I was in a class titled Enterprise Architecture Fundamentals yesterday. About 4:10 PM, I suddenly felt very, very unwell, and in enormous pain. I left early, and as the pain kept increasing, I drove myself to the St. Luke's Emergency Room. The pain was in my lower right abdomen, and I was fiercely nauseated. It is the first time that I have been in an E/R for me since the mid-1980s.
My guess was appendicitis. The E/R physician ordered a CAT scan, because he suspected a kidney stone. This was a very good guess, and he did not even know that my daughter (who is so genetically similar to me that my wife says my genes just stomped her genes) has recently had kidney stones, too.
Anyway, it turned out to be a 7mm kidney stone. (The CAT scan also found gall stones in my gall bladder, but those are not causing any problems right now.) I now understand why my wife says that a kidney stone is definitely worse than giving birth. Wow.
It has not yet passed. I am supposed to go into a urologist today.
UPDATE: Reading the paperwork from the E/R gets worse. They also say that there is "mass" in my left kidney that needs to be examined, and that I should have my gall bladder removed.
Ouch, Clayton. Best wishes and hope you feel better real soon.
ReplyDeletemake sure all surgery is done with minimum invasive procedures and anesthesia. Remember the IRS now manages YOUR healthcare.
ReplyDeleteI had my Gall Bladder removed by a doctor who looked like uncle Festus from the Adams family. My Scar reflect this.
Brutal.
ReplyDeleteAt least gall bladder removal is not a big deal these days.
Best of luck!
Best wishes Clayton for a speedy recovery.
ReplyDeleteBest advice I can give is don't rely on doctors attached to a small hospital. No such thing as minor surgery - there are always risks.
Even if you have to travel, get your treatment from top flight physicians who regularly treat these cases - not people who sometimes treat these cases incidental to a general practice.
That usually means a major medical center - affiliated with a university is best.
Lithotripsy if you're lucky. "This, too, shall pass", but yikes! After, possibly a change in diet.
ReplyDeleteMy wife had gall bladder surgery a few years back. It was laproscopic with 3 1" incisions. She went in at 7 am, was discharged at noon, and after a day or so was back to normal. It's not the way it used to be.
ReplyDeleteMy brother in law has troubles with kidney stones and each morning at work he sets out 3 liter bottles of water on his desk. Each has a time that he has to finish it by and he has to finish them all before he leaves.
Best of luck, Clayton. I have had a couple of pals with kidney stones, the pain was memorable...
ReplyDeleteGood luck with your kidney and gall stones. I'm sure it will all turn out well. Hopefully it will get better soon!
ReplyDeleteMy mom had her gall bladder lasered out, arthroscopically, and it was a simple 2-week recover compared to the normal two months if they cut you open. But make sure you get an experienced surgeon.
ReplyDeleteHi Clayton, Please visit our website for kidney stone treatment without surgery
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