards came out and picked me up and got me into a wheelchair and then into a bed inside. (I have never been so thankful to not be 330 pounds anymore!)
Everything after that for the next hour and a half is a blur of excruciating pain. All I could do was groan and yell and cry. My arms or legs would suddenly start shaking and then stop. They kept trying to ask questions and I was having trouble thinking and answering. Somethign happened to the first IV so they had to do a new one. They finally gave me something for nausea and then said they were going to give me some Toradol for pain. I managed to say "no, I can't have NSAIDS" (they asked why and all I could manage to say was "my RNY"). The nurse said she did not think it was an NSAID and when I said it was she said she would ask the doc. It seemed like an hour later when she finally came back and said she was giving me some dilaudid. It seemed to take forever for it to kick in, but the pain finally subsided. They gave me the contrast for another!() CT scan, and while I was waiting for that, I needed to go to the bathroom so they set up a bedside chair and warned me not to put the TP into the disposable basin because they wanted to take a sample and to strain it.
Good thing I was feeling no pain, because they found a "medium" stone (looked tiny to me!) and blood in the urine as well as an infection. The subsequent CT confirmed stones only in one kidney rather than in both as seen on Monday's CT (they called the surgeon to confirm). They sent me home just after lunch with a prescription for antibiotics (since I already had some Percocet left from Monday's adventure).
I had a nap and was kind of achy/sore when I woke up (they warned me I might be for about a day), so I took one of the percocet a little while ago.
What an adventure. Two ERs in one workweek.. we're having fun now! I hope I NEVER, EVER, EVER pass another "medium" sized kidney stone again. OMG. Pain from pancreatitis is horrible, but it is not a stabbing kind of pain. I now have a new 10 on my personal pain scale.
Lora
We had a special work event today at the ballpark and I was headed down the highway on my way there about 8am this morning. I had a somewhat "achy" belly when I was getting dressed... nothing new for me... so I had taken half a Vicodin before I left. Only about 10 minutes from home, my belly started to really hurt, but off on the left side rather than in the usual place. Just a couple of minutes later, my side and back REALLY started to hurt and I started to feel lightheaded. I was still 30 minutes from where I needed to be and knew that I needed to turn around. I got off the highway, called my boss on his cell and explained and then called my mom to tell her I was headed to the closest ER. The pain continued to increase rapidly and the lighheadedness got worse. It was all I could do to keep my eyes focused and stay in my lane. As I got a couple of miles from the exit for the hospital, my hands were going numb. I almost rear-ended the car in front of me at the end of the off-ramp because I did not realize how fast I was going. I know, I should have pulled over and called 911, but I was so close and I just wanted to get there and get some help. By the time I pulled into the hospital parking lot, I was extremely dizzy and nauseous, breathing quickly and shallowly because of the pain, and both my hands and feet were completely numb.
I couldn't even walk away from the car. I slumped to the ground behind the car and was able to call to someone who was walking in that I needed help. Two big security guards came out and picked me up and got me into a wheelchair and then into a bed inside. (I have never been so thankful to not be 330 pounds anymore!)
Everything after that for the next hour and a half is a blur of excruciating pain. All I could do was groan and yell and cry. My arms or legs would suddenly start shaking and then stop. They kept trying to ask questions and I was having trouble thinking and answering. Somethign happened to the first IV so they had to do a new one. They finally gave me something for nausea and then said they were going to give me some Toradol for pain. I managed to say "no, I can't have NSAIDS" (they asked why and all I could manage to say was "my RNY"). The nurse said she did not think it was an NSAID and when I said it was she said she would ask the doc. It seemed like an hour later when she finally came back and said she was giving me some dilaudid. It seemed to take forever for it to kick in, but the pain finally subsided. They gave me the contrast for another!() CT scan, and while I was waiting for that, I needed to go to the bathroom so they set up a bedside chair and warned me not to put the TP into the disposable basin because they wanted to take a sample and to strain it.
