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Jan 27, 2011 11:27 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Toni
Denver Metro (Zone 5a)
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.
Birds Garden Ideas: Master Level Salvias Garden Procrastinator Irises I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
Charter ATP Member Xeriscape Region: Colorado Roses Cat Lover The WITWIT Badge
Yesterday, about 3:30pm, started to feel a little yucky. Just figured that my noodle bowl had gone rancid or something. By 4pm, I'm feeling pretty yucky, in pain and nauseated. By 430, I want to just go home & puke. Unfortunately, my car was in the shop so needed a ride to get to my car. Boss' wife gave me a ride, got my van, went home. By 5pm, had to call DH from school (he takes night classes) to come get me to take me to urgent care. Only problem is that he's clear downtown & it's a 30 minute train ride, then another 15 minute car drive home. By 520, call DH to tell him to take me to the ER as Urgent Care isn't going to be good enough. He shows up at almost 550, throws me in the car (I'd been waiting outside.. I hope bile isn't bad for roses as I ended up getting sick a couple of times walking to the car), and drives like a madman to the ER (5 miles away). Go inside.. I know it's appendicitis as I've had that before but they didn't remove my appendix the last time (it was just blocked). The pain is incredible.. I have never had this much pain in my life ever. Nearly pass out when they're asking me a ton of questions.. two nurses trying to get my vitals & get an IV in me. One nurse gave me some pain meds.. then another shot, then another. Finally start to come out of owieland and am not in as much pain. Stagger to the room designated to be mine, nearly fall on the bed (I refused to get into a wheelchair.. too hard to get back out of). Have the shakes so bad, teeth are chattering. New nurse asks if I'm nauseated, I said yes, so she gives me yet another injection plus some more pain meds (now 4 shots of pain meds.. wonder what they gave me?). Sitting up, waiting for anti-nausea to take affect, she puts a saline bag on as I'm so dehydrated (vomited over 10 times since 430, so nothing in me). It's now about 630 and she needs me to drink some contrast for the CT scan. I drink it.. it's pretty tasty actually, like Crystal Light fruit punch. Can I urinate? Sure, I'd love to, feels like I have to go NOW, but nothing comes out. She needs just a little bit... OK, do I like go in the sink or something? She & DH help totter me to the bathroom & give me the cup. Now I'm so doped up that I barely know how to breathe and they want me to pee in a cup??? I try, get only like 1-2 ounces if that. Clean up my mess, pull pants back up (wearing the open-backed hospital gown on top only), totter to door. Can't open door, too heavy. DH is right outside the door, he & the nurse help me waddle back to the room (SOOOOOOO far away.. probably 16 feet, but feels like 3 miles). Ut-oh, utohutohutoh.. rush over to the sink, grab the pink pukebucket, proceed to throw up all the contrast. Tell the nurse it tastes just as good coming up as going down, she thinks I'm insane. Gets me back to my bed, lays me down, puts 2 more injections into my IV, and I go byebye. Suddenly there's 2 more nurses hovering over me.. what's that beeping? O2 levels have crashed, normal O2 is around 94-99%, I'm in the low teens. oh. Breathe. Breathing's hard. Don't have energy to breathe. They put stupid O2 tubes in my nose.. yuck, get those out. Don't have energy to pull them out my nose. O2s go back up to 60s & 70s.. good enough for now. Sleep again. Forced to wake up, drink this contrast. So cold, how many gallons do I have to drink? 12ounce bottle. Feels like an ocean. Takes over 20 minutes to drink, pass out again. ZzZzZzZzZzzzz.. woke up, have to pee right now, not allowed. Aww, but I gotta go. No, you have to hold the contrast. How much longer? 20 minutes. Bleh. Fall back asleep, shaking. DH is freaking out, why am I shaking so much? Dunno. CT tech comes and wheels me to CT scan room.. so cold!! I'm FREEZING!! Lady takes pity & brings me a warmed blanket. Ahhh.. *purring* that feels SOOOOO good. Now gonna give you an injection and you'll feel the need to urinate. I already have to go!!.. ooh, yuck, tastes & smells nasty (you taste & smell it from the inside, not the outside) and, yup, there's the burning sensation that you gotta go. Just hold on, it'll be quick. Yea, right.. last time I had a CT scan took over an hour. Zip Zip Zip, done. What? We've been in here for less than 6 minutes! wow, can I pee now? Please? Please please please? She wheels me back to my room, nearly running over 2 other people in cross-traffic. Need traffic lights on these halls! Gets me back to my room, DH helps me totter to the bathroom. Ahhhh, finally, can go, yay! Security guard thinks it's hilarious how I totter around, "nice dance moves!" Get back to my room, fall back asleep. Poor DH, he's so hungry, hasn't eaten since lunch & it's now like 9pm. Go get some food, no, he'll wait for me to get out of the hospital. ZzZzZzZzzz.. fall back asleep while shaking again. Have 2 blankets on and so cold. About 10pmish, Dr. comes in.. I have kidney stones. Kidney stones? I'm a woman, that shouldn't be a factor. No, women get them too, and I had a stone obstruct my urethral tube .. that's why I needed to go but couldn't. Ah. Percoset, Aleve, & anti-nausea. Yay, even MORE happy drugs. You're free to go. Try to get dressed, like that's happening. Wore my pretty hot-pink bra today.. can't put it back on as don't have energy to reach.. just throw my pink sweater on & carry it out. Huh. Can I just wear it on my head like earmuffs? No. Awww.. you're no fun. Get wheeled out, DH gets the car, helps me in, and go home. yay, home. Home where the bed is. Bed is good. But cold. So cold. It's about 60 degs in the basement and the bed is frozen. As I crawl into bed, teeth start to chatter. End up with 4 blankets on. Still so cold. DH painfully cuddles up next to me, I freeze him half to death. Finally fall asleep in bed.

