Well, I was anticipating amuch more fun post full of pictures and some kind of great story, but we have to play with the cards we’re dealt, I suppose. It’s been quite the weekend, that’s for sure.

Thursday, I felt a little weird all day; I had a little tummyache and when I woke up from my car-nap, I felt really panicky for no apparent reason and couldn’t calm myself down. The rest of the afternoon/night went fine, though, so I didn’t think anything of either problem.

Until about 1 am. I was struck with the worst pain I’ve ever felt in my life; it seared through my left side and back, causing my back muscles to begin to spasm. I thought I was just having stomach cramps, so I told Joey I was going to go into the living room so I wouldn’t disrupt him. I spent the rest of the night writhing in absolute agony, simultaneously feeling overheated and having chills, all topped by wave after wave a nausea. Finally, at 4 am, I made Joey drive to Wal-Mart to pick up a heating pad and some Ibuprofen. I told him I’d call the doc once they opened and he went to work. I prayed I’d pass out from the pain a few times. From the symptoms I was describing, several people told me that I probably had a kidney infection. I’ve never had one before, so I didn’t really know how bad it would hurt.

The doc’s office worked me in at 12:30, and I spent the rest of the morning jumping into a hot shower every hour to help with the pain. I was heartened, though, b/c I was told that, if it was a kidney infection, I would feel a ton better as soon as I started the antibiotic.

Not so. The doc thought that I probably had a kidney stone rather than an infection and sent me home with a tiny strainer to pee through and a prescription for hydrocodone and an antibiotic just in case there was any infection. A few thoughts on this:

1. Hydrocodone does NOTHING. If I’d know that it was only acetamenaphin and codein, I would have told the doctor where he could put it, since Tylenol has NEVER worked on me.
2. Peeing through a strainer is one of the most difficult things I’ve tried. It’s nearly impossible to do without peeing all over one’s hand and being totally grossed out.
3. Either the pain pill or the antibiotic is supposed to cause constipation. Great. Give someone with excruciating pain in their stomach a pill that’s going to make them have to pop an eyeball out to poop.

So, the treatment prescribed was to drink tons of fluid and try to flush the little sucker out. I spent our one and only evening with our friend James (who got a pass before he went to Iraq) feeling crappy, but the pain subsided that night. Saturday, I felt GREAT! Surely I must have passed it, yes? We went up to Charlotte and had breakfast, went shooting, and had lunch with my parents. I was doing great until about 11 that night. *sigh*….another night spent writhing in agony…this time, in bed as I asked Joey to take the chair in the living room. Another night of hot showers every hour so I could get ten minutes of sleep. Another night of having the shakes from the pain. The stone had only lodged temporarily and was now on the move again.

I had to miss church yesterday. I’ve had to stay home from work again today. I’ve tried the home remedies and I’m hoping they’ll kick in.