Good thing I was feeling no pain, because they found a "medium" stone (looked tiny to me!) and blood in the urine as well as an infection. The subsequent CT confirmed stones only in one kidney rather than in both as seen on Monday's CT (they called the surgeon to confirm). They sent me home just after lunch with a prescription for antibiotics (since I already had some Percocet left from Monday's adventure).
I had a nap and was kind of achy/sore when I woke up (they warned me I might be for about a day), so I took one of the percocet a little while ago.
What an adventure. Two ERs in one workweek.. we're having fun now! I hope I NEVER, EVER, EVER pass another "medium" sized kidney stone again. OMG. Pain from pancreatitis is horrible, but it is not a stabbing kind of pain. I now have a new 10 on my personal pain scale.
Lora
14 years out; 190 pounds lost, 165 pound loss maintained
You don't drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there.
I am soooooooo sorry. Right now I am on so much tylenol with codiene because I am waiting for my kidney stone to pass. I don't know if you read about my ER experience the other day for the same thing. It was so frustrating because it hurt so bad and I couldn't form words and they wanted to give me toradal and they didn't understand why I wouldn't let them give me it. Thankfully they ended up giving me dilauded which I agree with you, it feels like it didn't kick in for the longest time. I can't believe you drove with that pain. It really feels like you are being stabbed.
Height - 5'8 - SW - 292/ CW - 177.6 /GW - 150 - BMI - 27.1 - 114.4 lbs lost!
"The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore" Vincent Van Gogh
"The fishermen know that the sea is dangerous and the storm terrible, but they have never found these dangers sufficient reason for remaining ashore" Vincent Van Gogh
I totally feel your pain. I had stones 7 times in one year and only went to the hospital once, because of being Cathed the first time.
Paul C.
First 5K 9/27/20 46:32 - 11 weeks post op (PR 28:55 8/15/11)
First 10K 7/04/2011 1:03 First 15K 9/18/2011 1:37
First Half Marathon 10/02/2011 2:27:44 (PR 2:24:35)
First Half Ironman 9/30/12 7:32:04
First 5K 9/27/20 46:32 - 11 weeks post op (PR 28:55 8/15/11)
First 10K 7/04/2011 1:03 First 15K 9/18/2011 1:37
First Half Marathon 10/02/2011 2:27:44 (PR 2:24:35)
First Half Ironman 9/30/12 7:32:04
Lora, your story gives us all the opportunity to consider the need for a medic alert bracelet or necklace. While alert jewelry is available from many sources, medic alert keeps a full medical history and medication record on file for you - easily updated on line.
My son is a paramedic and he emphasizes the need for jewelry, and talked especially about our no NSAIDS rule. In an emergency they do NOT check purses or wallets, but they DO check for jewelry, and medic alert is the best.
Take it easy this weekend!
My son is a paramedic and he emphasizes the need for jewelry, and talked especially about our no NSAIDS rule. In an emergency they do NOT check purses or wallets, but they DO check for jewelry, and medic alert is the best.
Take it easy this weekend!
Although I agree that medical alert bracelets can be useful for us, I'm not sure that having a medical alert bracelet would have helped in this case because my electronic chart already said "No NSAIDS" right along with the info about my drug allergies... the problem was that Toradol is their pain med of choice and after I said that I should not have it because it is an NSAID, the nurse and whoever else was in there both indicated that they did not think it was.
They KNEW my restriction but did not know the chemical composition of the drug! Even if someone has a medical alert bracelet, I think that WE need to do our best to be aware of things like this (I would not have known anything about it if I had not read posts here by Andrea about Toradol and her ulcers) so we can help protect ourselves.
Lora
They KNEW my restriction but did not know the chemical composition of the drug! Even if someone has a medical alert bracelet, I think that WE need to do our best to be aware of things like this (I would not have known anything about it if I had not read posts here by Andrea about Toradol and her ulcers) so we can help protect ourselves.
Lora
14 years out; 190 pounds lost, 165 pound loss maintained
You don't drown by falling in the water. You drown by staying there.
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