Patient Outrage

Patient Outrage. Sounds like an oxymoron, I know....but I'm talking about an outraged medical patient. Yesterday, that was me....and today, and probably tomorrow and the next day. I can't believe I went to the Urologist and was only poked full of drugs that weren't guaranteed to work when I've been in pain with this ridiculous kidney stone since last friday. Taking Rx strength painkillers for 10 days straight (which is what it will be by the time I go back to the doctor) is not normal or healthy (in my humble opinion) on so many levels.....and I also just really don't like the medicine or the pain and want my life back and need to be productive. It still doesn't make sense to me that 2 doctors tell me this thing is stuck, but no one has done anything proactive to get it un-stuck (I mean something other than giving me meds, telling me to drink fluids, strain my urine, and wait for it to pass). I understand they don't want to order expensive procedures and tests if something cheaper will work (hence the reason I had an abdominal x-ray tuesday instead of another ct scan-the doc thought that would show something, but it didn't....the Urologist told me it was absolutely no good b/c he couldn't even see the kidney stone on the right that hadn't started to pass yet), but there comes a point when they need to just bite the bullet and order the expensive stuff to fix the problem (the x-ray was a waste of time and money when getting a ct scan would have at least been worth the time and money and wouldn't cost an extra few hundred dollars b/c it didn't work). They keep telling me its less than 4 mm (in shreveport they said less that 5 mm), so it should pass no problem...well, 3.7 mm isn't that far from 4 mm (last time I checked, anyway). They're acting like I shouldn't be in any pain or even have a problem b/c they think it should have passed....ohh my goodness, aren't they the ones who preach and preach that we are just all sooooooo different? Maybe I'm different!! Maybe I'm so weird that any kidney stone over 2 mm just isn't going anywhere. I did something very stupid today....rebellious, actually....I got it in my head that if all these doctors seem to think I shouldn't have any problems right now, then I guess they must be right since they are doctors and all, so I should keep living my life and do what I would normally do if I didn't have any pain (it made sense at the time). So, I took a painkiller went to the fitness center and ran for 20 minutes (bad idea number 1, it hurt) and walked for 30 minutes (bad idea number 2, it hurt worse) and lifted weights for 15 minutes (by this time I had passed the breaking point and absolutely had to leave). I don't know what I was thinking....maybe trying to prove to myself that this pain is not just in my head like they are trying to make it out to be, but is, in fact, ridiculously real and miserable. So, at least now I know what not to do. Miraculously, I made it to Brookshire's for a quick (and painful) grocery run, came home, took some painkiller, and am now parked on the couch. At least I'm scheduled for another CT scan on monday and hopefully another doctor's appt tuesday or wednesday....in my dreams they actually "fix" me on tuesday. Looking on the bright side:
Going to the Urologist made me feel so incredibly young because all the other patients there were old as dirt (since, lately, 25 has started to seem old, that was quickly put back in perspective as being very young).

Annnddd....I am so blessed to have such a wonderful mother-in-law. I've always known how great she is, but her help (she picked up a few things for my classroom since I missed out on 3 days when I could have been working on it because of this) has been over-the-top! She called me this evening to check on me just like my momma does. How nice it is to feel like you have two moms =) What would I do without my husband, daddy, momma, and mother-in-law? I have no idea!

Hope y'all have a happy friday =)