Yes, you read that right. On Monday night I had some diarrhea (pardon the details) and as the night went on, I started to get some highly concentrated pain in my mid left back area. At first I thought it was intestinal problems (yes, intestines are squished all over the place by my huge uterus) but it got worse and worse. By around 12:30 I realized it was not digestion problems at all, but something else. I had Mark look up kidney stones online and saw that I had some of the symptoms. It was so bad that I couldn't move or find a comfortable position to lie down in.
We called my mom and she agreed to come over so I could go to the ER. While we were waiting for her we decided to call an ambulance because the pain was so awful I could barely stand it. I was writhing on the couch when they walked in. They took my vitals, etc and took me to the hospital. They kept asking me questions about labor and I kept telling them I was NOT in labor. Trust me, I KNOW this is not labor.
Anyway, so the ambulance ride was bumpy and awful and totally not as cool as I imagined it to be (ha) and they took me to L&D triage. Poor ambulance guys-they had to listen to me sobbing over every bump. They really need to work on their empathy. I could have really used some "there there" or "it'll be ok" or "we're sorry about the bumps." L&D had to monitor the baby for a while before giving me pain meds, so it was about 45 min till I got some morphine. Meanwhile I still had to go to the bathroom all the time (remember previous intestinal problems) plus they gave me an IV so I had to pee a lot too. Walking back and forth to the bathroom while in this intense amount of pain was NOT fun. Thankfully Mark pushed my IV pole and supported me as I walked.
Finally they gave me a small dose of morphine. It was a very strange sensation--I felt it move throughout my entire body in a split second of time. Before it took the pain away (only a few mins) I felt sludgy and weird. Not a feeling I liked. But it took away a lot of the pain thankfully! I also felt like I had a fuzzy head and was slow moving my eyes around to look at stuff. I was able to doze for a while, then the sonographer came in to do an ultrasound of my kidneys. Apparently she told the nurse she thought there was a stone in my left kidney. Later they gave me the results of my urine test and the u/s and while it was not confirmed that there was a stone my left kidney had "dilation" and my urine had crystals and blood in it, which apparently indicates a stone. They would have had to do an x-ray to confirm, and obviously they could not do one with me being preggo and all.
Mark and I dozed a little more, then the OB came in to see me around 7am. I had never met him (I see the midwife at his practice) but he was very nice and sympathetic. He had me turn over so he could see where I was having pain and all of a sudden the pain came rushing back. It was so bad all over again, and I asked for more morphine. It made me throw up two different times but at least it took the edge off. They sent me home and after saying hi to the kids, I hobbled up to my bed and slept all morning. Luckily Mark was able to stay home the whole day and take care of the kids. He even took them to his dr appt. What a great hubby. Anyway I woke up at 11:30 still experiencing a lot of pain, ate some toast and took my perscription pain medication, and went back to bed till 3:30. When I woke up the pain was gone! It was soooooo wonderful. I thought maybe the medication was really good, but the pain free-ness has lasted until now. So I must have passed the stone. Yay.
So the question is: What is worse--having a baby or passing a kidney stone? I feel I might be slightly qualified to give my opinion on the matter especially considering I have babies without pain medication. Answer: I would rather go through labor and delivery than a kidney stone any day, hands down.
- The pain itself was not worse per se, but it was without purpose. Labor pains have a purpose--they are bringing your baby to you.
- The kidney stone pain was about the same as the worst labor pain, but with labor, there are breaks between each contraction. With the kidney pain it was constant and intense the entire time.
- There is an end in sight with labor. The baby will be born, and the pain will be gone. No end in sight with kidney pain
- You get a special prize at the end of labor.
5 comments:
Just checking on the Simonson family and couldn't believe your latest "adventure." So what else can happen to you guys---before the baby is even born? I am so glad you are feeling better and also it sounds like Mark is doing better. Good luck when you have those wonderful labor pains and then get your prize at the end.
All I have to say is amen. That sounds almost exactly like my kidney incident only I didn't go by ambulance and since was 6 days from my due date I got to have the baby before I came home. I'm glad you're feeling better and that you never have to experience that again.
So glad you're feeling better. Are you delivering at a hospital? If so, I hope that's your next and last family trip there for a looooong time. You guys have had a lot on your plate recently. We've been praying for you, and we'll keep doing so.
Alisa! I am so sorry to hear about everything that has happened to your family recently! Your family has been in my prayers and I hope things calm down before your new baby arrives. I hope everything goes well for you then. Can't wait to see pics of your special prize. Take care.
Yeesh. I'm sorry. My friend Michelle also had a kidney stone while very pregnant. I'm glad the pain is gone now, and I hope the rest of your pregnancy is pleasant, at least as much as a pregnancy can be. I hope they figure out what's going on with your husband, too.
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