Wednesday, April 19, 2006

UNC ER is a real pain in my kidney...

So..I've had a bladder infection since Thursday but didn't see the Dr. till Monday..he put me on Cipro, which makes me sick, but anyway. I started getting sharp pains on my left side, so I started thinking that it had turned into a kidney infection. I got to work Tuesday night and started getting sharp pains again. Every time I'd get a pain, I'd have to throw up, so I knew something was wrong. I went to the ER to be checked out around 10:15 pm. Jeff came and sat w/ me as they did a CT scan and hooked me up to an IV and gave me Toridol...mmmm good stuff. They were so busy they couldn't even give me a bed, so we spent the night in the psychiatric holding room...aka..rubber room. Rubber chairs, rubber wall, bullet proof glass and a security camera. Gives me warm fuzzies just thinking about it.

I should also mention that they apparently forgot about me b/c my IV bag was empty. It had been running wide open since I got there. I glanced up when Jeff leaped across the tiny room and grabbed the IV line. There had been a 2 in. long air bubble slowing inching towards me. If he hadn't been there to see it and clamp off the line, I would've died. They came in to check on me 45 minutes after that little incident and Jeff informed them of what had almost happened. All we got was an, "Oh, I'm sorry. We're just so busy!" Anyhow..after hours and hours of waiting...I have a damn kidney stone. This morning was absolute hell. We got home around 7am and I couldn't sleep b/c of the pain. The percocet was doing nothing for me. As we were leaving the ER, I glanced to the other side of the nurses station....4 open beds...and I'd been sitting in a freakin' rubber chair for more than 8 hours. We were told that they weren't using that section because they didn't have enough staffing to cover it. Uh..but it's still a bed..and it's only 30 ft. from where I'd been sitting uncomfortably all night. Thanks guys.

The Dr. told me to cut way back on sweet tea and sodas b/c they contribute to the stones and I have to strain my urine to collect what comes out and take it to urology to have it examined on Friday. This sucks. I had this whole weekend thing planned w/ Jeff for his birthday and it may be ruined...ugh. I hope he can understand. He's been so sweet and good to me though. I could never ask for anyone better. Anyhow, I just thought I'd write about this horrific experience so I'd never forget that I need to drink lots of water and to avoid UNC's ER.

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