Lithotripsy you make me tipsy…
At Home…
It was Friday, 5th of August, around 1:30 in the morning when I started to feel discomfort in my tummy, the feeling is quite like it’s the time of the night that my tummy digested all the food inside and now it needs to feed again. I was too lazy to eat and it was passed my be time thatI don’t wanna drag my butt up for a midnight snack, So decided to just shrug and slept the pain off.
It was weekend, we should be sleeping late this Friday morning. But I got an early ovearseas call from my sister. An early dose of usual non-stop kumustahan-kwentuhan about my cutesy makukulit pamangkin and some hurly-burly family soap-opera-extravaganza. Nothing you would want to know about, you all have your own issues at home, I know. Anyhow. It was about 8am, was too awake, be and I just talk about anything for more than an hour then the pain suddenly striked again. A gastric pain this time, thought it was just hyperacidity because it was passed 9am. So we went straight downstairs for a yummy Friday family breakfast, but the pain grows stronger that It didn’t only spoiled my appetite but the family Friday morning tradition as well. Just great!
I cant go back to bed even in pain because it’s the day in the week that I play the Good housewife! Haha, I do the household chores (only sweeping the floor, fixing the bed, folding clothes, and scrubbing the bathroom). But believe me it was such a mess. Shopping bags all over for we did a little pasalubong-shopping over two months now. Preparing for our vacation on december. Piled-up clothes for the week that I havent organized yet. My hair all over the floor, we had a friendly visit from Sadako! lol. Two-week old dirty bathroom. So on and so forth. I started with folding the clothes. Unfortunately the pain started again and this time I cannot tolerate it anymore. So we decided to rush to the nearby hospital.
At Zulekha…
I was taken to the ER, blood sample and urine was taken for CBC & urinalysis. I was administered with painreliver on an IV for 30minutes to help reduce the pain. But I need to do an abdomenal ultrasound to check what could be going on, unfortunately due to ramadan timing I need to come back at 7:30pm for this. So…
This is waiting for the radiologist…
Goofing around before the ultrasound…
The RESULT: I’m Pregnant lol! The radiologist saw a stone on my right kidney, I was shocked initially and I try to ask him questions, but he just said “better ask your doctor”, so we waited for the report, as usual it took ages. Luckily we were able to reach the ER doctor before she left the her clinic. And advised me to see a Urologist as she cannot give any more advise on my case as she is not a specialist on renal stones. Gave me panadol and buscopan to help ease the pain for the meanwhile...but clearly did not help me in anyway…
Reaching home, I try to book an appointment for the Urologist but the following day is fully booked, instead I rang another hospital hoping for a better doctor and an open schedule. Lucky to find a slot 1:15pm Saturday 6th of August.
At Belhoul..the following day…
Cheryl and audi drop me to Belhoul speciality hospital to see my Urologist…
I am feeling brave and ok only until the nurse who assisted me started to scare me off. With some stupid comments he has. Saying: “Naku laki ng stone mo, sumasakit ba? Sigurado admit ka mamaya, tapos Lithotripsy agad to”, and I’m like “what are you talking about? I’m just like here for medication or something not for operation, procedure or anything. And I started to feel nervously uncomfortable, a bit scared. Suddenly felt alone. Where’s be? Where’s my family? But I said, he’s just nuts probably playing on me because I’m all alone. Better wait for Dr. Dawood to give his findings before going crazy on something nonsense. It might be nothing. Right? (Denial stage?) So, the lady nurse, making saway the kulit-nurse for jerking on me told me it’s time to see the doctor. (YAY!!!)
Seeing Dr. Dawood…
They are not joking anymore, the doctor asked for an x-ray, I rushed to the x-ray room and immediately got the result and rushed back to doctor before his break time. The finding is short and simple. We need to remove it. Your stone is quite big in size and it will become bigger if it will not be removed. The procedure is called Lithotripsy. There will be no surgery it will just be from the outside. You will feel pain a little pain a little discomfort. But we will give you medicines so you will not feel pain anything. You will be admitted tonight but you will have the procedure tomorrow morning. Just that simple and I was not scared. So long as there is no surgery I know I can handle it, no problem. So I went back to the nurse station and they arrange for my insurance approval. They asked me to stay because I will be admitted same day. But what the heck is lithotripsy??? Read below…
Lithotripsy
Lithotripsy is a medical procedure that uses shock waves to break up stones in the kidney, bladder, or ureter (tube that carries urine from your kidneys to your bladder). After the procedure, the tiny pieces of stones pass out of your body in your urine.
