Between a rock and a hard place.

On Wednesday afternoon I had a rather quick onset of discomfort in my lower back that turned rapidly into an excruciating pain in my lower back and side. After deciding that I couldn't spend the evening on my knees leaning on the couch I called Clark and made him come home from work early to take me to the hospital. I don't think I shall ever squint my eyes again in anger at an ER attending who shuttles people to the back out of turn on account of pain...I have decided there is nothing more miserable than sitting in the emergency room in lots and lots of pain with other people watching.
We were quite lucky though as a friend of ours just happens to work in the ER as a very friendly and accommodating doctor. Once we made our way back (after taking all the kids with us and waiting for Uncle Nolan to come save the day--he picked them up from the hospital, took them home, fed them and put them to bed!) I was taken care of quickly. And eventually, though not soon enough in my opinion, given drugs for the pain. By the way, being asked what my pain was on a scale of 1 to 10 was a more difficult question than normal seeing as how I had a baby just 3 months ago...how could I possible say 10? I typically give them two numbers...Uh, it's like an 8 or a 9...take your pick. Anyway, after a delightful little cat scan I was diagnosed with a kidney stone. A really big one.
I had decided that I would wait to post about this until the stone actually made it's ugly appearance...but after looking at pictures of them on the Internet I decided (for once in my blogging career) that it was too gross to actually show.
7 mm big...that's 1/4 inch for those of you without a ruler handy. That's awfully big in my opinion to have to travel where it travels. We decided though to make the best of it and consider this the son we may never have.
Clark and I haven't settled on a name yet- though we have been considering either Rocky or Stone Philips. My Dad thinks that we should wait and see what he looks like first. I apologized to Clark that I pulled him away from studying that night. He teased me that I was just hard pressed for a date and I decided that any date that ends with Morphine was well worth it.
I have exceeded my pain quota for the year. A baby and a kidney stone is too much...though now that I have said that out loud I might be inviting some kind of horrid bowel disease. I pledge that if I have to put my feet up in stirrups at a doctor's visit one more time this year I might kick someone, hard.
I really was grateful for the doctor that took care of me (I was quite a nuisance and called him at home before deciding to go into the ER...I bothered him with work before he had to go to work, not nice.) Not only did we get excellent medical care and friendly attention, but he offered me free post care babysitting from his wife. Now that's service!!

So after a follow up with a very nice, very old urologist yesterday..we, meaning he, decided to wait it out until Monday. So I will be taking plenty of vicodin (as needed of course) and medicine typically used for men with enlarged p*rostate....oh, and drinking lots and lots and lots of water. It's almost like being pregnant again...except that this "baby" won't be as cuddly. But maybe, just maybe, he'll grow up to be famous.