My Ordeal Five Years Ago

Five years ago on this day, I was in the hospital, but just the ER and only for a short period of time.

I couldn't have told you that this is what happened exactly 5 years ago until, just for interest sake, I clicked on my January 2017 photo file to see what was up. Although I hadn't realized what I was about to see, I do remember the situation well and not with fondness. I just didn't remember that this is the exact anniversary.

It began a few days earlier on Friday. It could have even started on Thursday*, but I am not positive either way although I lean toward Thursday. However, this initial photo is dated to the 13th, and that date —  Friday the 13th — does seem more appropriate for this narrative. Whatever the day, we were watching tv at suppertime when my lower back became very uncomfortable.

It became so painful that the only slight respite I could find was from kneeling on the stairs and assuming a rather awkward position.

Doesn't the boy look pathetic?

The pain went on all weekend. I spent a lot of time in this ↑ position and had many hot baths. I found that an extremely hot bath might provide some relief for about an hour, and if memory serves, I may have had up to 5 baths on one of those days. Why it worked, I cannot say, but it was a blessed, if only a temporary, relief.

Although, the attack began on Friday (or perhaps Thursday*), I was still in something approximating agony on Sunday night. I recall that Sue, in some desperation, called the provincial health hotline. All they could advise was to go to ER. From what I can gather, that is all the hotline can ever advise. I refused to go (see footnotes for an explanation), preferring to see our family doctor on the next day. The consultant heard me tell Sue in no uncertain terms that I wasn't about to comply, and she advised calling an ambulance after I suppose Sue said that the trip would be problematic. I said a firm no to that as well.

On Monday, Sue called the doctor and set up an appointment. Whether she called before or after I urinated a brown, gucky substance, I can't recall.

What I do recall, is taking a bottled sample of that urine to my appointment with the doctor. She just about had a conniption and promptly called ER and told them see to me right away. As head of ER, she could do that with authority.

They put me on IV and lay me on a bed from where I stared at the ceiling ↓ with some concern .

If I look a little morose ↑ it may be because this ↓ is what I had too look at directly overhead.

To me, it was a very gloomy painting of a dove flying up to heaven. I assure you that a sick person in a hospital bed does not need to look up to see a bird ascending to heaven.

To be honest, however, once I had passed that brown urine, I started to feel better, so I could smile ↓ — I think at seeing the humour in the juxtaposition. You may as well look on the light side of life if you can.

Aside from the IV, I was placed there to wait for am emergency opening for an ultrasound scan.

They found a small kidney stone or two, but the stones haven't bothered me in these five subsequent years. Another more recent scan has indicated that I still have at least one kidney stone. At the time, although I hadn't noticed it, I had apparently, passed whatever stone has caused all of the pain.

That evening, the family came over, and my world was good again although I may look a little wan in the picture.

But all of that kneeling on the stairs had done quite a number on my poor knees.

My family doctor also referred me to the urologist. I think I had a CT scan and another ultrasound, but some things mercifully begin to fade from memory.

* Although the photo data reveals that Sue took the first, stair, picture on Friday 13, I starred Thursday, above, for I think that it may have begun then. It seems to me that I remember thinking how unfortunate it was to have occurred on Thursday because my doctor doesn't hold office hours on Fridays. If  that is the case, and I think it is, it means that I spent three-and-a-half days in severe pain.

** Before you all chide me for refusing to go to the ER, I just couldn't imagine even getting there in that condition, and I further couldn't imagine being forced to wait to be attended to in the agony that I was experiencing. Despite the pain, I had some confidence that I wasn't at death's door and that I could wait to see my doctor on Monday. She is very good at being prompt, and I knew that I wouldn't have had to wait interminably in acute discomfort.