Surgery

One thing I had hoped to leave behind in AZ before the move was my kidney stone and kidney pain. Back a year ago in April I had some intense pain that was ruled a kidney infection. I didn't think more of it until that fall when we were in Paris and I had it again.

Anyway, fast forward to the Friday before my birthday when the pain was so bad, that following a trip to Target with Jill, I ended up going to the ER. 

The got me in in minutes and before I could even fill out paperwork I had an IV and anti inflammatory IV meds on board. My blood pressure was higher than they liked but made sense because of the pain I was in. They took blood and sent me for a CT scan. Before it was even finished the tech said, "Yep, it looks like a large kidney stone." 

I waited for the doctor and as the fluids and meds kicked in my BP fell to normal and I started feeling a little better. The ER doc said it was "much to large of a stone" to ever pass on my own and that I should get surgery done soon. The worry was that if it finally decided to try to pass it would block my ureter and could cause lots of issues including kidney failure (besides being stupid painful). He referred me to a doctor in Lewisville and wrote me a RX for T3 (which BTW did NOTHING for my pain it it did make me sleepy and nauseated) and zofran. 

{I will now skip the rest of the fun weekend including my bday to jump ahead to surgery. I'll post birthday stuff later. }

Tuesday, because of the holiday, I had a 12:30 appointment with Dr Goldberg. I found the office quickly and waited my turn. I was the only female and the only person under 70 in the office. And I had my "Super Wife Super Mom Super Tired" shirt on which made two of the old men and one of the nurses literally Laugh Out Loud. 

Dr G is an interesting fellow. He was on the phone doing consults most of the time he was in the room with me. We looked at my CT from the ER and he said I had two options- but really since the stone was still in the kidney the best option was to do a Ureteroscopy and laser lithotripsy in the OR. 

He didn't have any openings on his surgery schedule for weeks, so he said to me "I think you've been in pain for long enough. Do you want this taken care of today? This week? Because I can make that happen for you" of course I said yes and he pulls out his cell phone again and calls the cell of another surgeon not even from his practice and tells her (I mean asks but not really) she needs to see me today. So I left the office and headed to get a Rusty since I knew this other doctor was in downtown Dallas. 

We drove to the Aston building at UT Southwestern in Dallas and got there about 2:30. The entire UT campus is massive and we were on the 7th floor with some awesome views of the planes taking off from Love Field. We waited nearly an hour before we got into a room and then another hour before we saw the doc. I was fine waiting because I knew she had worked us into her schedule. The girls at the front desk were even a little mistified how I got a same day appointment since Dr Pearle usually books months in advance for consults. 

When she finally came in we went over my options again after looking at my CR images again. She was super nice and really apologetic that she didn't have any openings in her OR schedule but her parter Dr Antonelli did and so she put me on her schedule for Thursday. 

Thursday Rusty, Boston and I drove back into Dallas to check me into pre-op.  The hospital is brand new and super cool.  We only waited a little while before it was time for me to go into pre-op.  Boss wasn't allowed back so I had to be a brave girl by myself.  They got my IV and meds going really quickly.  I met the team, including my surgeon, and before I knew it they were giving me the sleepy medicine.  

I woke up in recovery, I could hear the nurse telling me to breathe, and then laughing from her and Rusty.  Apparently, I did not so much want to breathe on my own post op.  They had to keep reminding me to take deep breaths since my O2 sats were falling into the 80's.  

This was the super fly gown I wore. 

During surgery they used a laser to blast the stone, and then they removed the pieces.  After they placed a stent to help with the swelling that would occur after the surgery.  I had to have this in for 11 days.  I came home, Rusty got me settled in, and went over to dinner with the boys at Wade and Liz's house.  I felt okay, finally ate something and went to sleep.  

I woke up in the night feeling horrible.  I puked and puked until the anesthesia was out of my system. I was sore and extremely uncomfortable and sat in the shower for most of the night.

The next day wasn't much better. in fact, it was way worse.  Rusty stayed home to help me and I was in bed all day.  We talked to the doctor's office and they told us since I hadn't kept anything down all day I needed to go to the ER. But since I had had surgery in Dallas, they wanted me to go to that ER, 45 min away.  We decided that I would try zofran, increasing my pain meds and seeing if I got a little better before going in.  

The next day early, Rhonda and her girls flew in, I was still in bed so they all went to the Airshow in McKinney and left me home to rest.  I started to feel better that day and little by little I was finally able to leave my room. 

Sunday Rusty spoke in church so I got up and went for the first hour, worst mistake ever, it set me back a few days.  I was glad I was there but it hurt bad.  The worst part was the stupid stent.  SO uncomfortable.  

The Monday that I got the stent removed in office was the best day ever.  Even tho it hurt bad getting it out, I felt ok until after I took Rusty to the airport when the "kidney spasms" started.  By 9pm I was in so much pain I was bawling. But, the next morning I woke up and felt the best I had in a long time! New life goal, never go to the hospital again.