Saturday, October 08, 2011

Day Surgery: Kidney Stone Lasered

About a month ago I was typing on my computer when I started to feel pain in my lower back on the left side. The pain intensified so quickly and with so much intensity that it dropped me to the floor literally crying out. I had no idea what it was, and no way to lay for the pain to alleviate any. Meanwhile, my children are freaking out, my sister calls an ambulance thinking I'm having a heart attack. The ambulance arrives and they think I'm having a muscle spasm in my back, even though I'm telling them it's not even remotely close to that.

So I get to the hospital, after 2 hours of laying there in agony I am finally seen by the Doctor on call who tells me that it's more than likely that I am passing a Kidney stone. He leaves, and an hour later a nurse comes over and asks me to pee in a cup (keep in mind I'm still in pain), so I manage my way to the bathroom to pee in the cup, get escorted back to the bed I'm in, and another hour goes by when the Doctor comes back and says, "Yes...you're passing a Kidney stone."

He gives me a few Tylenol and releases me from the hospital.

As a Military member I have to do a follow up through our MIR and make sure that all is well. Kidney stones in the Military is a big deal and you can be released from the Forces for them. So, I go and see a civvy Urinologist and he does a CAT scan. They find out that the stone never passed and is lodged in my blah-blah (can't remember the name of the tube), and I'll need surgery to remove it. Because it's too large to use the Sonic method, they will have to go up my pee-pee through my bladder and laser it out.

On Monday, I went in for the surgery. It went well, but the days that followed it were a nightmare. I was told that they had to leave a shunt in the tube to keep it from collapsing due to the swelling. Well, this shunt acted just like a stone was lodged there, so not only am I peeing blood and feeling a burning sensation, but it's like I'm passing another stone every time I go to the bathroom. Which is a feeling that is more intensified because of the surgery.

So, in a few days I have to go back into the Doc's office and have the shunt removed....I will be awake during this procedure and I'm not too happy about that fact.

So...hopefully this won't ever happen again, and for all of you that have passed a stone...I feel for ya.

-Rob