Update/Vent, Part One - Kidney Stones

[still_asking]

First, a minor apology - I started a meme thing with some of you and dropped it. It's not forgotten, someday I will tell you all what flavor of jello we will wrestle in, and tell you things that make no sense to anyone but us. More than usual that is

Comments

[flyingwolf]

ACK. That's what the Dr. told my grandmom my mom's problem was. Constipation. Don't give her chocolate. Uh.. They removed the dead kidney 10 years later.

Only 7-8? That's REALLY FUCKING HIGH on my scale. I think most people don't know what pain is!

Damn - the topamax was working so well for you.

[suecochran]

Oh, my. I have never had the "pleasure" of kidney stones, but I have several male friends who've suffered them and I give you my sincerest sympathies. Ouch. As far as "the med doesn't seem to be working anymore" - been THERE, done THAT a large number of times, and ouch, you have my sympathies and empathies on that situation as well. It sucks. I wish you much luck on finding a better replacement SOON.

Yay for the doctor at least giving you adequate and sounds like fairly timely pain meds. I wonder if there is something else you can change in your routine (stop drinking soda? I don't know if you do drink any currently) that would also help prevent future bouts of kidney stones and still allow you to stay on the topamax. (crossing fingers and toes for you).

[still_asking]

I already don't drink soda.

Ironically, I had to give it up to take Topamax. One of the _other_ side effects is called "taste perversion" - tho usually glossed over as 'taste change" in non-technical literature.

"Taste-perversion" makes soda taste well, bad. Details would be TMI.

[scruffycritter]

I hate that 0-10 pain scale. I take ten VERY SERIOUSLY. I've never rated a pain a NINE. Excruciating by my standards is 7+. My record is 8.5.

To me, telling the doc it's a ten isn't possible because it would require you to stop screaming loud enough to say the word.

Because of everyone else's hyperbole nobody takes my pain numbers seriously.

[nosebeepbear]

Same here. Unmedicated labor was not quite a 9.

I have the same problem with the depression scale; 1 being the worst and 10 being feeling great. I rated myself at a 4 most days in the hospital, and one of the doctors wanted to send me home. When we did a more in-depth questionairre, turns out I was what they were calling a 1 or a 2.

[still_asking]

I was a bit unclear. I was having spikes of 7-8, not full time 7-8. But the fact that the spikes were breaking thru the wall o' Darvocet bothered me.

I'm serious about the scale too. (Both scales.)

I take ten to be the worst pain I could still possibly answer their question from/during. But it wouldn't be easy, and they'd prob have to repeat themselves in very small words and my answer might not be coherent. Past ten is past verbal, or why have a scale at all?

[imaginary_pets]

sorry to hear about your ordeal. hope you feel better soon.