Strange title perhaps, but one that is true, Kidney stones really do fucking hurt, and a lot!
I felt I should write up a blog about the previous week as many people were wondering what I was doing or up to, some people had read my status message on Facebook, some just caught the odd Twitter, some, those closest friends, were in the SMS loop.
Fact is the last seven days are probably up there with the strangest in my life, sure I have had completely crazy weeks before, totally mayhem in places, yet these last seven represent two very extreme ends of joy and pain.
Last Friday Nov 30 I received final news of a negotiation I had been working on, and though I’m still not releasing that amazing news publically, let’s just say the deal is life changing for me and my family, which of course is “the” driver for me these days.
So there we were in town on this amazing high, enjoying a plush bar and having a single celebratory drink and contemplating our future when I started getting some abdominal cramps, not severe, but mildly annoying.
We finished our drinks and then made our way back home to get Lola fed and off to bed, Jo popped out to talk with a friend and I had an evening looking after me girl. That evening the cramps stayed similar, just mildly annoying.
Saturday ….
So I got up fairly early on Saturday with a radiant smile (after such wonderful news the day before), made a cup of tea and sat down to watch the morning news.
Within about 10 mins the cramps were back and this time had me worried, the pain was increasing by the minute and thankfully Jo suggested hospital was the best idea.
I drove off to hospital and by the time I had arrived I was doubling over, in real discomfort. After some initial checks and various samples they were slightly baffled. They gave me some anti-spasmodic drugs and mild painkillers, which this did seem to help. The diagnosis at this point (by a young doctor probably not long out of training) suggested “these things happen and usually clear up within 24 hours”. Umm yeah, sure skippy.
Now this is where I am pissed off with Accident & Emergency, they sent me home. Within 45 mins I was in utter agony at home, tremendous pain, such that Jo had to drive me back to hospital while I was literally writhing around in the back of the car.
Hours went by with me in extreme pain, pain like I never knew existed. Again the duty Doctor was a young female, probably far too in-experienced and also very insensitive to my condition, her suggestion was “we are at the end of line, so best if we send you home with some pain relief”. I looked up at her from the bed and said “I am going fucking nowhere in this state of pain”. She went on to say “well the only other thing is we send you to Stoke (another hospital) for some checks”, well Christ she had a brain after all. I said “let’s do that”. Again hours passed, far too many, with little urgency, needless pain suffering before I ended up in the back of an ambulance on my way to Stoke after a blast of Morphine.
I won’t bore you with any more details about what went on, but the diagnosis was that I passed a couple of kidney stones, these come down from the kidney and can rip the ureter as they pass down into the bladder, and I’m telling you it fucking hurts.
To make things worse due to some laceration of the ureter by the passing stones an infection was contracted and joy oh joy produced a handsome fever from which I am now suffering.
I am now back at home after my hospital holiday and relaxing in bed mostly, the fever is reducing by the day, along with remnant pain, should be ok by mid-week, about 10 days from the start of it all.
So there we go, many people were asking so I felt a quick update might help. I also want to say a huge thank you to those of you who sent wishes to me, you know who you are, yes you, It didn’t go unnoticed I really appreciated that a lot, often you can tell her cares about you in these situations.
OK, that’s it, I apologise now for future medical related blogs, as they are bound to come, I have good mini-stories of the experience, I think that’s the point, in all these things there is always, inevitably, a positive side, always something good to share with someone about it, I’ll do that I imagine.
And you know what, fuck the stones too!