Some crackers with my whine, please?

This has been a long week for me and my family. Last week, I made a comment to Randy that I felt like I had a kidney stone on the move (I had passed 10 since 2003, I kinda know what they feel like). Remember this post? Sunday rolled around and when I was sitting in Sunday School, I felt it... the feeling that is undeniably a kidney stone. I sat all the way through church, feeling like I have to pee, not going because I knew how bad it was going to hurt. Once church was over, I mentioned to Randy that FOR SURE we were in for a long night. I was annoyed because Randy's mom was making my favorite meatloaf for dinner and we were going to watch Twilight. Randy was a little later coming home because it was fast Sunday. I had arranged for the kids to sleep at his mom and dad's house because I was scheduled to report for jury duty on Monday morning. By the time he got home, it was obvious that we were sending the kids to Hurricane and taking me to the ER. The pain was getting pretty severe at that point. Thanks to our good neighbor, Kurt, and Randy, I was able to get a quick blessing before we left. We got to the ER, got right in and then I heard the nurse's angel wings flapping as she gave me a shot of Dilaudid (it's a drug for pain that is 10 times stronger than Morphine). At this point I was dry heaving like crazy, so I got Zolphram also. They took me to get a CT scan. Results were there was 1 kidney stone in my urethra, one in my bladder, at least one in my left kidney and my right kidney showed signs that I had already passed one from that side. After some more Dilaudid and Zolphram, they sent me home with Percocet and an anti-boitic (because of the blockage, I now had an infection) I knew what to do to get them gone. Sunday night was LONG. Early Monday morning, I got violently ill and then the pain stopped. I assumed I had passed the stone and missed seeing it. Randy took Monday off, I got out of jury duty for this one and then the Clyde's brought the kids home when they came over for Maddison's ball game. I was still in some pain, but thought it was the infection. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday during the days I was fine, but night time would roll around and I would get those stupid pains again. Friday I had an appointment with a urologist. I got some good pointers on what to do/not do, eat/not eat and some new meds to try. This morning, woke up, tired but ok. I had a family reunion photo shoot to do. Everything went great. On my way home I started to feel the pain again. At this point, I'm getting really discouraged and feeling wimpy. I didn't make it home before I was on the phone with my mom in a panic. The pain was getting really, really, really strong. Randy was on Kolob hauling wood, my kids were in Hurricane again and I didn't know what to do. ER? Go to my doctor (he was on call)? Tough it out? Thank goodness my mom called my sister, Launa and told her to come and get me. I got another blessing (thanks again, Kurt) and headed for Dr. Chamberlain's office. I was drinking a lot and not peeing. I was getting worried. While waiting for the doctor, I went to the bathroom and guess what came out???? Yep, a stone. I was still pretty sick, dry heaving, extreme pain, shaking, hot flashes, ect. They gave me a shot of Phenegren and sent me home with a bunch of prescriptions. The measurement of this one (almost 3mm) is what the one in my urethra measured on CT scan, so this was probably the first one. I feel like such a light weight and then I am reminded by doctors that I am playing in the major league when it comes to stones. I took these pictures of this stone. The pictures don't do it justice. It's covered in sharp calcium rows and spikes. It looks tiny, but it's bigger than the tubing going from your kidney to your bladder and from your bladder-out!!! I would share the name I gave it, but it's not approved by blogger ;)

I'm so thankful for modern medicine, Priesthood blessings, my family, our neighbors and an understanding husband. I will be changing some things I eat and new meds to prevent more from forming, I just have to get the ones already in there- out!!! I don't want to sound like a whiner when I talk about my stones, they suck, but they have been a big part of my life for the last few years. Hopefully I wont have such problems in the future!!!