Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Romancing the Stone

While I was busily recovering from my adventurous Friday with the Oral Surgeon, I was taking some fairly powerful pain killers. I needed them at first, but after 24 hours I was actually getting along quite well without them.

In fact, I was feeling so good that by Saturday night I was confident that just one pain killer at 11pm would last me through the night.

But I couldn't get to sleep. It seemed to be one of those nights when just a minor ache ... you know, like a little back ache or leg ache ... was enough to keep you from relaxing.

So about 2am I got up to go to the bath room (false alarm) and take one Ibuprofen. Then I went back to bed and actually slept for an hour or so. I had this ugly nightmare about a traveling circus/safari, a mean elephant and his mahout with a really bad attitude. When I woke up about a quarter of three, it was wish some feeling of relief that I escaped from the subliminal angst ... only to discover that I had more problems.

The beating I had dreamed I was taking from the mahout turned out to be a very bad ache in my side, and an even more painful lower-back pain on the same (right) side.

I tried to fix it by taking a pain pill, but even though I took it with food I was overwhelmed by nausea and I discovered the Joy of Emesis. Nope, I'm not going to escape this one.

Sandie woke up and asked if she could help. I couldn't think of anything she could do. I tried lying flat with a heating pad, but the pain was still too much to bear.

Finally about 6:30 I decided there was something physically wrong, it was not merely some weird side-effect of the medication, so Sandie took me to the emergency room at the hospital.

While the nurse was preparing me for the Doctor's examination (especially, which she was inserting a needle in my arm so I could accept multiple injections of anti-nausea and anti-pain drugs) she asked a running litany of questions about my medical history. Finally she asked "Have you have been diagnosed with Kidney Stones?"

"No", I replied. And I heard her say under her breath: "Well, you have one now."

Two hours, two doctors, another nurse and a CT-scan technician later they had reached a consensus. Yes, I have a 4mm Kidney stone trying to work its way south. Apparently it had escaped the kidney and was now forcing its way painfully down the urethra.

No telling how long it will take for it to force its way out of my body, but I'm not looking forward to it.

For now, I am taking 7 different medicines several times a day, including both anti-nausea and anti-pain medications, Penicillin, and some stuff that's suppose to relax the "inner organs".

The good news is that the anti-pain drugs are working VERY well. The bad news is that I'm pretty well out of it, because I'm unable to concentrate. If not for the spell-checker, for example, this text would be unintelligible. (And know, I wouldn't know how to spell "unintelligible" without help.)

Anyway, I thought it was of interest that I no sooner get past one medical event than I find myself in the middle of another one. I'm convinced that one has actually precipitated the next. Perhaps a conspiracy within the Medical Community?

Remember: just because I'm paranoid, that doesn't mean they are not out to get me.

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