Of Hospitals and Kidney Stones

[Guest Serenanna]

I know I've been quiet awhile on the forums, but then again, for the past two weeks or so, I've been in hell, or at least it feels like it. I admitted myself into the ER last week for abdominal pain and back pain. To make a long story short. they thought the abdomen problem was an infection, an abscess, and tried to drain it last monday only to figure out it was all an 8 mm ovarian cyst when they got clear liquid and not puss. At the same time, I got two small kidney stones, one 3mm and one 2mm, which hurt my back like a mother fucker.

The pain is all gone now, but so is my strenght too, and sleep, and I don't know if the stones passed, faded, or what. To deal with all this when i got discharged, I got put on four medicines, an antibotic, an anti-inflammatory drug, something for blood pressure that's supposed to be for hypertension as well, and nexium to keep it all in my stomach.

I have come to the conclusion that none of them except the antibotic seem to be helping me any. The blood pressure stuff turns me into mush, literally, ataxia i think was the term, on top of alot of other things. The anti-inflammatory i couldn't keep down. I am peeing blood off and on, and everything i eat just passes through me.

And did I mention I can't sleep? When I try, I get like two hours, tops.

I don't know what to do anymore, if I should check myself back in and stop being a burden to my parents dealing with overcoming this, or if I'm stressing or what.

If anyone has any advice on the stones, or sleeping, i'm all ears.

Sere

[madlodger]

I am sorry that you are in pain *hugs very carefully*

Well, what I know probably wont be very usefull, but I've heard that eating a watermellon(s) in large quantities would make small stones to pass out of the body, speed the process. And it's painfull when it happens.

It looks like you had stones passing out for two weeks. Did you have more than two when it started? I am not an expert but pain in the abdominal area probably means that stuff was going through tne urinary truck, leaving abrasions. Calcium oxalate is supposed to be sharp.

Why did they give you blood pressure meds? You do need antibotics for sure.

Picture of a stone

Pretty scary but it explaines the pain. I hope that the pain will be gone soon.

[Guest Adara]

I am sorry that you are in pain *hugs very carefully*

Well, what I know probably wont be very usefull, but I've heard that eating a watermellon(s) in large quantities would make small stones to pass out of the body, speed the process. And it's painfull when it happens.

It looks like you had stones passing out for two weeks. Did you have more than two when it started? I am not an expert but pain in the abdominal area probably means that stuff was going through tne urinary truck, leaving abrasions. Calcium oxalate is supposed to be sharp.

Why did they give you blood pressure meds? You do need antibotics for sure.

Picture of a stone

Pretty scary but it explaines the pain. I hope that the pain will be gone soon.

She did state that the stones were gone and that the pain had ebbed. It's simply that the medication is making it difficult for her to exist.

I'm so sorry you're going through this, I cannot begin to imagine the discomfort you're suffering through. Under normal circumstances I would say take a sleeping pill to get some rest, but they have you on so many, I don't see how that would be the right thing to do.

Perhaps a more natural solution would be in order to have you relax? Chamomile tea works well, as does warm milk. (Though that probably wouldn't be recommended because of the antibiotics you're taking.) I'm sorry I can't be of more help.

I do hope you get better though, and that you get some rest.

[Guest echtrae]

If the doctors are trying to kill you Sere, perhaps you should take them out first?

Take care Sere

[ZombieDuke]

I had a friend who very recently had surgery to remove her stones as well~ Only they had to make the incision twice the size it was originally, plus she went home that night after surgery without any painkillers nor anti-biotics...

As for sleeping: Benlydral(sp?) works well for making one sleep (the ones used for bee-stings in the pink box are really effective) just make sure it won't interact with your other meds and you should be passed out within the hour (well, from what I've experienced anyway...).

[DarkCabaret]

Sere: My former brother-in-law had kidney stones a while back and it was awful for him. However to try and get sleep, talk to your doctor about a non-habit forming sleep inducer. It could make all the difference in the world.

