Posts with the label kidney stone
Showing posts with label kidney stone. Show all posts
Showing posts with label kidney stone. Show all posts

Thursday, June 14, 2018

Slow Lane, please

light blur
I must keep reminding myself to breathe. My body encourages me to release all my muscles and let the tension go. My life seems a blur. I know you experience the same feelings. If you don't, please share your secret.

A chapter in our lives ended in February when my daughter's divorce was final after a turbulent six years of marriage. We are so thankful for God's grace and love during life's big disappointments. We are confident it is all for good and look forward to what God has in store for Sydnee and her precious daughters. I hope I don't make this sound too easy. Their separation and divorce has been one of the most difficult, heart-shredding, agonizing and tearful times in my life. My prayer has always been for her ex-husband to accept the love and support we, I offered. He would not.

Matthew 23:37 O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathered her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!

Did you notice the exclamation point at the end of that verse? Yes! An exclamation point written in God's word. The next verse says "Behold, your house is left unto you desolate." Short version: If you don't accept God's love, you will be on your own. God helped me to have love, patience and continual prayer for my ex-son-in-law while watching him tear down my daughter and their children. Sydnee allowed God to gather her, his child, under his wings of protection. He has not left her desolate. I praise him for her recovery thus far. I trust him for her continued healing and happiness. Please help me pray for the ex. He is the daddy of my granddaughters and I want good things for him.
My dad suffered his fourth stroke mid-March. Hospitalization and rehabilitation kept him away from home for almost a month. He is doing well. We just celebrated his 81st birthday on June 8. My mom was a trooper! She stayed with him every single day during his recuperation. She didn't even go home. We took her clothes and she showered at the hospital. We celebrated her 78th birthday at the rehab facility with a German Chocolate Cake baked by Sloane!  We got Dad home and Mom started enjoying ER visits. She had immediate surgery for a 8.25 mm kidney stone mid-May. My daughters took off work providing care for both of my parents like champions! I was down with Flu B when my dad was in the hospital. My granddaughters, both of them, also got the flu. I was out of town when my mom went to the ER and subsequently had surgery. Thank you sweet daughters for all you do!
My husband, Steve underwent extensive testing for a double lung transplant the first of May. Two long days of testing were over. His heart cath was scheduled for Wednesday. After eight long hours of waiting, we were sent back to our hotel and asked to return on Thursday. Several emergencies during the day kept pushing his procedure back until it was closing time for the cath lab. He qualified for the transplant but opted to forego right now. It's a long story so I hope you'll continue to read on. I can guarantee you some goose bumps.

Duke University Hospital transferred Steve's case to Emory at our request. North Carolina was too far from Chatsworth to consider doing his transplant there. The condition he suffers requires rheumatalogist visits. He saw one at Emory two years ago but she dismissed him. She encouraged him to see Dr. Veeraraghagan (Dr. V). I've tried for two years to get an appointment with Dr. V..  Ain't happening! Dr. V and Steve's regular pulmonologist at Emory are in the same practice. Evidently, pulmonolgist aren't like obstetricians who want you to see all doctors at the practice. I haven't been able to break through the office personnel to get an appointment. Even if I schedule one online, the appointment is canceled and I get a call asking me if I've made a mistake with selecting a doctor. Annoying!

The transplant team asked what it would take for Steve to say okay to a transplant. His answer "I'm not sure. I've been thinking about it but just don't know." My answer "I'll have to see an accurate diagnosis AND I want him to see Dr. V." I voiced this to the psychologist and the transplant team coordinator. They promised me they'd talk to the team after Steve's test results to see what the team thought. Emily, the transplant coordinator was very interested in the conversation. I felt I was finally being heard.

Fives days after Steve's testing, Emily called to give us the good news. Steve qualified for a double lung transplant. However, with our reluctance, the team thought an appointment with Dr. V. was a good idea. An appointment was scheduled for May 17. On May 15th, Dr. V's office called. Steve's appointment was canceled. Dr. V. had a family emergency.  I called to reschedule the appointment but guess what? Couldn't break through the office staff again! Emily finally called us with another appointment scheduled for July 5.

Here comes the goose bumps. When Emily called to tell us Steve had qualified, she was so excited about the Dr. V. appointment. She said "Guys, I got to thinking about what you said about Dr. V.. I remembered a patient we had two years ago with Steve's same diagnosis. I checked the files and with Dr. Neujahr to make sure I wasn't crazy and remembered correctly.  Anyway, this patient was pending a double lung transplant. He saw Dr. V. and WE DON'T EVEN FOLLOW HIS CASE ANYMORE. We're not sure what Dr. V. did for him but it worked!"

Praise Jesus! Now, that's what I've waited six years to hear!!! This doctor, through God's grace, is going to heal my husband! I'm believing and receiving! Please help me to ask God's favor in this situation. Thank you in advance for your prayers.
I absolutely love the life God has given me! The tough days make the simple days so much sweeter. And sometimes, the simple days outnumber the tough. 2018 seems to be a double doozie so far. One day in April, I remember specifically. My daughter Sloane got a promotion at work that day. It was a simple one...

