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Monday, October 19, 2009

Our weekend started with a trip to the ER. Adam has been battling kidney stones in both kidneys for months now. He even had lithotripsy on one side over the summer to try to break up the one that was giving him trouble so he could potentially pass it easier. The procedure didn't work. He has been in pain off and on. He was given a prescription for hydrocodone and has been taking those as needed to minimize the pain, he often sits with a heating pad on the couch and even sometimes is in so much pain he can't finish a meal sitting in our dining room chairs and has to take his dinner to the living room. Friday after I got off work I received a message on my phone saying my mom was coming to get him and Lily to take him to the hospital because his pain from the kidney stones was so bad. Then I read a text message saying to disregard his message. It turned out that by the time my mom got to our house after leaving work early his pain had let up. My mom stayed for a while, changed Lily's diaper and put Lily down for a nap. She left and before Lily woke up for her nap I got home. He was in pain but it was manageable. We just stayed at home and took it easy. Adam had no appetite and just felt overall lowsy. I put Lily down, we watched a movie, we then began to get ready for bed as Adam's pain hit him REALLY hard. He decided he couldn't make it any more at home that he needed to something stronger to deal with the pain. We decided to take a trip to the ER. I called my mom and fortunately and surprisingly she answered because by now it was 11 o'clock and she goes to bed normally at 8. My mom came and stayed over so we didn't have to wake Lily up. We went to the hospital where Adam was given some morphine to stop the pain and they took an x-ray where they found out both kidney stones are in the ureter. We were sent on her way with a prescription for more hydrocodones. We relieved my mom of her babysitting duties. The following day we were supposed to have family pictures but Adam was still not feeling, understandably so...we didn't get home until 3 am, so family pictures became solely Lily's one year pictures. Adam spent all of Saturday in pain. He did as much as he could with us, including picking out a pumpkin for Lily and driving 30 or so minutes away to pick up the disc of Lily's pictures. Sunday came and he was still not feeling well. He made it through the day lounging at home while Lily and I went to church and later went to small group. It was once again time for bed, I actually made it into bed. Adam on the other hand stayed downstairs. He called me on the phone and said the pain was too bad. We yet again decided to head to the ER. I had talked to my mom hours before and she was definitely going to bed so we had no choice but to take her with us. We woke her up and headed out the door. We arrived to a VERY busy ER. There were so many people most of which were sick with the flu. Many were wearing masks and I counted 3 people that were holding buckets and vomitting in them and NOT wearing a mask. I was really upset. I had texted my mom but she didn't respond which I figured. Adam thought he could call his mom and have her come in to town and stay with him at the hospital while I took Lily back home. I wasn't fond of that idea because she has cancer and works full time, she needs her rest and can't miss any more work than she already does. I decided I would leave to take Lily to my mom's house. I felt bad having to wake my mom up in the night again but I felt I had no choice, I REALLY didn't want Lily at that hospital around all the sick people and why on earth these people weren't wearing masks is beyond me. I was so disgusted by it and freaked out. My mom was so understanding and didn't mind watching Lily. I went back to the hospital. Adam was in a room by the time I got back. This time the doctor gave him a prescription that will dilate the ureter so hopefully the stones will pass with no problems. He had to take 2 trips to the ER for someone to prescribe him medicine that might actually help the problem. We really can't afford any more trips to the ER, I am not sure how we are going to afford the 2 trips we just took. We went to see Adam's urologist this afternoon. We waited for 45 minutes for the doctor to show up to the office. We were annoyed. Lily was with us and it was nap time. She was so cranky. The doctor arrived and told him that the stone that has been giving him all the trouble can't even be seen on the x-ray that he just had right before the appointment but that the size of the stone doesn't effect the pain, it's the blockage that is painful. But since it can't be seen there isn't anything that can be done. Frustrating! He has to live with the pain until the stone passes. He has had the stone for maybe 6 months or so and it is just outside the kidney, it has a long way to travel to pass. The other stone that is not giving him so much trouble is just a few inches away from passing so that is good news. I feel bad for him and me. I am really praying that the medication works and that the stone will start trying to escape. If it was lower they could go in and get it with a scope but it's in a place that can't be reached in any procedure. The doctor gave him a prescription for perkiset (sp?) so maybe that paired with ibuprofen will control the pain better than the hydrocodones.

We have been tired and looking forward for some normalcy in our life to return. Hopefully next weekend will be better!

1 comment:

MamaOtwins+1 said...

Your mom gets praise for being so understanding!
I don't know how anyone could go through that much pain and still be able to go pumpkin picking - I wish there was more they could do for him.