ZombieDuke: I almost agree about using Benadryl but it never made me sleep, then again I can take NyQuil and be up all night when it's supposed to help you sleep....maybe I'm just backwards!

[Guest Big Samurai]

... I'm starting to wonder if the health care system is more dangerous to patients than the diseases it is supposed to treat ...

You have my sympathy, Ms. Sere.

[madlodger]

She did state that the stones were gone and that the pain had ebbed. It's simply that the medication is making it difficult for her to exist.

You are right, Adara, I did miss

The pain is all gone now,

bit. The issue of kidney stones is a bit personal to me, as a member of my family I loved suffered from them. I remember her pain, no meds were helpful. Only time made it go away. I think that

which hurt my back like a mother fucker

bit created a strong emotional response in me and brought back some memories.

I am glad that the pain is not there anymore, Serenanna.

and I don't know if the stones passed, faded, or what

It looks like they did pass, although, it's hard to tell if they were not captured. One of them or both could be gone at this point. Probably both, because they were small.

You will feel better!

Your blood pressure meds might of lowered it too much. Low blood pressure would interfere with sleep and cause nosia. It's not my place to give any advice, but if this was hapenning to me then I would ask my parents to buy me a blood pressure monitor and see what the numbers are. Maybe cut those pills in half.

Wish that I could be more helpful. *hugs*

[Guest Serenanna]

Thanks for you words, guys,

I'm doing better today than yesterday, thank god, which was a whirl of me going slowly crazy in listlessness, boredom, and sleep deprivation, and countless rounds on the toilet. I stopped taking all the meds but the antibiotic since the blood pressure one was making me nuts, the anti-inflammatory i couldn't keep down, and the nexium was to keep that down. I called my primary doctor and he agreed when i laid it out to him. He then perscribed Abreva to put me to sleep.

It worked, even if i woke up 4 times to get rolled or toilet.

As of now, I feel as weak as a kitten while stuck on turtle speed. i've been eating some solids and soft stuff, reaffirming my belief that mashed potatoes does a body good. Food suggestions welcome there, anything but chicken soup.

I think some of the problem is what they doped me up on, Dilaudid. it was so bad they increased my time between doses, so i was heavily drugged. It felt kind of like withdrawal for a while, night sweat, chills, heart pounding, gagging, tiredness, but not sleeping . . . any thoughts?

oh, and i still pee blood. This is a good thing right?

Sere, on the mend . . . I think

[StoryJunkie]

Quit being so sick, you sickie!

I'll spank the damn things out of you, that ought to fix the problem!

SEriously, did the doctors tell you to keep away from rhubarb and spinach? That's what they told my dad when he had that. (The cyst is a mystery to me. I've never had one and I know nobody who has had one) (So no free advice from me, eh?)

When my gall bladder kept spewing out stones (they were cholesterol based, not mineral based) I looked up some info in my Biology text and it said something about minerals and cholesterol coming out of precipitate, so I wasn't drinking enough fluids. Kidney stones are usually mineral based, so you are probably taking too much minerals. BAck off on those vitamin supplements. I know you're taking them!!!!

If you are not anemic, you don't need iron. Most stones are calcium based though, so if you are taking calcium....well, just ease off there, dudette. Calcium goes right through you if your body decides it doesn't need it or it can't metabolize it (works in conjunction with Vitamin D)

Oh, and heads up on the scar tissue. You will probably have to pass that as well.

Another "Oh", I'm Catholic, and there's always a very good reason for suffering. If not for you, then for the world. The spiritual plane is one intimately tied to the physical one. You have to take that suffering and use it for a purpose. You have to find that purpose and cling to it. It is the only way. And you are never a burden. YOu are indeed one to whom we owe many things, which we cannot fully appreciate at this moment, for this realm is grey. The realm to come will be the one full of vibrant color, made so by the hooves of many horses.