Life is full of curveballs, and in this case, more like stones!
I started having bad right kidney pain Monday afternoon and by Tuesday morning it still was lingering. Not wanting to take chances with a possible infection, I called the Maternal Fetal Medicine. They told me to go to the hospital at Baptist to get checked out. After urine tests they saw no infection (Thank goodness!) and they felt it was Hydronephrosis and I was told to take Tylenol. Hydronephrosis occurs when the ureters are being blocked or pressed against and urine backs up into the kidneys, causing swelling and a lot of pain.
That night and all day Wednesday my pain level was still pretty bad. I was trying to make it to Thursday afternoon when I had my MFM ultrasound scheduled to see if they’d look at my kidney too. Thursday morning though, I was in agony. MFM advised I go back to the hospital.
This pain was on par with that of labor pains and contractions. Not being able to sit still or breathe from the pain, Adam took me in Thursday morning to Baptist. Still not showing any infection, they wanted to do an ultrasound and see if this was and is a kidney stone. An ultrasound showed inflammation in the kidney and hydronephrosis but they couldn’t get a definitive view of the ureters bc the babies block that view. They did see an 8mm stone in the left kidney that hasn’t moved yet. I’m praying it won’t any time soon! They didn’t want to do a CT scan because of the radiation exposure to me and the babies. Instead, the doctors wanted me to stay overnight to manage my pain and to strain my urine and try to get this possible kidney stone to pass.
I ended up staying two nights with multiple severe pain episodes needing either Fentanyl, Oxycodone, and/or Tylenol. I was given Flomax each day to help relax the kidneys and ureters and help whatever stones were there to pass. Twice a day babies were on the monitor and looked really good. They’re super active and it took some work to get them to stay on for a consecutive 20 minutes. Haha! They checked and I’m not dilating yet thank goodness. The pain of this kidney issue, coupled with the pains that come with being 32 weeks pregnant with twins brought my body to exhaustion and tears. A lot of prayers were said and God sent some precious nurses to help along the way.
The doctors sent me home today (Saturday) with 5 days of Flomax and Oxycodone for pain. I’m not pain free, but I’m hoping the more Flomax flushes out, the better things will get.
What a whirlwind I swear! I can’t say enough about the support system that surrounds us. I don’t post much on Facebook because it can be a place that isn’t always the most positive but we are an open book and value the love and support of our family and friends so very much. Adam drove back and forth to get what I needed, packed bags for Aaron and just was and is an amazing support through the pain. He’s my rock and is my calm during the storm. Family members watched our sweet boy, sent flowers and Facetimed. Close friends, who happen to be co-workers, helped create my remote learning page for next week and assignments for my students as well as arrange for meal drop-offs. Texts and calls of care and support from friends surrounded us with love and continue to do so. We also got the sweetest package from the Ronald McDonald house to stay busy during the hours at the hospital.
Times like this remind me of the lyrics of one of my current favorite songs- Evidence by Josh Baldwin.
I see the evidence of Your goodness
All over my life, all over my life
I see Your promises in fulfillment
All over my life, all over my life
Help me remember when I’m weak
Fear may come but fear will leave
You lead my heart to victory
You are my strength and You always will be
We are continually humbled and just floored by the wonderful friends and family we have that step in during times of need. Thank you for being our village. We love and care for you so much ❤️
*I will update everyone Tuesday evening after our day in Charlotte meeting with the teams at Levine Children’s Hospital!
Blessed With Boys 