You'd think I'd recognize a kidney stone after the first one, but no, this one presented itself quite differently. Referred pain? You got it (rather, I did).
So a good part of Friday found me waiting here (the hospital's walk-in imaging clinic):
Not exactly my first choice for where to spend all that time. But when the ultrasound didn't reveal anything amiss in my gallbladder (a good thing!), the GI folks had to refer me to somebody else (with a practice in the same medical facility, but an entirely separate registration/appointment process). That doctor, whom I got to see only on the luck of some other patient's cancellation, sent me back to the clinic for an x-ray, which revealed the real cause of all the trouble.
The doctor was very kind and hung around after his office had closed, just so he could interpret the x-ray for me (it was late in the day when he ordered the test, so there was no way the radiologist would have the official report to him in a timely fashion). He could have gone home and told me to wait for the results, to be delivered by phone after the long weekend, with orders to go to the ER if things got worse before then. But he didn't, and I'm thankful. Because of his kindness, I was able to go home with an answer and greater peace of mind. I'm still under orders to go to the ER if anything untoward occurs, but given the size and location of the stone, that's very unlikely.
Who knew I'd be glad to have a kidney stone instead of the alternative?
(Don't get me wrong; it still hurts. But given the choice, while alone, I'd rather deal with a problem I can treat from home as opposed to something that requires hospitalization, no matter how routine. Who would feed the kitty?)
I just hope I'm not in for a repeat of this in the future. Especially since it occurs without warning and in such misleading ways! Worst fear: that it happens while I'm on a plane. If I'd gone with D on Thursday instead of staying behind to work on my thesis, I'd have been somewhere over Texas during the nastier part of that afternoon. I suppose I should thank my writing obligations for preventing that ... ?
5 comments:
This is a part of the body that I am familiar with and I really do sympathise about the pain involved. Referred or in the predictable place, there is no getting away from the fact that it really does hurt.
You poor thing, CT - still, at least you have been diagnosed - now for the solutions...
So sorry that you're in pain but glad to hear it was diagnosed before the holiday. I know nothing about kidney stones but hope the pain is resolved soon.
FF -- that's exactly what I want to know; what solution is there to keep this from happening again? It seems one can only do so much, from what the doctor discussed with me, and the rest we have to leave up to our body's natural tendencies (read: can't change certain factors that are causing the problem). Sigh ...
Sherlock -- I hope you never have to find out about kidney stones from personal experience! I'm glad too to have gotten an answer before the long weekend. I guess knowing what to expect after the previous kidney incident has made this much less worrisome (though certainly no less annoying).
Oh man, CT. How are you doing now? Yes, good thing you were home, and while terribly painful, at least you know what it is. Still, they're brutal. (Sending virtual hugs.)
Now, as to that silver lining, maybe it should be an Elsa Peretti silver kidney bean? :) OKAY. Just sayin' ...
Feel better soon.
Doing better, BLW; thanks for asking. As for the Elsa Peretti suggestion, I like the way you think ;)
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