Smart Beans

Did you know that my Kidneys can do calculus?

Yup. I have smart kidneys.

Or rather, they can put me in an unbearable amount of pain, because one of the technical names for kidney stones is renal calculus (that and Nephorlithiasis... but I'd rather think my kidneys are smart) 

Anywho. 

Lets start from the very beginning (a very good place to start)

So... if you want you can just skip over the incredibly "TMI" post, because that is what it will be. Sorry. 

This morning I woke up and used the bathroom and was excited to be the first one in the shower and ready for church (I stayed up lated crocheting this incredibly cute headband and was really excited to wear it to church...I never accessorize, and I was so excited...anyway. Sorry, tangent)

So got in the shower, and I started feeling incredibly crampy and my back really started to ache on the right side (oh yea, and my monthly visitor showed up yesterday... so that is why I thought I was just having cramps). 

I thought I was just being a wimp. I went to get dressed and it just started to get really bad. So I laid on the bed tossing and moaning and whining to Ryan (Sorry sweetie). It didn't help, so I paced, laid back down, nothing I did made the pain go away.

You know, I never believed that someone could be in so much pain that they would actually throw up. 

Well, it true. You can.

Yup. So as I'm leaning over the toilet, rubbing my back and crying. Ryan decided to diagnose me. 

Bless his heart, he was trying so hard to help out. 

I wouldn't have known what to do if I were him.

Ry: "Um, sweetie. I don't think these are cramps"

Me: Yeah they are, they get stronger and then fade, just like cramps, and I'm just having back labor. 

Ry: "Liz, your uterus isn't in your back unless your really pregnant"

*Liz talks to the porcelain gods for a moment*

Ry: "On a scale of 1 to 10 how would you rate your pain?"

Me: *rolls eyes* Seriously Ryan, I hate that quesiton. I'm not in the mode, talking makes it worse.

*Ry leaves to get on the computer*

Ry: "Sweetie, I really think we should got to the ER. It really sounds like a kidney stone"

Me: Well, what would the doctors do? Won't they just tell me to wait it out and let it pass. 

Ry: "Maybe, they'll probably will give you some pain meds though"

Me: I'll go get dressed. 

I'm grateful to be married to Ryan. Any other guy I probably would have convinced to let me wait it out.

But he was onto the problem, and got me in to get some help.

The next part is all a blur. I was in so much pain I couldn't think straight. I remember being in the car (with my "bowl" on my lap) and dropping the girls off at a friends (who missed church to stay and watch my kids, thank you so much Amy). 

We went to the urgent care and I got diagnosed with a UTI.

Then headed over to the ER to get a CT scan because it really sounded like kidney stones 

(and they don't have CT scanners in urgent care). 

Oh, and they gave me a heaven sent shot of pain meds before we left urgent care. 

THANK YOU! It helped me so much.

So we went over to the ER, got a nifty wristband, then had to tell the nurse and the doctor the same story and had to give them my ridiculous "scale of one to ten" pain level and sit and wait for a CT scan. 

In the meantime they pumped me full of fluids and the next time I relieved myself my flow was normal and it really felt good afterward. 

Well, I didn't know it, but I must have passed my stone (thank you pain meds).

I got the CT scan and it showed signs of where the kidney stone was and my right ureter was inflamed, but everything else was clear. No other kidney stones to worry about. 

Thank goodness. 

People who get these all the time should be given a medal or something. 

The pain was worse than contractions... in fact, I'm pretty sure it was the worst pain. of. my. life.

I was even spoiled and another friend took the girls while Ryan played the organ at a Priesthood meeting (thanks Karah) it was nice to just relax in some peace in quiet and not have to take care of the girls and myself. 

I'm grateful it is over. 

I'm also grateful it happened on a day that Ry could spend time with me.

I'm grateful for all of the wonderful people who watched our girls (and did their hair), called to check on me and offered to watch the girls tomorrow and bring me food. 

I'm grateful to have such wonderful people in my life. 

I'm grateful for modern medicine... and for that blessed shot of pain meds. 

I'm grateful to now understand what other people are going through when they have a kidney stone... I'll be a little more considerate and thoughtful next time. 

I'm grateful I'm feeling so much better, exhausted and beat up, but no longer in pain.

Sorry... why am I such a wordy person?

Thanks for baring through my story. 

Cute chocolatey pictures of the girls to come. ;)

Promise.