Kidney Stones

What a Day!

Haven't been feeling too great, but thought that it was the aftermath of the flu from last week. I have been having a lot less headache pain, so I guessed I'm just feeling other pain in my body because that The Headache isn't overpowering everything. I have been working more hours this week, almost back to eight hours again - should have known I wouldn't have a 40 hour work week. I feel all whiney tonight but I think it is the pain medication.

I started having extremely painful internal spasms at work, so bad I couldn't hardly talk or walk. I tried to wait it out, saying to myself "Stupid - you worked too much on a ladder last weekend - now you are paying the price!" I wasn't thinking too well - as happens when I'm in a lot of pain - and after a coworker asked what was wrong with me, finally figured out I should go see a doctor. I drove myself to urgent care, and they did a urinalysis finding that I was passing almost more blood than urine, which is a symptom of kidney stones.

The Headache decided to get into what I call a "pain feedback loop" and started acting up too. I fiddled with the stimulator, and it seemed to drop the pain back a notch or two on The Headache.

My blood pressure was sky high, and they did a CT scan of my pelvic region and confirmed that I had kidney stones. My ureter wasn't blocked and the spasms had calmed down by then, so I was given a script for pain medication and told to go home and drink plenty of water. I also was given a strainer to strain my urine for the next two days to try to catch the stone or stones as they work their way out so they can analyze them to see what kind of stone I am making. Ewwwwww. I have a couple of stones that are still in my kidneys, but they aren't the ones causing the pain.

I am extremely nauseated, even taking phenergan is not stopping the vomiting. Their instructions said I was to go to the emergency room if I can't keep anything down. I'm going to give it a few hours and see if this will quit before morning. I have been able to sip some liquids and keep that down this evening but large quantities of water have not been possible. Pacing the floor seemed to help, and I am going to try a hot bath before I go to bed - some web sites stated that could help.

I was hoping all would be back to normal soon, but that wasn't in the cards for me today. Perhaps the remains of the stone will pass tonight and I will be back at work tomorrow. I am still feeling quite a bit of pain, and that's with vicodin and phenergan in me. Comparing kidney stones to pancreatitis, acute pancreatitis was more painful, and the stones seem easier to treat. The Belly doesn't like either condition.

Here's the problem I can see with kidney stones: I live my life on the edge of dehydration. If I increase my fluid intake I also increase the diarrhea that is caused by the damage from the radiation therapy five years ago. I then start passing more water than I take in, and that dehydrates me more quickly. So for me, more liquids equals quicker deydration (believe me, I've had to go to the ER for that a few times before I figured out what was going on). So no matter what I do, I am toast as far as liquid intake is concerned..which will mean more urinary tract infections, and more kidney stone formation.

Ah well, that's what I get for not ordering the extra absorbant digestive system option and the radiation resistant bladder when I was born...and my model year is way too old to upgrade. I'm going to have see if I have some kind of gypsy curse on my head. This illness stuff is getting really old.