And now I have to pee. Again.

CT scans shows that I have a few more stones that are still in my kidneys. So I'll get to go through all this again soon with my luck. Yay.

Kidney stones are not fun.
Roses are one of my passions! Just opened, my Etsy shop (to fund my rose hobby)! http://www.etsy.com/shop/Tweet...
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Jan 27, 2011 6:09 PM CST
Name: Gloria Levely
Sanford Mi. (Zone 5b)
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Region: United States of America Roses Peonies Region: Michigan
Lilies Irises Hostas Dog Lover Daylilies Clematis
oh Toni How awful !!! I hope you feel better soon May be the other stones will be small and just go away !!!drink lots of water and flush those babies out
Lovey dubby Lovey dubby
Gloria
Avatar for Norwich369
Jan 27, 2011 6:40 PM CST
Name: Lisa
Cincinnati, Ohio (Zone 6A)
Dear Toni: You are an amazing person -- to be in such extraordinary pain and still communicate with such clarity and humor. What courage and heart you have! Particularly since you can't look at the event as in the past. Kudos to you, and best wishes for the other stones to just crack up and pass peacefully.

Lisa
Avatar for porkpal
Jan 27, 2011 7:11 PM CST
Name: Porkpal
Richmond, TX (Zone 9a)
Cat Lover Charter ATP Member Keeper of Poultry I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Dog Lover Keeps Horses
Roses Plant Identifier Farmer Raises cows Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Garden Ideas: Level 2
No, kidney stones are no joke, but your account of your experience was hilarious! I hope you feel better soon - and stay that way.
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Jan 27, 2011 8:16 PM CST
Moderator
Name: Zuzu
Northern California (Zone 9a)
Region: Ukraine Charter ATP Member Region: California Cat Lover Roses Clematis
Irises Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Plant Identifier Garden Sages Plant Database Moderator Garden Ideas: Master Level
Oh, Toni. This is so sad and yet so funny. I hope you don't have to go through this experience again. Take care of yourself, poor girlie.
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Jan 28, 2011 11:56 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Toni
Denver Metro (Zone 5a)
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.
Birds Garden Ideas: Master Level Salvias Garden Procrastinator Irises I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
Charter ATP Member Xeriscape Region: Colorado Roses Cat Lover The WITWIT Badge
It's a gorgeous day.. Going up into the low 60s. Today's my half day at work.. Usually get off at 2pm. That's why I'm back in the ER. Another episode. Yay!! Wheee!

