Ever gone to the doctor and had them respond "Hmmm, I really don't know what is going on!" I seem to be getting that alot and it is NOT a good feeling.
Back in June, literally while I was on my honeymoon, I started have pains/complications that were typical of a UTI. At least that's what WebMD.com said! I've never actually had one but that's what everyone else said it sounded like too.
When we got back home I called my PCP and had him call-in a anti-biotic to fight off the infection. After the 5 day dose was over I didn't feel any different, it was actually getting worse. So I called the doctor back and he called in a stronger anti-biotic that lasted 7 days. Once again I took the entire dose and if anything felt worse, certainly not better. That time I went in to the office and they ran lab work. Guess what?? No infection at all! He referred me to my GYN to have a full work up. That actually irritated me because all of my symptoms were urinary and I felt like the second the lab tests showed no infection I was kinda written off. But I went in for the work up since I was due anyway. The same thing came back, no infection. She wanted to schedule an US to check things out, their next available was 6 weeks later. 6 WEEKS!!! I was in pain right then! Not to mention I was having to take off over and over again going to doctors.
So I had finally had it and just decided to go to the ER that next Saturday. I was in pain and it was a one stop shop instead of different specialists over and over. My mom went with me to watch Claire and we started the all day event that is going to any ER. There they did the SAME lab work I'd had at both of my doctors offices. Guess what?? Same results, no infection. They wanted to just discharge me home and schedule a visit with a Urologist. No way, I was there for an answer. My mom and I both said NO very quickly and I had to pretty much demand a CT scan. I had been researching lodged kidney stones which also matched my symptoms and a CT would show that. The doctor very reluctantly ordered the CT. After waiting hours on those results he came in to let me know that I was indeed right to a degree. I had a Bladder Stone, not a kidney stone but it was a big one. This is the actual image of my bladder:
The big grey circle is my bladder and then the white circle is the stone!! As far as stones go, that is huge!! THEN everyone was taking my pain seriously!!
I scheduled a visit with a Urologist and since I work in the hospital I got in in less than 5 days. That doctor was very stumped on how I got the actual stone so he referred me to the stone specialist in the department. After meeting with him he told me that woman do not get bladder stones, only men and malnurished children in Asia. After going through my medical history and reviewing the CT he told me that when I was being stitched back up from my c-section the doctor mistakenly put a stitch into my bladder and the stone formed around that since it was a foreign object. GREAT!!! For those of you who know me it was yet another complication from pregnancy and I hadn't been pregnant in a year! Ugh.
Yesterday I went in, was put to sleep and they blasted that sucker with a laser!! After flushing the fragments out I was sent home to recover. Even though I'm in pain from the actual procedure I feel so much better with that stone out. It was constantly bothering me and I never want to experience that again! The doctor who does my next c-section will be avoiding my bladder at all costs!!!