Description
Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) is the most common type of lithotripsy. "Extracorporeal" means outside the body.
You will wear a medical gown and lie on an exam table on top of a soft, water-filled cushion. You will be given a mild sedative or pain medicine before the procedure starts. You will also be given antibiotics before the procedure starts to prevent infection.
High-energy shock waves, also called sound waves, will pass through your body until they hit the kidney stones. You may feel a tapping sensation when this starts. The waves break the stones into tiny pieces.
The lithotripsy procedure generally takes 45 minutes to 1 hour.
A tube may be placed through your back and into your kidney. This tube will drain urine from your kidney until all the small pieces of stone pass out of your body. The tube may be put in place before or after your lithotripsy treatment.
The Admission….
The insurance approved a private room but the only available is a semi-private, but the room is OK. The food is great too. I thought this is my dinner already, since I will be having light meals only, was surprised that this is only for afternoon coffee…what a treat!!! J
All set, IV Glucose check, blood sample collected, urine passed, Anti-bio check…ready for bedtime…
No sick-looking huh?
Detachable IV no need to drag it whenever you need to go to the loo…cool hah? J
Friendly nurses constantly checking my bp and pulse rate…I feel loved… J
Nagpapaawa! Hahaha!
My bb died due to nonstop updates … thanks for all your prayers and well wishes, I got all the courage from you, to my be, my family and friends…thanks so much…
Who said you can’t be fashionable when you’re in the hospital, Belhoul has the most-fashionable hospital gown by far don’t you agree? J
Sorry di nakapagsuklay… :P
Haggardness…
Glucose
Coolest IV Monitor ever!
Prepared me for the procedure, an x mark on my right tummy. Along with it are a 4 injection and an IV. As far as I can remember I had a shot to avoid vomiting, to prevent seizure, an injection for pain and antibiotic to prevent infection. And I cannot remember the other. I blame Topamax for my problem in recalling nowadays. Sorry for that.
My sister & I on the lift shifting to Lithotripsy room.
The Stone-crasher machine bwahahahaha(evil laugh)
Me, goofing around while the doctor is not yet around :P
Stone-crasher machine mowdels! lol
Prepping up for the procedure….this is it pansit…
Hell yeah I’m too sexy! lol
Nurse making sure everything is A-OK!
Just about ready, my sister lanlan and her boyfriend was now asked to leave the room, no more picture taking allowed from then on. Since the machine needs to be focused, it will release a radiation that will be bad if exposed.
The procedure lasted only about forty minutes. The feeling is like that of a needle pricking continuously by hammering. And the power is increased gradually by 3 levels. The doctor and the nurse mentioned that the levels they did not presume I can handle but I did pretty well. So can I get a YAY?!!! J
First meal of the day after the procedure, had to follow pre-procedure fasting rule, whatever you call it lol!
Home...
Medicines I need to take…wishing that my liver can handle them well though…don't want to be sick no more...
What a lovely surprise from be, the day i got my kidney stone removed is actually our monthsarry so its a double celebration! The flowers are so pretty.
Colin keeping me company on my two days rest day after the procedure.
Doctors advice...
My next appointment is on August 22nd, 2 weeks following the procedure, they will check if the stone was totally out of my kidney, otherwise I need to go another session of Lithotripsy. Yesterday I suffered right-lower-back pain, I was so worried it has something to do with my kidney, worst another case such as infection like UTI(Urinary tract infection) should require me another confinement in the hospital.So I informed my Urologist about it and he looked at it yesterday with an x-ray. He said that my stone reduced in sized and my kidney looks OK. The pain is something I should not be alarmed about. Then prescribed me another set of medicine. Argh! Pity for my liver! He then reminded me of my appointment on the 22nd for the actual checking of the stone and mentioned the possibility of another session. But I am for it. Let's do this!
