The End is in Sight

For my blogging friends and family and even those who follow me via email or through another social media platform, the wait to deal with my persistent pain in the side, my kidney stone, is going to be finally evicted on Tuesday, February 10th.

These long journey began in the beginning of December last year with what seemed like for all intents and purposes to be a UTI or bladder infection. After two weeks of antibiotics, I was still dealing with the symptoms associated with it. Thinking the first round of antibiotics, Bactrim, might not have worked, the doctor prescribed a stronger one for the next 10 days, Cipro. You would think based on everything you read that by day 4, I would be feeling better. But no such luck. I went to Urgent Care on the day before New Years Eve knowing that everything would be closed down until after the first of the year.

Thankfully I got a great doctor who listened, really listened and figured out that the symptoms might just be something else. But to be on the safe side, he hooked me up to an IV and gave me some really strong antibiotics with some pain meds mixed in (Toradol). Trust me when I say, I was in a lot of pain.

Meanwhile, he sent me for a CT scan that same day. Not a pretty wait for the CT scan. While it should have been in/out, they had to wait for insurance verification to begin the procedure. Fast forward 3 hours later and we have to wait for the results to be sent back to the doctor. I went home and laid down for about an hour while my husband kept pressuring the office to at least give me something for the pain while I waited.

They advised me to come back in to wait for the results and they could give me something stronger for the pain. They were nice enough not to let me sit back in the waiting room with all these really sick people whose cold and flu I did not want to catch. They allowed us to sit in some really nice reclining chairs used for IV patients who need to get fluids while watching I Love Lucy reruns. Pretty nice considering.

Another hour passes and the doctor finally comes back with the results of the CT scan, the culprit, a pesky kidney stone 7mm large just inside my right kidney. He tells me I have two options, (1) head to the nearest ER and see if they can help me to get it removed. This means waiting as though I had never been seen. If you live in the High Desert, that is not an option. ER wait times are between 2-8 hours and knowing all they would do is stabilize me and send me home with a recommendation to see a doctor about getting that removed. (2) was to take medications like Flo-Max to see if I could pass it on my own while waiting to make an appointment with a urologist. I chose option 2, and he gave me some Dilaudid in my IV which literally felt almost euphoric!

Now here it on February 6th and still have not been able to pass that pesky stone who seems to like his new home quite well. The doctor has scheduled a procedure to shock the stone into smaller pieces to see if I can get rid of it once and for all. I am hoping this will work.

The days have been horrible in the weeks leading up to this procedure and I was lucky enough to secure a prescription of Dilaudid for the pain. At times I was taking 5 of these a day but am managing right now to seriously learn how to manage pain without it. NOT EASY by any means.

The thing that really is frustrating is trying all the home remedies trying to get this to pass. I've tried, water with lemons, hot tea with lemon juice and honey, apple cider vinegar, drinking a few beers and drinking more water than a camel does. Nope, not moving at all.

So will you join me in prayer if you can remember?

Surgery is scheduled on Tuesday, February 9th at 7:00am. The procedure is supposed to only take an hour.

What I need specific prayer for?

1. For the stone to pass on its own until the day of the procedure.

2. For the procedure to work on eliminating the kidney stone.

3. No stent will be required to help pass the stone.

4. For the procedure to be pain free when its over as well as the passing of the stones.

5. To prevent any infection or complications from the procedure.

6. Peace of mind the day of the procedure.

Thank you in advance for your prayers today and in the days leading up to the procedure.