neil.lolin.net

Ads

Ok. I’m drugged and really feeling groggy.

The premise here is that I have kidney stones. The left and right. One on each.

I’m rich and stoned.

ESWL -Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) uses shock waves to break a kidney stone into small pieces that can more easily travel through the urinary tract and pass from the body. You lie on a water-filled cushion. X-rays or ultrasound tests are used to precisely locate the stone. High-energy sound waves pass through your body without injuring it and break the stone into small pieces.

This was my procedure.

I hope I don’t grow another hand.

I lay down on the bed. Barely comfortable, but what can I do. Who would be when you’ve got gadgets hanging above your body and screens indicating life and death meters?

The good doctor approached and explained she will be pricking me on my right hand. Ok. I hate needles. The mere of thought of it penetrating my skin stiffens me. I don’t know how I manage to do it during an annual physical exam, but this one is the one with water in the bag dangling by your side (IV they call it) kind of thing.

“We need a smaller needle”

Those were the kindest words I heard.

And then I saw the needle. I thought if that’s small, I wonder what’s normal and what’s big. Medonwanasee!

It’s in now. Yes. She punctured me.

“The “water” is not flowing”

Uuhh. Do you have to prick me again?

Thankfully, it did eventually. I asked if that was the only prick they’ll do. Yes, they said.

Ok good.

By this time I was shaking. I couldn’t stop my lower body from shaking. I knew it was fear. I’ve never done this before. I never shook this way when I was circumcised, why now.

“Ah, he’s feeling cold”

The male nurse eventually redirected the AC to another direction. It stopped me shaking. Ok, so I am scared. But I was shaking because it was cold. All throughout I was thinking I have a strong mind. I should control myself. My resolve is firm. I should conquer.

By body just doesn’t want to cooperate.

Then the male nurse started plugging some things on my left arm, and my chest. Some sort of bio readers with cables on them. I saw the screen displaying graphs and figures I could not decipher. I only saw a big 98% number. I wonder if that’s my life points. I have 98% remaining. Hahaha.

By this time I was feeling numb because of the position of my left arm, right arm, and everything else. I can’t remember how many times the anesthesiologist told me to relax. Then they plug the oxygen in my nose. This is the kind that doesn’t cover the mouth. Just the nostrils, and she hang the remaining hose on my ear lobes. I thought I looked like a cool guy listening to his ipod.

I wasn’t really in pain during this time. I wanted to laugh really. I wanted to say “The pain! The pain!” and laugh and hurt at the same time.

My urologist comes in.

“Good morning”

“Good morning” (I was wondering what’s so good about this)

They started moving the bed. It felt like a dentist’s chair, only it was a bed. It had a gaping hole where your middle body would be lying down and it had some sort of large, circular, vacuum device lying there. It was the ultrasound device. It felt cold when it touched my mid body. I wanted to laugh. I’m ticklish! My weakspot has been discovered! And they moved it around, along with the bed. Argh! I thought this was funny, but I couldn’t laugh. And no, it wasn’t painful.

The anesthesiologist then told me she’ll put me to sleep.

Ok.

Then she did. I felt some sort of pain on my right arm where the IV was. I looked at her, baffled. She said, it’s really painful, but it’ll pass. It was the kind of pain I can handle for the meantime. My fear at this point is to suddenly wake up and find out what they’re doing, or not doing. Of course, they won’t open me up. But I don’t want to be whatever pain it might be when I would suddenly.

I closed my eyes.

Next thing I remember, I was being moved around. Kind of like what you see on TV, where you have patien’s perspective. You see ceiling lights moving above you, nurses and doctors talking.

“Is he dead?”

That would be the last thing I wanted to hear.

I woke up in an unfamiliar place.

There were other people. Alive people.

Nice! I’m not in the morgue!

I didn’t have to open my body bag and get out. I’m alive! Mwahahaha!

But I couldn’t bare to sit yet. I rested a little more. Every once in a while, some nurse would come by me and say breathe deeply. And I did. I did not see her face, but I was obliging to what she was asking me to do.

Then I was able to muster enough strength to sit. And I did.

Man! I wanted to lie down again when I did! But I managed to sit up straight.

Told the nurse I’m ok.

She offered water.

I drank.

Mom went near me, and the nurse explained what I should take. etc… Apparently mom and the urologist already talked. He gave me meds.

I wanted to go home by this time. I asked if there’s anything else to do. She said I needed to pee before I go.

Ok.

I was told weeks before after this, my urine would have blood.

That’s normal.

That’s normal?!?

I asked for another glass of water. Actually, more of plastic cup of water.

Drank.

Went to the bathroom.

Man.

You still want details?

After the excruciating and rather hilarious event in the bathroom, I changed back to my clothes. She removed the IV from my hand.

I really hate needles.

After preparing to leave, we went to the car.

That’s my ordeal of this morning.

I thank God for his provision and guidance for all this. And friends and family who have been supportive and prayerful. I may or may not have the right stone here in my kidney still, so in a month or so, I’m off to round 2!

p.s.

Yes, these were the thoughts that I can remember as of this writing. I amuse myself with them during this entire period, and I don’t mean any offense to the good people in UCPI. They were very accommodating.

The nurses there are also cute. I had to notice it even in my condition.

“Hey there, wanna rock?”

October 23rd, 2008
Topic: dangerous place to be Tags: None

This entry was posted on Thursday, October 23rd, 2008 at 3:35 am and is filed under dangerous place to be. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.