Jesse Goble (![[info]](http://l-stat.livejournal.com/img/userinfo.gif){kind=small} jgoble) wrote,@ 2005-09-10 19:27:00 |
|
Nice day
I got woken up on Friday with pain. Pain in my kidney. Pain that I've, sadly, become accustom to feeling every couple of years. Yup, I figured it was a kidney stone so I got some water and tried to prepare myself for the wonderful period of time of white-hot pain I would soon have.
The pain came and then decided to move in. Usually I experience this pain for a half hour to an hour but after an hour and 15 minutes of this pain, it was just getting worse. I called my sister for some nurseily advice but my 2nd-shift-working, nite-owl sister was still sleeping. So I got myself together and managed to drive to the emergency room without breaking too many traffic laws nor getting into an accident.
Got to the triage area and was glad that no one seemed to be there. I rang the bell for assistance and then kneeled down as the pain got worse. A gent came out and I told him my symptoms. I think I managed to tell him that I had a history of kidney stones before but this was the worse. This among other statements are things I would end up saying alot for the next day or so. The guy, a nurse I think, then stepped out and I proceeded to fall out of the chair I was sitting in to vomit profusely into a nearby garbage can. I was relieved to note that there was a bio-waste bag in the receptacle as I wouldn't want to clean up what was coming up.
This was my first indication that this bout would be worse. Well, that and the fact that the pain didn't go away like it usually did. When I first past a stone the doctor explained that even though I experienced pain on a scale that I never had before it was a mild case as the pain passed after a time and I wasn't vomiting from it.
So I was taken into the ER where I continued to heave and couldn't lay still as the pain just kept going. I had blood drawn, an IV set up, and was given a pain shot. Or an anti-pain shot. Not sure what to call it. It was good though. The pain eventually fled as did my ability to stay awake. It's my preferred method of dealing with pain; sleeping through it. I was woken up to get an x-ray and I felt like I had worked out to my limit and I was just barely concious. I think I scared the tech taking me to the x-ray as I was all wobbley. I didn't fall though. After that it was more sleep and perhaps another pain shot. When I next awoke I was taken to get a CT scan. The scan revealed a 5mm stone as well as stones in my gall bladder. A nephrologist was consulted and he explained that they could do a procedure to remove the stone that wasn't really invasive. I think it involved a scope or some such. He also stated that as I stated the pain was reduced I might be able to pass it myself.
So I was admitted. I think it was during the admission process that I was asked the same questions for the third time, but I was also asked some wierd questions. I'm getting admitted because of pain in the kidney region. I've stated that I live alone. The answer to the question of, 'Do you feel like your home is a dangerous environment' is 'no'. Still, I understand they have to ask and don't begrudge them.
I had contacted my sister while I was still in the OR and explained what was going on. She told me she was on her way down. Unfortunately she didn't get there before I was admitted so had an interesting few moments finding me as the ER coordinator still thought I was in the ER and my sister pondered if the pain and meds made me misname the hospital I went to. I would chide her for this if it weren't for Thursday when I argued that we were going the wrong way and consistantly called the bridge we were heading for by the wrong name. She did find me and her and my niece kept me company as I rested and tried to figure out what was going on.
My meals were ok, but they had me on a clear liquid diet that does little to satisfy hunger. Still I don't remember actually being hungry. I did remember having a great desire to nap. My sister left around 6 and I settled in to watching Sci-Fi Friday programming. I think that the only time I can remember being hungry was when the shift nurses kept mentioning getting a pizza.
Sleeping in a hospital is a strange experience. The bed is comfortable for sitting and resting, but I roll around alot. With an IV in my hand this proves difficult. Also I was woken up a couple of times by my need to pee and once or twice by the nurse to check my vitals. I hope I remained polite but was probably just groggy.
I woke up this morning to learn that as of midnite I was taken off foods entirely as the nefrologist was planning on the scope procedure 'just in case'. I met with a different doctor, a generalist for the hospital, and we talked about what was going to happen. I then met with the nefrologist and he determined that I didn't need the sugery. I then was allowed to eat some ceral and was given a full-meal lunch, which I enjoyed. Then I sat around until my original doctor was to make rounds. I needed her go ahead to be discharged. The hall nurse checked with her when it appeared she wasn't going to be in today and since I had met with the other two doctors I was discharged and I came home. I slept most of today after cleaning up the mess I made in my Friday moring pain fest.
Now, I need to figure out if I qualify for medical assistance as I don't have a job or insurance currently. This means I need to get forms signed and returned to the hospital. Then I need to determine if this incident is going to hamper my chances to enlist. If it doesn't I also need to know what information my recruiter or the MEPS docs will need about this incident.
That's for Monday. I'm going to drink a lot of water and rest some more tonight. Tomorrow I'll exercise and try to start from where I left off.
Things I learned: Pain is bad and when it's not going away go to the hospital. A 5mm stone feels a lot bigger than it's size makes it out to be when it's travelling your unary tract. I can now take needles without the irrational urge to defend myself from the nurse poking me. I pee alot when I'm drinking water and have a saline drip IV going. Liters of pee which I strained and get to continue straining until I give up on ever finding and having that stone analyzed.