Bleh
Roses are one of my passions! Just opened, my Etsy shop (to fund my rose hobby)! http://www.etsy.com/shop/Tweet...
Avatar for porkpal
Jan 28, 2011 1:13 PM CST
Name: Porkpal
Richmond, TX (Zone 9a)
Cat Lover Charter ATP Member Keeper of Poultry I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Dog Lover Keeps Horses
Roses Plant Identifier Farmer Raises cows Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Garden Ideas: Level 2
Can't they break up your remaining stones with ultra sound? What a drag!
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Jan 28, 2011 4:38 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Toni
Denver Metro (Zone 5a)
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.
Birds Garden Ideas: Master Level Salvias Garden Procrastinator Irises I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
Charter ATP Member Xeriscape Region: Colorado Roses Cat Lover The WITWIT Badge
Being admitted overnight. Crying Crying Crying never stayed the night in the hospital, kinda nervous. Good jujus requested please...
Roses are one of my passions! Just opened, my Etsy shop (to fund my rose hobby)! http://www.etsy.com/shop/Tweet...
Avatar for Norwich369
Jan 28, 2011 5:46 PM CST
Name: Lisa
Cincinnati, Ohio (Zone 6A)
Jujus on the way
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Jan 28, 2011 5:59 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Toni
Denver Metro (Zone 5a)
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.
Birds Garden Ideas: Master Level Salvias Garden Procrastinator Irises I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
Charter ATP Member Xeriscape Region: Colorado Roses Cat Lover The WITWIT Badge
Got admitted .. I'm in a suite. I'm in a room way nicer than most hotels I've stayed at in my life! Awesome view of the mountains.. Will try to take a pic when I can get up. Can't walk very good right now, totally wacked out.
Roses are one of my passions! Just opened, my Etsy shop (to fund my rose hobby)! http://www.etsy.com/shop/Tweet...
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Jan 28, 2011 6:19 PM CST
Moderator
Name: Zuzu
Northern California (Zone 9a)
Region: Ukraine Charter ATP Member Region: California Cat Lover Roses Clematis
Irises Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Plant Identifier Garden Sages Plant Database Moderator Garden Ideas: Master Level
A nice room will sweeten the experience somewhat. I'm glad you have that at least.
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Jan 29, 2011 7:49 PM CST
Thread OP
Name: Toni
Denver Metro (Zone 5a)
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.
Birds Garden Ideas: Master Level Salvias Garden Procrastinator Irises I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
Charter ATP Member Xeriscape Region: Colorado Roses Cat Lover The WITWIT Badge
Didn't get pictures of the room, but here's the view outside my window. I took these with my phone this morning at about 8am.

Thumb of 2011-01-30/Skiekitty/27fabc Thumb of 2011-01-30/Skiekitty/ce0193 Thumb of 2011-01-30/Skiekitty/86a8b6

Didn't get out until after 430 this afternoon. I thought I was going to be out like around 9am this morning! *sigh* But, I will say that the food was awesome (who ever heard of yummy hospital food?). For dinner on Fri night, I got roasted pork loin w/apples & raisins, whole green beans, a fruit cup, cranberry juice, & ginger ale. For breakfast today, (late, brunch?) it was a ham & cheese sammich w/pickle, tater chips, fruit cup, cranberry juice, & ginger ale. lunch (about 130) was chicken strips, chicken soup, chocolate cake (yumm,... cake...), fruit cup, cranberry juice (notice a pattern?) and a pepsi. I'm now at home, got to take a shower & wash my disgusting nasty hair (hadn't washed it all week as Wednesdays are my mid-week days to wash my hair.. wash on Sun & Wed when it's not summer time), and now getting ready to eat some dinner. I'm soooooooo very glad that this is all over.. it's not something fun and something I don't recommend for anyone. I ended up getting since Fri morning a total of 5.5 2liter bags of saline solution, 4 shots of dilaudid (pain med), 3 shots of Zofran (anti-nausea), 2 shots of Flomax (increase urination), a zofran pill & a flomax pill. Ugh. I hate meds, but seriously, I liked these happy drugs, especially when I was so wacked out on pain. Sad Now the two most beautiful days of the week are totally gone, looking at some major horrible weather coming up (like, a high of 4 deg on Tuesday w/a low of neg 4). Bleh.

I just wanna play in dirt. Sad
Roses are one of my passions! Just opened, my Etsy shop (to fund my rose hobby)! http://www.etsy.com/shop/Tweet...
Avatar for porkpal
Jan 30, 2011 12:07 AM CST
Name: Porkpal
Richmond, TX (Zone 9a)
Cat Lover Charter ATP Member Keeper of Poultry I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Dog Lover Keeps Horses
Roses Plant Identifier Farmer Raises cows Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Garden Ideas: Level 2
I'm so glad you are better! Was that the last of the kidney stones?
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Jan 30, 2011 12:17 AM CST
Moderator
Name: Zuzu
Northern California (Zone 9a)
Region: Ukraine Charter ATP Member Region: California Cat Lover Roses Clematis
Irises Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Plant Identifier Garden Sages Plant Database Moderator Garden Ideas: Master Level
I'm glad you're back at home. Keep drinking that cranberry juice.
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Jan 30, 2011 1:07 AM CST
Moderator
Name: Suzanne/Sue
Sebastopol, CA (Zone 9a)
Sunset Zone 15
Plant Database Moderator Region: California Cottage Gardener Garden Photography Roses Clematis
Daylilies Houseplants Foliage Fan Birds Butterflies Bee Lover
My daughter had stones a few years back, said the pain was worse that childbirth labor pains.

Here is a good article with tips on preventing them. (it may ask you to sign up for his newsletter, I think you can click past it, not sure as I do get his emailed newsletters on a regular basis)
http://articles.mercola.com/si...
My gardening Blog!
Handmade quilts, new & vintage fabrics in my Etsy store. Summer Song Cottage
Instagram Sewing posts
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Mar 18, 2011 8:39 AM CST
Thread OP
Name: Toni
Denver Metro (Zone 5a)
Whiskey Tango Foxtrot.
Birds Garden Ideas: Master Level Salvias Garden Procrastinator Irises I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database!
Charter ATP Member Xeriscape Region: Colorado Roses Cat Lover The WITWIT Badge
Update for anyone who wants to read.

