don't i know it tom. the waiting is the hardest part. every six months i have to wait on my big cancer check up. i get blood work done the week before, and the ultrasound/ doctor visit the next week. i will admit that when it gets near the time for one of these visits, i am a little anxious ( my husband might say more than a little). this time though, i had something to keep my mind off the visit, and on something else. last friday, i had surgery for a kidney stone. it was outpatient surgery, but i had to have general anesthesia, and had the old intubation tube put in. i also had to have a stent put in because i had had the stone for a while, long story, and there had been some damage to one of my ureters. my doctor told me that he would try not to put a stent in unless it was necessary- i had heard horror stories of stents- especially the removal, and i certainly wanted to avoid that if possible.
when i woke up in the recovery room, i had three questions to ask the nurse. first, was there really a stone. "yes, the nurse said and here it is!" it was lying on my stomach in a plastic urine specimen cup sealed in a biohazard bag. no, i did not want it, but i had to take it to the doctor's office so that they can send it off to determine what kind of stone that it is. such a little thing to cause such trouble! hard, with sharp, pointy edges,though.
second thing i asked, do i have a stent? she looked at my chart, and said," i am afraid so, dear." oh, well, i know my doctor only put one in if he had to. let me tell you here that stents are extremely uncomfortable and painful. it is difficult to get comfortable in any position, and mine had a long string attached. it was not as bad coming out as i had anticipated, really. the nurse took it out "quickly, and on the count of two, while i was blowing out a deep breath." this happened yesterday, and i am still pretty sore. in my opinion, having one in was much worse than getting it removed. it was inserted while i was under the anesthesia, but it was removed without any pain medication. i told my husband i would just bring in my own rag to chew on when they removed it -like they did in the olden days.
luckily i did not ask the third question. which was, does EXXIT really have two x's? my bed in the recovery room was right in front of the exit sign. i think if i had asked that i would have been in the recovery room a bit longer.
so, i am researching kidney stones and thyroid patients. i have found that there is a correlation between this and hyperparathyroid patients. it has to do with the calcium levels in the blood, i believe. i have heard of other hypothyroid patients having kidney stones,though, so i am not sure if there is a link, or if it is just our bad luck in having them.
this thursday i go down to see my endo for the big check up. i am not expecting any bad news, by the way. i have felt pretty good, except for the infamous Shirley D. Stone, which is finally gone. i will of course let everyone know how the appointment went. on may 19th, i will be a four year papillary thyroid and parathyroid cancer survivor. i am so grateful for my family, friends and the care that i have received during my illness. it has changed my life- mostly for the better, and i am very appreciative of every new day and every new adventure. well, maybe not those involving kidney stones.....
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