Oopsy.....

It has come to my attention that even though I am claiming to be "regaining my mental clarity" I left a few rather big "holes" in the hospital story. Oopsy!

What exactly happened and what was wrong? I am afraid this may go down in the books as a bit of an unsolved medical mystery. When I got the pains, I was so sure it was kidney stones. I know that when I got to the hospital I was still in the same kind of pain. It was at this point that they began to strain my urine to watch for a stone (just another reason I am not a nurse....nurses should be paid more!) We never saw a stone pass.

Meanwhile, I kept pretty drugged up, trying to get the pain to pass. They also detected a bit of a kindey or bladder infection that they began treating with antibiotics. At some point I wonder if the excruciating pain of what I was taking to be kidney stones passed a little bit and was replaced by just very general pain from being completely sedentary for days? In case you don't know me very well, you know I am a mover. Not to mention that my belly decided to explode a bit and my back hurts from this, too.

The ultrasound they did on my kindeys showed no stone, however, ultrasounds are not the best method for detecting kidney stones. This being said, they ARE the best method (and darn near the only diagnostic one) for pregnant women.

The urologist that came in yesterday told me it may or may not be a kidney stone. I am no longer straining my urine (thank goodness) - but if it is a stone that I pass on my own, I won't know it. If it had been a huge stone, they probably could have seen it on the ultrasound. Or, maybe (and I am beginning to think this is likely) it was/is an infection that manifested in "kidney-stone-like-pain." Perhaps in this case, if it WAS NOT a kidney stone, my past history of kidney stones fooled me in to a sureness and self-diagnosis that it was? Geez, this whole pregnancy has thrown me for a few loops, huh?

If the symptoms clear up with the antibiotic (which they seem to be doing, hopefully) maybe we will chalk it up to an infection? Or somehow it was a small stone that I passed but somehow missed (also possible). If problems remain throughout the rest of the pregnancy, hopes are that they will be mild and I would have to deal with any residual issues after Miles is born. Like I said, there are much more definitive diagnosic tests that can be done, but not with a baby in my belly........

It was so great to be in my own bed last night, but I did end up bending and using the vicodin about 1:00......not necessarily to pains directly related to my right-side back, but just pain. All I know this morning is that I have been up since 4:00am and feel like I have been run over by a truck. I do not like this, but I am not too sure that I should have the expectation to feel better immediately. Meanwhile, I really just feel the need to move and be active, all the while knowing that I can't push myself too hard or I will be sorry.

Work was very understanding and accomodating as I was supposed to go back Monday after being off for a week. Getting out of the hospital yesterday, I thought it completely pointless to try to push myself super-hard and go back on a Friday. I called my boss and said I would be in on Monday - he was agreeable to this....so Monday it is! I will just have to remember everything I was doing - yikes!