2 weeks after my bout, I had to go see my doctor for a followup. They took blood & urine samples.. said I wasn't drinking enough water and they'll get my blood scanned for elevated liver enzymes as the hospital noticed that when I was in there (they didn't tell me). So now I have to drink up to a full gallon of water a day (at least 2 liters). I'm drinking Glaceau's "smartwater" (http://www.glaceau.com/) as that's one of the few waters that I can tolerate. I asked my doctor what were they looking for with my liver (what ELSE can go wrong?) and they said that my AST (?) was elevated.. normal is around 5-50 and mine was about 75. So I looked it up & saw that it was "fatty liver" problems. Well, that stands to reason as, well, I'm fat, so since I'm fat, I should have everything else fat too. LOL! So I've changed my lifestyle. I went on a heavily modified Atkins (sorry, I'm a carnivore but not as carnivorous as my DH) and this is what I've done: given up breads (no big deal, don't eat bread already), potatoes (OH NO!! Not my mashed taters!!), soda (haven't had a "dark" soda [cola] since around Jan 29th, haven't had ANY soda, including Sprite, since Feb 11th), cookies/cake (extremely hard to do.. I've had 2 cookies since I was in the hospital.. even though it was Girl Scout Cookie season!! and my favorite food of all time practically is Chocolate cake), eat more meat (not hard to do, but kinda boring after a while), and try to eat 3-4 meals a day (I usually only have dinner). I'll eat ice cream (1 scoop) maybe once a week (Dreyer's Spumoni), so I *do* get some "cheat" in there. And I'm drinking 2 1-liter bottles of water a day.

Now I'm a big girl, always have been. I stand at about 6' and wear a size 24 pants. And I'm noticing a difference this time. Last time I went on a diet, I didn't lose any weight. This time, I am. My pants are definitely fitting MUCH looser (probably wearing a size 22 now). When I weighed in at the doc's office on Feb 21st, I weighed in at 294, which is about 75lbs too much (I'd be happy to be back down to 225.. when I was in college and swimming over a mile a day, I clocked in at over 200 then, too. I'm not using the Eric Cartman reference of "I'm not fat, I'm just big boned." It honest-to-happens to be true. I *am* fat, but I'm working on not being so fat now.) And, as everyone knows, the doctor's scale and the scale you use at home are NEVER EVER EVER in sync. So, right before I go to the doc's today (I have another checkup as they want to check my blood again), I'm weighing myself at home. Then, when they weigh me at the office, I'll know the difference in our scales and be appropriate.

But, when I weighed myself last night, I clocked in at 270. From 294 at the beginning of this to 270. Maybe, just maybe, I'm doing it right this time? I'm also walking a lot more (when I get off work 3 times a week, I'm taking the dogs to the dog park & walking the entire thing.. 17 acres (http://www.waymarking.com/waym...)) and biking a lot more.

Wish me luck.
Roses are one of my passions! Just opened, my Etsy shop (to fund my rose hobby)! http://www.etsy.com/shop/Tweet...
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Mar 18, 2011 12:09 PM CST
Moderator
Name: Zuzu
Northern California (Zone 9a)
Region: Ukraine Charter ATP Member Region: California Cat Lover Roses Clematis
Irises Celebrating Gardening: 2015 Plant Identifier Garden Sages Plant Database Moderator Garden Ideas: Master Level
Best of luck, Toni. It's beastly hard to do, but you'll feel so much better at 225, which probably is a good weight for your height.
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Mar 18, 2011 4:15 PM CST
Name: Steve
Prescott, AZ (Zone 7b)
Irises Lilies Roses Region: Southwest Gardening
Congrats on a good start, Toni. I agree that losing weight is one of the most difficult things to do - akin to gaining 30 IQ points, changing your height, or becoming effortlessly witty. And about as natural. I wish you luck.
When you dance with nature, try not to step on her toes.
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Mar 18, 2011 5:17 PM CST
Name: Gloria Levely
Sanford Mi. (Zone 5b)
Charter ATP Member I was one of the first 300 contributors to the plant database! Region: United States of America Roses Peonies Region: Michigan
Lilies Irises Hostas Dog Lover Daylilies Clematis
good luck to you Toni and congrats !!!!
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Mar 18, 2011 9:43 PM CST
Name: Carey
Austin, TX (Zone 8b)
Charter ATP Member Region: Texas Dog Lover Container Gardener Tropicals Roses
Lover of wildlife (Black bear badge) Plumerias Orchids Plant and/or Seed Trader Butterflies Garden Ideas: Level 2
Congratulations and good luck Toni!

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