I got woken up on Friday with pain. Pain in my kidney. Pain that I've, sadly, become accustom to feeling every couple of years. Yup, I figured it was a kidney stone so I got some water and tried to prepare myself for the wonderful period of time of white-hot pain I would soon have.
The pain came and then decided to move in. Usually I experience this pain for a half hour to an hour but after an hour and 15 minutes of this pain, it was just getting worse. I called my sister for some nurseily advice but my 2nd-shift-working, nite-owl sister was still sleeping. So I got myself together and managed to drive to the emergency room without breaking too many traffic laws nor getting into an accident.
Got to the triage area and was glad that no one seemed to be there. I rang the bell for assistance and then kneeled down as the pain got worse. A gent came out and I told him my symptoms. I think I managed to tell him that I had a history of kidney stones before but this was the worse. This among other statements are things I would end up saying alot for the next day or so. The guy, a nurse I think, then stepped out and I proceeded to fall out of the chair I was sitting in to vomit profusely into a nearby garbage can. I was relieved to note that there was a bio-waste bag in the receptacle as I wouldn't want to clean up what was coming up.
This was my first indication that this bout would be worse. Well, that and the fact that the pain didn't go away like it usually did. When I first past a stone the doctor explained that even though I experienced pain on a scale that I never had before it was a mild case as the pain passed after a time and I wasn't vomiting from it.
So I was taken into the ER where I continued to heave and couldn't lay still as the pain just kept going. I had blood drawn, an IV set up, and was given a pain shot. Or an anti-pain shot. Not sure what to call it. It was good though. The pain eventually fled as did my ability to stay awake. It's my preferred method of dealing with pain; sleeping through it. I was woken up to get an x-ray and I felt like I had worked out to my limit and I was just barely concious. I think I scared the tech taking me to the x-ray as I was all wobbley. I didn't fall though. After that it was more sleep and perhaps another pain shot. When I next awoke I was taken to get a CT scan. The scan revealed a 5mm stone as well as stones in my gall bladder. A nephrologist was consulted and he explained that they could do a procedure to remove the stone that wasn't really invasive. I think it involved a scope or some such. He also stated that as I stated the pain was reduced I might be able to pass it myself.
So I was admitted. I think it was during the admission process that I was asked the same questions for the third time, but I was also asked some wierd questions. I'm getting admitted because of pain in the kidney region. I've stated that I live alone. The answer to the question of, 'Do you feel like your home is a dangerous environment' is 'no'. Still, I understand they have to ask and don't begrudge them.
I had contacted my sister while I was still in the OR and explained what was going on. She told me she was on her way down. Unfortunately she didn't get there before I was admitted so had an interesting few moments finding me as the ER coordinator still thought I was in the ER and my sister pondered if the pain and meds made me misname the hospital I went to. I would chide her for this if it weren't for Thursday when I argued that we were going the wrong way and consistantly called the bridge we were heading for by the wrong name. She did find me and her and my niece kept me company as I rested and tried to figure out what was going on.
My meals were ok, but they had me on a clear liquid diet that does little to satisfy hunger. Still I don't remember actually being hungry. I did remember having a great desire to nap. My sister left around 6 and I settled in to watching Sci-Fi Friday programming. I think that the only time I can remember being hungry was when the shift nurses kept mentioning getting a pizza.
Sleeping in a hospital is a strange experience. The bed is comfortable for sitting and resting, but I roll around alot. With an IV in my hand this proves difficult. Also I was woken up a couple of times by my need to pee and once or twice by the nurse to check my vitals. I hope I remained polite but was probably just groggy.
I woke up this morning to learn that as of midnite I was taken off foods entirely as the nefrologist was planning on the scope procedure 'just in case'. I met with a different doctor, a generalist for the hospital, and we talked about what was going to happen. I then met with the nefrologist and he determined that I didn't need the sugery. I then was allowed to eat some ceral and was given a full-meal lunch, which I enjoyed. Then I sat around until my original doctor was to make rounds. I needed her go ahead to be discharged. The hall nurse checked with her when it appeared she wasn't going to be in today and since I had met with the other two doctors I was discharged and I came home. I slept most of today after cleaning up the mess I made in my Friday moring pain fest.
Now, I need to figure out if I qualify for medical assistance as I don't have a job or insurance currently. This means I need to get forms signed and returned to the hospital. Then I need to determine if this incident is going to hamper my chances to enlist. If it doesn't I also need to know what information my recruiter or the MEPS docs will need about this incident.
That's for Monday. I'm going to drink a lot of water and rest some more tonight. Tomorrow I'll exercise and try to start from where I left off.
Things I learned: Pain is bad and when it's not going away go to the hospital. A 5mm stone feels a lot bigger than it's size makes it out to be when it's travelling your unary tract. I can now take needles without the irrational urge to defend myself from the nurse poking me. I pee alot when I'm drinking water and have a saline drip IV going. Liters of pee which I strained and get to continue straining until I give up on ever finding and having that stone analyzed.
