Life Lately

I feel like so much is going on in my life and I haven't really had time to figure it all out.  Once again, health problems have popped up in our household.  Between the constant (drastic) weather changes, school germs, and the overall crud that's floating around, both kids can't seem to shake the runny noses.  It's even got Noah's asthma acting up.  I had to rush to the pediatrician this week after I got home from work because he sounded like he had croup.  Thank goodness he's 6 because our doc told me that he'd be in the hospital for croup if he was younger.  But since he's older, his airway is bigger and stronger.  So instead, I get to listen to a barky cough and do albuterol every 4 hours.  I guess being a pediatric nurse is okay in this instance because I'm not overwhelmed by the constant nursing stuff I have to provide to my kiddo, instead of just Mommy lovin.  I guess I'm getting a small glimpse of what my parents went through with my brother and his asthma.  I just pray we don't ever have to go to the hospital like they did.

Em is still having issues with sleep.  She can be happy as a clam and the moment you mention sleep, she's a hysterical panic attack.  She fights sleep harder than I've ever seen.  She cries like you're abandoning her when you leave her room.  Something's definitely going on because she's never had such separation issues.  Maybe it's a phase but it's so bad.  She will be sound asleep and I go to leave and she'll wake up.  I just don't know what to do.  Bad Mom Alert but I even gave her Benadryl last night to see if that would help. And it didn't really. All it did was make her "feel funny."  The Hubs and I are truly at our wits end with this.  I'm having a hard time balancing being supportive during her obvious crisis and being patient.  I hate to truly punish her for the craziness because I know she's really afraid of something but the behavior is becoming a huge problem and is on the verge of becoming out of control.

And then there's me.  I had escaped the flu for an entire month and then it hit me last weekend.  And if that wasn't enough, I got another kidney stone on Tuesday.  While I'm attributing it to my kidneys being jealous of Amber's, it came out of nowhere.  I was trying to recover (and planning on finally going back to work on Wednesday) and around noon, I got the pain.  I didn't believe that I was having another one since I had just had one 3 months ago.  How could that be possible?  But lo and behold, the pain migrated down my back and took residence in my right lower flank. I labored at home for a few hours. {Yes I said labored.  It 100%, without a doubt, feels like labor pain.  I've pushed out 2 babies naturally so I consider myself an expert on labor pains.  This is like one sided labor pain.  So if you want to figure out if you can handle labor, stop hydrating yourself for a while and get yourself a kidney stone.}  So after 6 hours in the ER, I got to come home all doped up and spend another day at home.  I'm still not sure I've passed it yet but the pain is getting more and more tolerable (and this is almost 5 days later).  I'm trying to figure out why I could be getting kidney stones all of a sudden.  My PCP wants me to make some serious diet changes, which is good but challenging, and wants me to go back on my B12 injections.  I've done some research (aka Googling) and I think I have a possible diagnosis that would explain every single ailment that I've been experiencing over the past 1.5 years but I don't want to go into it until I talk to my doctor tomorrow.  If I'm right, it will mean serious changes in my life but I will do anything in order to finally feel better.

I have to thank the Hubs for everything he's done for me this week.  He let me get much needed sleep last weekend (I pretty much slept for 24 hours straight) and then being so supportive in the ER.  It drives him nuts that I avoid going to the doctor at all costs but I appreciate having a partner in life who wants nothing but the best for me. He also is ready to face a possible diagnosis head on and wants to be as supportive as he can.  I really did luck out in the partner/husband/best friend department with this one.  I love you!!!!

Get out of my belly!!!

First off, thanks to everyone who's checked in on me or have been saying prayers for me this past week.  Facebook and Twitter have been so loving!  I really do have amazing friends.  Thanks!!!

I started with some abdominal pain last Sunday (right upper quadrant pain for all my RN/MD buddies).  I couldn't keep anything down and I was pretty much miserable. Went to my PCP on Monday who said it could be a handful of things: Kidney stone vs duodenal ulcer vs obstructed bile duct.  We did some labs and she ordered a CT scan for the next day.  The pain was very similar to the pain that landed me in the hospital for 6 days last year.  Drank all of my contrast (against my will) and had my CT on Tuesday.

definitely did not taste like a banana smoothie

Still in pain but went back to work on Wednesday and Thursday.  By Thursday afternoon, my pain flipped from abdominal pain to right lower flank pain.  This and the fact that I had calcium oxalate crystals on my UA led me to believe this was definitely kidney stones.  Everyone at work thought so too.  I tried my hardest to stay out of the ER but I couldn't help it.  I truly felt like I was in labor again.  it was horrible.  My IV was started, labs drawn, CT repeated (we still had not received the results from the scan on Tuesday), fluids, Zofran, and Dilaudid given.  I was starting to feel a little better.

The man who put this in (on the 2nd attempt) meant business....most painful IV start EVER!!!!

The MD comes in and says I have a 2mm stone that looked like it was almost in my bladder.  That wicked horrible pain was me passing it.  She thought that I could go home and manage it myself since it was in the bladder.  Well let me tell you....this lil bugger doesn't want to come out.  Or if it has, it has friends still in my kidney.  I'm so uncomfortable.  I'm still having flank pain that takes my breath away.  My pain meds only work for about 30 minutes.  Then they just make me feel crappy. So I'm trying not to take them but I'm miserable in the process.  I've drank so much water in the past 72 hours is crazy!  I think I've consumed close to 10-12 liters of fluid by now.

Noah's been trying to understand what's happening to Momma and it's kinda funny.  He just can't seem to wrap his head around the fact that I have a rock inside me.  That's just too weird for him.  No matter how much I try to break it down for him, he's just not getting it.  Gotta love the mind of a child!

Anyone who has ever had kidney stones, I never understood how horrible they are until now.  This is something I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. I really think we need to take a stand and try to support Kidney Stone Research (if there is such a thing) to get rid of these things forever!  Who's with me?