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Wednesday, February 9, 2011

OOOOOOOOOOOOUCH!

That's the sound of the Dan working on the Kidney Stone.
Since not everyone comes from a medical family I will spare you the most vivid and fascinating details, which are available by request.
Skipping to the exciting part, at about 6 o'clock Tuesday morning I began having pain in my back below my ribcage. It rapidly got to the point where I asked Margo to call 911. That alone is saying something, because I have a healthy (and sensible) fear of being in the business end of a hospital. The great crew of Trotwood Rescue arrived, packed me up, and hauled me into Good Samaritan, our closest hospital.
I was then promptly loaded up with IV fluids and pain meds, which allowed me to take a good, deep breath and be grateful. Mom was waiting for me when I got there, and she was able to hang out with me the whole time. I got a visit from our pastor, Paula, who was at the hospital to visit someone much sicker than me and just happened to hear that I was in, too.
By about 1 o'clock I was checked out and on my way home, where I proceeded to sleep a lot.
That is the general idea.

Folks say that passing a kidney stone is one of the most painful experiences that one can have, on the order of childbirth. I guess I'm glad I can say I have lived through it, then, and have all the more respect for Margo having gone through childbirth without any pain medication.

I am grateful for everyone who made it an easier time for me, from Margo and Alten to Mom, the paramedics, nurses, techs, Paula, and the doctor who oversaw my case.

I feel like I am in a club, now. And now that I've done it, I'd like to cross "kidney stone" off my list and not have another one.
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4 comments:

  1. That is one bridge I have yet to cross, and hope I don't.
    What kind of stone was it? Oxalate?

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  2. Glad everything went ok. My mom and dad have both had kidney stones since Janelle and I moved here. Besides "rich foods" what causes them? It seems like I haven't really heard anyone able to answer that.

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  3. Yeah, I wouldn't wish them on anyone. The doctor's office wants to test it, and that will show what kind it is.
    Apparently the most common kind is calcium oxalate, so that's probably what I had.
    Mom has said that the Dayton area has a much greater occurrence of kidney stones than average, but she wasn't sure why.
    Thanks for commiserating guys!

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  4. Ow ow ow ow ow...

    My brother in law gets them fairly regularly, he is in Madison, WI and has mentioned that it might be something in the water. Really.

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