Love you guys. Thanks for listening to me
spill my heart,

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Slow Lane, please

Thursday, June 14, 2018

Friday, March 20, 2015

We Had Our Own Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

We anxiously expected a normal Monday. The rota virus ravaged our family last week. Please, Lord, we want a normal Monday! We had our own terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day! My beautiful daughter Sloane left for work around 8 am. When I say beautiful, I don't mean to brag..well maybe just a bit but I'll let you decide for yourself. This is a picture of her just two days before our very bad day.
I started my Monday with a much needed chiropractor appointment. I drop my granddaughter by my mom's house and head to the chiropractor about 30 minutes away. I've got my cell phone in AT&T drive mode. Please don't text and drive! I'm feeling good all over about finally getting an adjustment I'd missed for the last three weeks. I put my car in park, open the door to step out and my phone rings. Sloane with a panic in her voice I recognized "I'M IN PAIN!". What? I screeched. (My family says that's my normal response to everything.) "I've got to go to the hospital!" My motherly instinct and experience knew the source of her agony, renal calculi. KIDNEY STONE!. I ran into the chiropractic office, dismissed myself and drove to pick her up to take her to the hospital.                                                                                 

Ignoring her mother's very sound advice before I reached her, she started toward me. Did.not.make.it! She stopped on the side of the road to hurl due to the pain about 10 minutes from home. A nice man, I wished I'd gotten his name, stopped to stay with her until I got there offering to take her to the hospital. No, no, no. Stay where you are. Kidney stones are painful but not deadly. I picked her up and the guy told me that he had a kidney stone once and he went over to MedNow and they gave him a shot and he ain't had one since and it's been years ago. Well, nice angel man, I only wish it were that simple. And by the way, Thanks! if we didn't say it in the midst of our terrible, horrible, no good, very day.

I sped Sloane to our family doctor whom I had called to make sure had narcotic shots in his office before we stopped there. If you've ever had a kidney stone you know half-seconds seem like half-years! The nice staff took her back immediately. The doctor came in to check her within 10 minutes while Sloane rocked back and forth on her feet bent over the exam table saying "Why can't they hurry?" Hands down, it was the fastest doctor visit I've ever experienced in 51 years! Ten minutes gave her time to fill their trashcan with half-digested orange Cheetos juice from an unhealthy breakfast earlier in the day.They gave her 3 shots, two for pain and one for nausea. I couldn't help but document this experience. This is Sloane after her meds kicked in!

I don't know why her eyes get buggy when she's takes pain meds but just look at them. I finally got her to sit down before she feel and broke a bone. She said "If I do break something I won't feel it!" Everything that came out of her mouth was hilarious. Sloane is a very reserved, non-comical individual which made her comments even funnier. 

She was feeling "right" starting to recall how her painful episode started. She kept saying "You just never know. You just NEVER know!" She asked me "Have your ears ever gotten so hot they were cold?" I said "No, I've never had that happen." She went on with slurred speech "Mine did! My ears got so hot when that terrible pain started that they got cold. Then...I started sweatin'. I knew it wuttin' good! My ears gettin' hot and then cold." The next line out of her mouth had me telling the nurse and the office staff what she said.

Almost in dreamland with her eyes closed, small grin and pulling on her ear, she said "My ears tell me everything I need to know." I wish she was as confident and carefree every day as she was after those sweet meds. 

The doctor got an emergency CT scan approved. I guided her to the car, put her feet in and headed toward the hospital x-ray facility. She praised God for creating medicine and helpful doctors all the way there!  The picture on the left is how she waited on the x-ray technician. Sloane would never ever lie down on a couch in a waiting room! 3mm distal kidney stone meaning it's small and low. She should pass it soon. As a mom, I'm so thankful for a doctor that will work you in as an emergency and help your child immediately! She rested comfortably tucked in at home for the next several hours. Oddly, my last kidney stone was on a Monday. Read my hilarious experience I titled Pande-"Monday"-ium of. Laughter here.

Sloane and I are Pampered Chef consultants. I knew Sloane had a show later on this day. Of course, I pitched in to help except I haven't mentioned that I lost my voice during Sloane's pain episode. I cannot handle stress of any kind. I started the day with my normal voice and ended the day unable to speak above a whisper! What else can happen on our terrible, horrible no good, very bad day? I selected our tools for the show, packed them and went to freshen up a bit. Sloane and I heard a loud crashing noise. "What was that?" she said. I walked back into the kitchen to find my beautiful new cranberry shallow baker I won by reaching a sales goal laying in the floor with a big chunk knocked out of it. Check out the pic! :( A shallow baker can be replaced. No harm, no foul except I cut my finger cleaning up the pieces. The show went well!
Recovering,
Tammy
The Happy Handicap 

p.s. Please leave me a comment about a bad day you've had!
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We Had Our Own Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

Friday, March 20, 2015

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