Kidney Stones & Hospitals

I spent last night in hospital with renal colic. I had never heard of renal colic (kidney stones) before and its all been a bit of a shock.

It started Tues morning when I got out of bed, stood up, and was immediatley doubled up with incredible pain in my back and side on my right. I sort of yelped a bit and tried to walk around as I thought I had twisted a muscle or something.

During the next hour it got worse and wouldnt go away. Paracetamol didnt touch it and it was just as bad as labour pain but without the waves coming and going. DH insisted on ringing the surgery and told them about it and they gave me an emergency appointment for 5pm!!!! I dont know how I survived that long. I couldnt stand or sit or move for more than a few seconds at a time. Nothing helped.

At 5pm we got to the surgery, with me crying in pain, and had to wait another hour to see the doctor. She gave me some ibuprofen and said she though I might have a bowel obstruction and needed a scan, so she wrote a letter for A & E and DH took me to the hospital.

We got to the hospital at 7pm, the ibuprofen wasnt even denting the pain. I saw the triage nurse 20 mins later and she gave me some co-codamol which took the edge off it. I then had to sit in the waiting room, kneeling on the floor doubled over, until 10.30pm. During all this time I wasnt allowed to even sip water in case they had to operate. Then I went into a cubicle for a blood test etc and sat there waiting again.


About 12 am they admitted me to an observation ward and gave me some voltarol in the end where my mouth isnt (grin) and it worked wonderfully well. No pain at last. I could have given birth to twins with no pain relief and sufferred less!!! After taking an X-ray they decided it was a Kidney stone working its way down and discharged me with some pain relief at 1.30am.

I have to go back Thursday at 8.15am for an ultrasound scan so they can see whats actually going on. I feel a wreck and just couldnt believe how long everything took and how long I was left in pain.

The staff on the ground were, as always, superb. They were rushed off their feet and still had time/energy to be kind and gentle. They just needed more staff.

Unfortunately the oral voltarol made me sick so I'm back to hot water bottles and pain again. Its not as bad now so I hope this stone has passed through OK.

Oh, and I also had a water infection so the antibiotics should kick in soon to and that will help with the pain.

Sorry this is so long, but I just feel like I have been to hell and back. I didnt know such pain existed outside childbirth, nor did I realise that pain killers dont always work. I just needed to write this down and get it out of my system : (