Sorry that I haven't updated, but have been dealing with my kidneys. Unfortunately, kidney stones are secondary to Crohn's Disease and I have been suffering through them on and off for 25 years now. Now I have been researching a low oxalate diet. Most of the foods and drinks that are high in oxalates I don't take anyway, but now I'm learning that if I were to have something that is higher, then I need to eat, or drink, something with calcium. Calcium is the key to lowering the oxalate. BUT, I normally don't drink milk, etc. because of lactose intolerance, so it's been interesting researching what foods have calcium.
I have the stent removed now (that was "fun") and no longer have the flank pain from my kidney. The doctor told me it was one of the longest surgeries she's ever done with stones, just over an hour. I had 4 and one almost 1.5 cm. I had to keep the stent in for a week and a half, but she was able to get them all by either using the basket or breaking them up by laser. I like to say, "all 'pee' and clear".
I have been taking my time off writing more of my book. I got the title copywrited and didn't realize when I started writing, that it would be such a long process trying to remember everything over the 27 years of my disease.
It's coming along though...
Thursday, August 27, 2015
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Crohnie Quote Of The Day
I won't let Crohn's define me, but there are days I just want to curl up and give in.....just a little.
Saturday, August 15, 2015
Kidney Stones and You
I went in to Emergency at 3am Thursday with right flank pain (kidney) that came on very suddenly at 1am. I wasn't going to suffer hoping it was going to go away this time and woke up my lovely wife to drop me off at the hospital. The pain was intense and I felt nauseous and every little bump in the rode in the 20 minute ride to the hospital was an adventure. I got through triage and in to a bed right away, which usually doesn't happen, as there was only one person waiting. Within half an hour of arriving, I had the IV in and the morphine was slowly being pumped through my veins. I need Gravol with it as morphine makes me sick. Soon, the pain was gone, or masked, but I didn't care as long as I didn't have to feel it.
I was still able to go to the bathroom which was good, but the Dr wanted a CT scan. I had it later in the day and had to wait in Emerg for my results. When I finally got to talk with the Dr, it wasn't what I wanted to hear but it was what I feared. I had numerous stones and needed surgery. He made me an apt with a urologist right away and walked across the parking lot to another building to talk with her.....again, not what I wanted to hear. She told me, and showed me, I had 2 5mm stones in the kidney, one 4mm stone at the end of the tube near the bladder and one 1.3cm stone at the entrance to the kidney....no wonder it hurt! They wanted to go in with a laser and get them out because she said there would be no way I would pass these on my own. It was scheduled that night and I went home to wait the few hours until I had to return. BUT, just after getting home, the hospital called cancelling until the next day.
Well, things sure have changed in the procedures in surgery prep since my last surgery 15 years ago. I was given a bag of warm "wet wipes" and was told before I put my gown on, wipe my body down with these wipes which you don't rinse off. Weird feeling after you put the gown on. Lots of questions from the nurses, that's the same, but now they lay a full length plastic bag under the blanket and then hook up said bag to a large blue vacuum-looking machine which blows warm air into the bag. The nurse explaining that keeping the patient warm lowers the chance of infections. I'm all for that! Got my IV in and now had to wait for my time which felt like forever, but it did come and was wheeled down to the OR waiting area where I had to answer all the questions again and got to wear the fancy blue paper shower cap. Talked to the nurse, the anesthetist and the surgeon and was wheeled in to the operating room. Shuffled from the reasonably comfy stretcher bed to the rock hard operating table. I always love how the anesthetist stands behind you so you can't see when they are going to knock you out. Put the oxygen mask on, but I never knew oxygen smelled that funny, and they say to me 'okay, you're going to feel a little tired" as I feel the cold enter my IV site. It's at this point whenever I have surgery I raise my right hand and spread my fingers. As soon as I start to feel it, I start counting down from 5. I usually get to 1 finger and the next thing I knew, I was in recovery. All done. I don't know what's worse, having the surgery or trying to come out of the drugs. I apologized to the nurse in the room ahead of time for anything bad I might say, because I have no idea what I'm saying.
