in the hospital!
Last month, on a Friday morning, we left for Myrtle Beach. A few stops, and 12+ hours later we were in Smithsville, NC. Got a hotel, and went out to dinner. A bit sore from the driving, but otherwise in good spirits. A steak and a tall beer helped to relax me. I went to bed after the hotel's wifi didn't seem to want to connect to my laptop.
I woke up in agony at midnight. Shooting pain in the groin and lower back, cold sweats, and the shakes. Tried to go to the bathroom, and couldn't go, even though bladder felt full. Collapsed on the floor, and couldn't crawl back to the bed. Imagine a red hot knife jabbed three inches below the belly button, while being repeatedly kidney punched. The pain came in waves, and durring a lull, tried to call out to the wife. She was wearing earplugs (I snore), and couldn't hear my feeble attempt to rouse her. After what seemed like an hour, but was probably only a couple minutes, I woke her, and she called 911. Para-dufuses showed up about 10 minutes later.
Gasping out the answers to their questions, they thought it might be kidney stones. Got me to the ambulance (I walked, with help), they poked me trying to get an IV started. Now, I used to be a regular blood donor, and except for one time way back in college with a student nurse, they have never had a problem finding a vein. This guy did, twice. Left a huge bruised looking spot on my arm right at the outer elbow. Third time was a charm, and they gave me morphine (5mg) and a anti-nausea drug. Nausa meds made me groggy, and the morphine cut the pain, but just a little. My high bood pressue concerned them, so I was put on an EKG, with those sticky pads on my legs and chest. The jostling trip to the hospital was pure torture.
While the wife filled out paperwork, I moaned and groaned in the waiting room. Had to wait more than 45 minutes, and I think I got in only because my mother-in-law started bitching. Finally got to a room, only to have to try to gasp out answers to all the same questions. They asked me if I knew what a foley catheter was, and I said yes. Insertion was uncomfortable but beside the pain I was experiencing, I hardly felt it. That was what convinced them I was really in severe pain, and not just faking/exagerating.
They gave me dilaudid, which is a synthetic morphine. I was told afterwards it's one of the strongest narcotics they have. The nurse put it in slowly; she told my wife that it was so I could feel the effects before it knocked me out. That dulled the pain, and also made me very sleepy. It has a side affect of respiratory depression, and they put me on oxygen as a precaution. Somewhere in there they took me for a CT scan, and confirmed the stones. One at 4mm, and one at 6.5mm. For reference, an airsoft BB is 6mm. Unfortunately, mine was not smooth, but resembled a 3D snowflake. Hard to believe something so small can cause so much pain. I dosed, going in and out of consciousness. They injected a bit more of the dilaudid, and put me out.
So, after all that, I was released in the morning. Removing the catheter was not pleasant, to say the least. I was given some perscription drugs: Cipro, for bladder infection. Flomax, to help pass the stone and prevent more. Oxycodone (Percodan) and Ibruprophen for pain. Drugs alone cost me almost 40 bucks, and that's with insurance. I have bruises from the failed IV attempts, bare/raw patches from removing the EKG patches, and am weak/shaky from withdrawal of the dilaudid. I couldn't drink for the remainder of the vacation. Afterwards I went to the Doc at home, and he was appaled at my bloodpressure. He had me stop all meds, and start on blood pressure meds. I really missed the pain pills at first, but I'm gradually becoming accustomed to the discomfort.
To those of you with on-going health problems, I can sympathise. Cronic pain, even if it is fairly minor, creates major hassles in your life. It's harder to fall asleep, and is often interrupted. Imagine a headache that lasts for weeks. You get cranky and irritable. I've since gone on Chantix; I stopped smoking yesterday. I find it difficult to act normally when I want to scream and tear my hair out.
Oh, and I still haven't passed the second stone.
