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December 03, 2006
This is our emergency
Hello, everyone. Francis here, with an update about the state of the Rose. We spent another night in the ER -- this one didn't have the same bureaucratic hellpit sort of feel that Tuesday night's visit had, but it still took forever for Rose to be seen by a doctor, because apparently there's never really a good night to go to the emergency room -- and, in fact, Rose is still in the process of spending the night there. But I get ahead of myself.
Rose has been having some pretty intense kidney pain over the past couple days, which we and her doctor have been assuming is to do with the post-strep inflammation that was previously diagnosed. She's been on Percocet for the pain, which was helping tremendously, but then this afternoon, while we were at the Brooklyn Museum, the pain went through the roof, and the Percocet didn't help at all. Rose called Dr. Carpenter, who apologetically said, yeah, you need to go to the emergency room, I'm afraid. We called all the car services in the area, none of whom had cars available, and our friend Adam came to the rescue and picked us up at the museum. Mostly my reaction to learning that someone owns a car in New York City is a kind of aghast awe, like, "Whoa, you wrestle cobras for a living? That's intense," but I can see how it comes in handy now and again, and thank goodness some of our friends are willing to bite that bullet.
Anyway, they finally found Rose a room in the ER, and I'm sure she will have many details to relate upon her return about the nice medical student who was very bad at putting in an IV, etc., but the upshot is, they gave her a CAT scan (and -- after much anticipation -- some pain medication that worked) and she's got a rather big kidney stone (7 mm) in her right kidney. This would also account for all the symptoms she's been having, so it seems quite possible that the whole strep thing was a red herring. We'll see.
So she's been admitted to the hospital, and is waiting for a bed to open up so they can move her upstairs from her nook in the emergency room. Until about an hour ago, she and I were both napping uncomfortably in her room, and when we both awoke from our fitful slumbers she firmly sent me on my way to get some sleep that could not be described as "in a swivel chair leaning on a sink". Happily, right before I left, Rose noticed that the reclined chair which she had been having a not-very-comfortable time sleeping in looked like the sort of thing that could be adjusted, and I managed to figure out the controls (having played many Myst games, and thus being very practiced at figuring out mysterious machines that don't come with instructions) and make it be more flat and horizontal, the better to keep her comfortable and able to sleep until they get her to a real bed.
There will be more to report in a little while (I would say "tomorrow morning", but it is already 6:30 a.m.), when Rose sees the urologist. Probably what will happen is that they will do they thing where they break up the kidney stone by shooting sound waves at it. No idea how quickly they'll be able to get the procedure done. Hopefully, Rose will be home in time to write the next update herself. Wish her luck.
Posted by Francis at December 3, 2006 06:37 AM
Comments
rose and francis:
i have had kidney stones and the pain is unimaginable. i have ALSO had the laser lithotripsy and it makes things better fast. you wake up more or less totally better, just a tad sore - in fact, i lost my virginity within 8 hours of having the lithotripsy for a kidney stone. it's going to get better soon! best wishes!
Posted by: amber at December 3, 2006 09:33 AM
Ooof. What an ordeal. THanks for the update and please give Rose my best wishes for getting rid of the damned stone and feeling better fast. Hope you both get some sleep and some relief.
Posted by: caroline at December 3, 2006 12:28 PM
Yikes. Thanks for the update! Rose -- I hope the procedure happens quickly and goes well, and you feel much better fast.
Posted by: lauren at December 3, 2006 12:59 PM
Quick update -- Rose will be having a stent inserted in a couple hours, to relieve the pressure on her kidney, and will have to spend the night at the hospital, but will be discharged in the morning, and then will most likely have the lithotripsy done on Wednesday.
Posted by: Francis at December 3, 2006 04:42 PM
Thanks for the update; will keep our fingers crossed for less pain and a quick recovery.
Posted by: Vardibidian at December 3, 2006 05:06 PM
My god how awful -- and 7mm -- scary awful. Give Rose our love. Thank goodness for ultrasound and whatnot -- I hope things improve soon. Hospitals completely suck. Let us know if we can do anything to help out.
Posted by: Cindy and Derek at December 3, 2006 07:28 PM
oh, no! I hope she feels better soon (and you both get some sleep)!
Posted by: Erin at December 4, 2006 04:56 PM