I needed to go the bathroom and DAMN that hurt. Not so much peeing itself, but my kidney, WOW! Quite a bit of blood, but that was to be expected from shoving god knows how many tools up that tiny tube to get to my kidney. My wife came to take my home, but I don't remember the drive home, at all.....not at all. At least I can eat now. I hadn't eaten since Thursday morning.
I have to go back in 10 days to pull out the stint that was left in and find out all the details about how the surgery went from the surgeon.
Let's hope it's another 15 years before I have to go through this again....
I was still able to go to the bathroom which was good, but the Dr wanted a CT scan. I had it later in the day and had to wait in Emerg for my results. When I finally got to talk with the Dr, it wasn't what I wanted to hear but it was what I feared. I had numerous stones and needed surgery. He made me an apt with a urologist right away and walked across the parking lot to another building to talk with her.....again, not what I wanted to hear. She told me, and showed me, I had 2 5mm stones in the kidney, one 4mm stone at the end of the tube near the bladder and one 1.3cm stone at the entrance to the kidney....no wonder it hurt! They wanted to go in with a laser and get them out because she said there would be no way I would pass these on my own. It was scheduled that night and I went home to wait the few hours until I had to return. BUT, just after getting home, the hospital called cancelling until the next day.
Well, things sure have changed in the procedures in surgery prep since my last surgery 15 years ago. I was given a bag of warm "wet wipes" and was told before I put my gown on, wipe my body down with these wipes which you don't rinse off. Weird feeling after you put the gown on. Lots of questions from the nurses, that's the same, but now they lay a full length plastic bag under the blanket and then hook up said bag to a large blue vacuum-looking machine which blows warm air into the bag. The nurse explaining that keeping the patient warm lowers the chance of infections. I'm all for that! Got my IV in and now had to wait for my time which felt like forever, but it did come and was wheeled down to the OR waiting area where I had to answer all the questions again and got to wear the fancy blue paper shower cap. Talked to the nurse, the anesthetist and the surgeon and was wheeled in to the operating room. Shuffled from the reasonably comfy stretcher bed to the rock hard operating table. I always love how the anesthetist stands behind you so you can't see when they are going to knock you out. Put the oxygen mask on, but I never knew oxygen smelled that funny, and they say to me 'okay, you're going to feel a little tired" as I feel the cold enter my IV site. It's at this point whenever I have surgery I raise my right hand and spread my fingers. As soon as I start to feel it, I start counting down from 5. I usually get to 1 finger and the next thing I knew, I was in recovery. All done. I don't know what's worse, having the surgery or trying to come out of the drugs. I apologized to the nurse in the room ahead of time for anything bad I might say, because I have no idea what I'm saying.
I needed to go the bathroom and DAMN that hurt. Not so much peeing itself, but my kidney, WOW! Quite a bit of blood, but that was to be expected from shoving god knows how many tools up that tiny tube to get to my kidney. My wife came to take my home, but I don't remember the drive home, at all.....not at all. At least I can eat now. I hadn't eaten since Thursday morning.
I have to go back in 10 days to pull out the stint that was left in and find out all the details about how the surgery went from the surgeon.
Let's hope it's another 15 years before I have to go through this again....
Saturday, August 8, 2015
Crohnie Quote of the Day
This one involves love and relationships when it comes to us living with any illness...
If a person wants to be a part of your life, they will make an obvious effort to do so. Think twice before reserving a space in your heart for people who do not make an effort to stay.
If a person wants to be a part of your life, they will make an obvious effort to do so. Think twice before reserving a space in your heart for people who do not make an effort to stay.
Monday, August 3, 2015
Anti-TNF's
Not having any success with anti-TNF's? Wish there was something else? There's a new study about new drugs for those of us on anti-TNF's that aren't working like they should, or we would hope. I personally have had great success with Remicade, so I cannot participate....
Check them out here:
http://www.celeststudy.com/verncrohns
If you can help, great and I thank you in advance.
Check them out here:
http://www.celeststudy.com/verncrohns
If you can help, great and I thank you in advance.
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