The past few months have been long and very trying, to say the least. I've had problems with kidney stones since I was 22, so it's not a surprise when I have an attack, or have to have surgery, especially after a pregnancy. However, this go around has been the longest most frustrating occurance I've ever had. The last couple of months of my pregnancy I'd had pain with stones and passed a couple, so I knew I was going to have to see the Urologist after I had the baby. He found several stones all passable on their own except for two, one in the right kidney and one in the left. So we planned our first lythotripsy procedure and all went well. The stone was broken up and we were just waiting for the fragments to pass. But they never did and I was having a lot of pain. But the Dr couldn't see anything on the xrays or the ct scan that would explain all of the pain. So, I thought maybe it was just residual pain from the surgery. I decided to wait a month to recover and get ready for the next lythotripsy. Still had pain all through the month and spent many days in bed and made a trip to the ER with fever and chills and pain thinking my kidney was blocked....nope just stomach bug along with kidney issues (that was a long night) Anyway, it came time for the lithotripsy on the otherside and instead of following my instincts and take care of the issues on my right side I went ahead with the lithotripsy. After the surgery the Dr didn't seem very hopeful that it worked. Apparently the size and location of the stone didn't make for a great candidate for the procedure (I wish they'd told me that before). At this point I was feeling very frustrated with my Dr, that the communication just wasn't there or the empathy for what I was going through. I realize that he deals with 100's of patients, but my life was pretty much on hold because of this. I was at the point of once again switching Dr's. Several nights spent on my knees asking Heavenly Father what to do. I decided that I would switch Dr's. I planned to go to my postop appt. and then switch. The Dr confirmed that lythotripsy didn't work and said basically I just have to wait for the stone to try to pass and block my kidney, and then he can do a basket retrieval. He was just going to send me on my way when I felt compelled to talk to him, I explained that I was still having a lot of pain and that I knew something was wrong eventhough he couldn't see anything on the xray. I explained that I have been doing this for a long time and I am a mother of 3, one of which is a baby and I can't live in bed any longer. And then he said the magic words..."I'm smart enough to know that I don't know everything." my opinion of him changed right there. He set up a ureteroscopy for the next week to hopefully be able to see what was wrong. The date was set for the day before we were to leave for Florida...risky, but I'd rather possibly feel better than definately feel crapy. He did the procedure and found what they call a ureteral stricture, basically a narrowing of the ureter, in my case due to scar tissue from trama to the ureter. (which can't be seen on an xray) So he ballooned it open and put in a stent. Recovery was pretty rough and we ended up leaving a day later than planned, but I now feel so much better! (I've actually had this procedure done before on the same side) Wow, this has turned out to be a really long story.....sorry....Moral is..trust your gut. If a Dr is a good one he knows that he doesn't know everything!
Now onto the fun stuff.....The perfect end to the story, a trip to West Palm Beach, Florida. We were lucky enough to get a condo from Mike's Mom and Step-dad for the week of Spring Break. We were in a new place this year, which was beautiful! Our good friends the Maddox's came down with us. We all had a great time. It was a much needed vacation!
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| The cute kids... |
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| Mike and Logan ready for a morning walk. |
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| I love this one....looks like Logan hugging Hailey and Braxton. |
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| Seth, Ella and Hailey waiting for the water taxi to Peanut Island.....I don't know what's going on with Hailey's hair. |
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| He was such a good baby, very content, loved the sand!!! We bought a little tent to put him in on the beach to nap and be protected from the sun and wind. I layed him in it to nap and after about 30 minutes I see his little hand sticking out the door playiing in the sand. |
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| Mike's "find" for the trip. |
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| Sleepy baby |
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| Relaxing on Peanut Island |
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| The resort view from our balcony. The big pool wraps all around the building. |
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| View of the beach from our balcony, beautiful water. |
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| Our 10 mile walk to town....it felt like it anyway. |
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| Hailey and Ella enjoying the fountain |
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| A true Ellsworth, relaxing in the pool. |
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| All the kids... |
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| You can't see them very well, but Braxton and Jake caught in the wave... |
