I gave at the orifice, or Steve's wonderful day at the ER

[Guest guest]

Hi, y'all,

Just a quickie to let you know that I awoke at 5:00 AM to terrible

pain in the front, lower right quadrant of my torso. That's where

the biliary limb is surgically connected to the common channel. I

guessed that it was yet another kidney stone, but was also concerned

that it could be twisted intestine--which, as most of you know can

spoil your whole day if not resolved quickly. So, I had Dr. Elariny

paged. He called me back within five minutes!!! I figured that he

would already have awakened to get ready for surgery, but he sounded

as though I had actually rousted him from sleep. He agreed that my

self-diagnosis of a kidney stone was probably correct, but he asked

me to go to the emergency room to have some pictures taken just to

rule out intestinal kinking.

I took Percoset (oxycodone) at home (left over from my DS pain meds).

It helped the pain considerably, but it was still quite pronounced.

I hit the ER just at the right moment--close to 6:00 AM. The place

was deserted, and I was taken right away with zero delay--an hour

later, and the place was crawling with sick people. I got super

care, and I knew that I had passed the stone into my bladder while

waiting to be wheeled in for an X-ray, as the pain eased up 95%. I

used a urinal, the the nurse filtered the urine and said " Bingo! "

Three tiny stones. My urine had ben sparse, despite my having forced

lots of liquids, and it was almost brown (blood from the stones'

having torn their way through the ureter on the way to the bladder.

I was discharged by 10:00 AM, and my son and I went to IHOP to

celebrate with their $2.99 special (2 eggs 2 sausage or bacon, and 2

pancakes--more than i could finish). Later in the afternoon, I had

to take another Percoset, as the pain had returned, though not at all

as intense as at 5:00 AM. So, I had a great snooze in la-la land.

Oh, the wonders of good drugs! Well, it's off to bed now.

Bottom line concern: I have a urologist appointment on Monday (it had

already been scheduled); if analysis of the stones points to a

calcium base, what, if any influence might the dietary calcium

supplementation have on this? Anybody have any ideas here? Similar

question about all the animal protein that I have been ingesting

post-op.

--Steve

--

Steve Goldstein, age 61

Lap BPD/DS on May 2, 2001

Dr. Elariny, INOVA Fairfax Hospital, Virginia

Starting (05/02/01) BMI = 51

BMI on 09/12 = 41 (-63 lb.)