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| Leaving the Emergency Room tonight |
You're not going to believe this but I just got back from the emergency room at Beebe Hospital.
What are the odds after just posting my emergency room visit back in 1959?
Here's what happened folks. When I got up from my two hour nap this afternoon at around 5:30 my left side was hurting. I was nauseous. Very nauseous. Uh oh, I've been here before. About four years ago I had the same experience when I passed a kidney stone although I didn't know it at the time that what was happening.
I got up and tried to convince myself I was extra tired because of my prostate seeds or that I just had gas. These seed implants have wrecked havoc with my bowel movements. Either I'm constipated or "loose." Didn't work. I was getting sicker and sicker. Then when I started to projectile vomit (barley made it to the toilet and did get some on the wall and floor or which I DID NOT TAKE pictures), I suspected the worst, I was passing a kidney stone. I knew there was one left because the last time I passed a kidney stone which was I believe about four years ago I was told there was one "waiting."
I decided to call 911 for an ambulance to take me to the Beebe Emergency ward. Bill was very upset. Very upset.
While I waited for the ambulance, I sat in the kitchen chair, getting sicker and sicker. That's the problem with passing kidney stones, until you pass it there is no alleviation. On a pain scale of 1 to 10, 9 is "good." I was a 9. The last time I passed a kidney stone the pain was a 10. Yes, I wanted to die. This one was bad but not as bad as the last time.
By the way, my pain medication is starting to wear off. I hope I don't regret going to Walgreen's tonight to pick up the pain medication the emergency room doctor prescribed.
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| My neighbor Bob who sat with me in the emergency room and just called Bill to tell him I would be alright |
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| Type of ambulance I rode in this evening - very different from my 1959 ambulance |
I arrive at the emergency room. They transfer me from the contraption I was on in the ambulance to a gurney and proceed to take me on a
The emergency room doctor comes in and asks me a series of questions. "Where is the pain?" My left side which they called "quadrant" (whatever). The last time I had the pain on my ride side (quadrant). I asked "What side is my kidney on?" That's when they told me "You have kidneys on both sides." Really? Shows you how much I know. Maybe I'm thinking of my appendix, which I still have....and I'm still not sure which side that is on.
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| Not my favorite place, on a gurney in the emergency room earlier this evening - what's that in my lap? My charger for my iPhone. I didn't know how long I would be in the hospital (my iPhone is in my pocket - never go any where without your iPhone.) |
He asks me a few more questions then says they're going to do a CAT-SCAN. I ask "Will that wipe out my iPhone?" You KNOW I bought my iPhone with me even though I wasn't in the picture taking mood. They said "No." Thank God.
The admissions clerk comes in and completes the admissions form. I ask "Do I get pain killer?" The PA, Gavin, said "Yes, someone will be in shortly" and she was. Thank God.
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| The pain killer (thank God) A short while later they wheeled me into the room with the CAT-SCAN. Been here, done that before. Practice makes perfect. "Breath in...hold it." CAT-SCAN over and they wheel me out. By now my neighbor Bob M. comes in. Thank God. Where was Bill? I found out later that Bob asked him to stay home. Bill gets way too upset when these things happen. This worked out real good with my neighbor Bob sitting with me. He was so comforting. I am SO LUCKY TO HAVE A GOOD NEIGHBOR LIKE BOB!!!!!!!! Bob and I talk while waiting for the doctor to come back with the results of my CAT-SCAN. My pain killer is kicking in and I feel almost like a functioning human being again. Bob even got me to laughing. One of the emergency room personnel looked around the curtain at me and said "Feeling pretty comfortable now?" I said "YES!" The doctor comes in with the results of my CAT-SCAN. He tells me that I did have blood in my urine (I forgot to tell you, I also had to give a urine sample). Blood in urine is a symptom of passing a kidney stone. Then he told me I WAS PASSING A KIDNEY STONE! Wow. Again. By the way, he said I was pretty well "seeded up." He was referring to all the radio-active seeds I had implanted for my prostate brachytherapy last May 2nd. He said "It traveled quite a distance. You could pass it in the next two hours or the next several days. It's hard to tell." Then he gave me The Kit which was a strainer to capture the kidney stone so I can give it to my urologist. He also gave me a prescription for pain killer. He also gave me a printed list of other instructions which is standard boilerplate for emergency room visits like this. Then he told me I could go home. YIPEE!  My "going home" kit. I gathered my clothing, put them back on (and out of that backless hospital gown) and headed out looking for Bob who went to get a cup of coffee. I went to the emergency room waiting room, he wasn't there. It was dark outside. What happened to the time? I arrived at the emergency room at around 6 pm and now it was dark? I checked the time on my iPhone....8:30 pm! Wow, time flies when you're having fun. I called Bob on his cell phone. He was right around the corner. We went out to the parking lot where his truck was parked. I turned around and took a picture of the Emergency Room entrance. Now I'm in a picture taking mood. We take the short ride home. Bill is waiting for me. Bob says "I want you to give Bill a big hug!" I did. Bill sure does get messed up when I'm sick. I thanked Bob. I give Bob a hug too. I'm in a hugging mood tonight. What a wonderful neighbor to do this for me. I cannot tell you how good that makes me feel. I told Bob "Anytime you need anything, any help, anytime day or night DO NOT hesitate to call." Bob said "Don't worry about it" and gave me a wave goodbye. I went back in the house with Bill. Bill said he wanted to go to the hospital and see me but Bob told him not to go, that he would take care of it. As it turned out this was excellent advice because Bill is a mess when I'm sick. Yes, I know I've already said this but it is fact. I tell Bill what happened then I had to pee real bad. I take my strainer in the bathroom and pee into it. Guess what? I captured the kidney stone! The doctor was right. He said it would look like a "grain of sand." See that "grain of sand" in the photo below? That my kidney stone. The doctor told me "it's amazing how something so small can cause so much pain and discomfort." Tell be about it.  I'm just so glad I passed it without any complications. A kidney stone could become lodged in my urethra canal. Thank God that didn't happen. I could still have that kidney stone in me and suffering the paid, which folks is almost indescribable. It is painful as any of you know who have had kidneys stones. I am just so happy that I passed it without any further complications. I decided not to go to Walgreen's tonight to get my pain medication. I might regret that later but I really like to keep my pain killers at a minimum. I think this is my last kidney stone. I HOPE it is my last kidney stone.  I am exhausted. Going to bed now. |