AARP Member
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Background
Name: MaryAnn
Birthday: July 27
Gender: Female
Status: Married
Location:
BROOKLYN, New York
United States
Work:
nursing
Hometown(s):
Hazleton,Pa
Quote:
To thine own self be true

July 4th Fireworks! NOT!!!

Hi everyone,

  Haven't been around much last few days because I had an emergency July4th! I developed{ rather suddenly I might add } a kidney stone!

Woke up 3am with the most unbelievable pain in my back it was worse than labor pains. Nothing helped. I tried to sit up walk around, go online,nothing worked so I ended up at the ER and wasn't entirely sure it wasn't appendicitis.As I started vomiting. too.

They resorted to morphine to ease the pain which it barely dulled. I waited for bloodwork, stuck twice never had trouble with veins before, took an Abdominal X-Ray and made me stand for a chest X-Ray all the while doubled over in pain.

  Then it was time for a CT scan which most of you know is another more definitive X-Ray. But of course I laid there for half an hour before they told me the machine was broken . I had to go upstairs to get it done and it only took five minutes but the pain was excrutiating moving around so much,and as I'm coming back to the ER I thought I was going to wretch again getting off the elevator but I managed to let it subside.

So finally after the results from all  the tests were in came consults. I was grand rounds for all the cute interns and residents. that was interesting then the attending urologist came in to tell me he was worried because I had a nasty kidney infection which may or may not have been caused by the stone. There was apparenltly some leakage from the kidney and the ureter was lacerated. my WBC were elevated so he had to do surgery to insert a stent which is a tube to drain the infection.

While I was waiting in the holding area the powers that be determined I needed a pregnancy test because I'm 52 and still able to get pregnant. The surgery went well no incisions ,went through the urethra

 Stayed overnight didn't sleep much it was quite busy with vital signs every four hours and new admissions in the middle of the night but I made it through,finally they took out the foley catheter collecting my blood tinged urine and I proceeded to have frequent urination bordering on incontinence ,that was the longest 20min ride home!

They gave me antibiotics, pain meds and something to relax the bladder spasms. It all helps for awhile but everything starts to come back. So I'm going for a post-op visit tomorrow and then have to schedule a day sugery to remove the stent and pulverize the stone. Yes they left the stone in wasn't as important as getting the infection under control!

So needless to say I haven't been doing much can't sit up for too long everything is irritated,including me but my husgand has been a gem there with me through it all. Hope all of your 4th of July weekends were better than mine,I'm looking forward to getting back to normal again Till next time,I hear the couch calling me, MARYANN

 

I love reading your Journals. They are exciting like a novel. You give a lot of graphic detail. I can hear and see you in pain.
.
I once had a Kidney stone. My coworker ( ER Intern ) told me to drink Prune Juice or Apple Juice [ I forget ] so I drank a quart or more for 3 hours straight and : PING out went the stone
Posted: July 8, 2008 6:51PM EDT
RavenofNewt says:
Thank you for all your well wishes. I'm hoping to get well by next week. I'm still in alot of pain at times the doctor says I should be doing better No further treatment to remove anything until I calm down,hopefully I'll feel better in a few more days,or He said I'd have to go back to the hospital. I'm keeping the faith and the well wishes of you all my friends thanks Again Mary Ann
Posted: July 8, 2008 6:32PM EDT
brdmommy says:
I am so sorry to hear that you were in so much pain...and to leave the stone in? Never seen that done before...ouch..that doesn't sound like fun at all!
I have been there too with a stone, and believe me there would be no way I would walk out of that hospital with the same thing I came in for!! I will be praying for you to feel much better soon..take care...brdmommy
Posted: July 8, 2008 3:07AM EDT
nyadrn says:
Oh my gosh MaryAnn how awful for you....
I can sympathize. I had one of these about six months ago and you are right...the pain is awful! I drove myself to the hospital cause I knew it was not something that would go away. I was lucky and they gave me meds and mine passed. I will be thinking of you. What a great idea to do a journal. You might want to do one on the follow up. It might be helpful for someone in recognizing the signs etc. Thanks for taking the time to record all of this!
Diane
Posted: July 7, 2008 8:31PM EDT
dillieg says:
I MUST SAY I CAN SYMPATHIZE WITH YOU BECAUSE I HAVE HAD KIDNEY STONES NOT ONCE BUT 2 DIFFERENT TIMES. IT IS THE CLOSEST PAIN TO LABOR PAINS ,,AND I HAVE ENDURED BOTH :(
HOPE YOU ARE LUCKY TO NEVER HAVE THEM RETURN!! HAVE A GREAT EVENING
Posted: July 7, 2008 8:12PM EDT
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Added: Jul 7, 2008
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