Gil and I spent the holidays in Idaho and Utah with members of Gil's family. It was a wonderful break from school and work for both of us.
A coworker had offered to teach me to knit and we had a yarn shopping/lunch/knitting date scheduled for Jan 2. Yarn was purchased, a yummy lunch was eaten, and just as we settled down for a knitting lesson... sharp pain in my left side that I was 95% certain was a kidney stone. The pain was bad but not at the crazy-bad level I was used to with stones. However, because I was 19 weeks pregnant, I was worried about what it meant for the baby and decided to be safe and head to the hospital.
My coworker, bless her, drove me to the ER and her husband, bless him, drove my car down. I called Gil who thankfully had just finished a work assignment north of Sacramento and was headed back to the shop. When he arrived at the ER, I was taken for an ultrasound (safest scan for the baby) and no stone was found though signs that there was one were present. Best the doctor could say was the stone was somewhere between my kidney and bladder, making its way out. Relieved beyond belief, I drove myself home, with Gil following in his car.
I got through the next three days just fine. Saturday night I dropped Gil at the airport for a red-eye flight to Texas where he'd be for the next two weeks to help his dad complete some projects on the property down there. I spent the next few days with occasional twinges. I went for walks, did some closet cleaning, and drank a ton of water to help the stone pass.
Thursday, Jan 10, my mother flew in to spend the weekend. As we exited the freeway towards the apartment, I had a crazy spike of pain. Tylenol didn't help, the pain increased to the point where your mind can't process it, and two hours after she landed, my mom drove me to the ER. Heavy narcotics helped somewhat and another ultrasound was performed. This time, the stone was found, still sitting in my left kidney. It hadn't moved. It couldn't. It was a centimeter in diameter and too large to pass on its own. I was admitted, the baby's heart beat was checked and found normal and no contractions, and finally around 3 or 4 am the pain dropped to a level where I could sleep.
Friday morning the urologist came in. He said the stone couldn't be blasted externally because the shock waves would be bad for the baby. Going in with a laser to chip the stone into smaller pieces internally wasn't recommended because he didn't want me under anesthesia that long because of the baby. He proposed placing a stent between my kidney and bladder. The stent would be replaced every 6 weeks until the baby was born, and then the stone would be blasted. Surgery was scheduled, I experienced general anesthesia for the first time, and woke up feeling like I had to go to the bathroom. My mom drove me home and it was a rough night.
The stint was almost worse than the stone and I was in no shape to take care of myself and was so thankful my mom was there. By Tuesday, I knew having a stent for five more months was not an option. I spoke with a high risk OB and a friend who is an anesthetist. Gil and I decided to go ahead and have the stone laser blasted internally. The earliest they could schedule this was Thursday the 24th. One more week.
Gil flew home the 17th and my mom left the 18th. We spent the weekend working puzzles and watching Star Wars. On the 19th, I learned that a dear friend had passed away from complications after an emergency c-section. I was shocked and devastated and spooked beyond all reason for my own procedure. The 24th finally arrived and Gil drove me to the hospital. When I woke up from the anesthesia this time, I was stone free and stent free. My left kidney was extremely painful and I was given strong stuff again. Gil drove me home and I rested the next three days.
I made it to church on Sunday, the first time all month, and by the end of our meetings, was ready to go home. I didn't have to report to work until Tuesday and was glad for one more day to rest and recuperate. I made it just fine the rest of the week at work.
And that was how I spent my furlough.
