2010 has been a very difficult year for me and my family. In late January I lost a baby, over the summer I endured a separation from my husband (who I am very happy to have home), I moved to a home half the size and twice the distance and now I have fallen quite ill. On top of this, I graduated from college and Bill has been out of work for months. Needless to say, we do not have insurance.
My illness…On Monday the 6th of December I was vomiting and feeling horrible pain in my abdomen. I went to Putnam hospital( don’t start…I know) and was told I had a 4mm kidney stone in my left kidney and to go home and it would pass on its own. By Friday the 10th, (Riley’s birthday) I was in terrible pain again despite the medicine to help so I drove myself to Flagler hospital (which I LOVE) and they repeated all the tests…THANK GOD! As it turns out I have many stones. The 4mm that Putnam saw is in actuality 4x8mm which is HUGE as I am told. I also have another that is 5×3 and yet another that is 8mm all by itself.
The pain I was feeling Friday the 10th was due to the beginnings of a blockage called hydrohresis so I was admitted and taken to surgery to have a stent placed to allow better flow. I will be having another surgery the beginning of next week to have the stones broken into manageable sizes so that they can be removed or I can pass them on my own.
The good news and the bad….
The good news is that I have been blessed with an awesome urologist. He is a very cool person and cares about people…not the almighty dollar. The bad news is that he is not a medicaid provider and that is all I have. His staff and the doctor himself have told me not to worry and they are treating me one way or another. They said “the money is nice, it pays the bills but this is serious and Dr. Epsteine wants me healthy.” In reality, these stones could try to pass and get lodged and eventually kill me from sepsis or kidney failure. Needless to say, I am scared to death. But I am happy to have a doctor who wants to help regardless of the fact I cannot pay. In reality, I would rather have a bill to pay on or even have bill collectors than face death because of these massive stones.
My surgery’s are scary and I deal with a lot of pain daily from the stones and the stent.And for the record, I have NEVER had a stone before! I have given up soda cold turkey and am also dealing with headaches from that. Bill and I are both unemployed and are struggling hard financially. I know God does not give us more than we can handle but I am feeling well beyond overwhelmed and ready for 2010 to be a distant memory. I am hoping and praying for health and new jobs for myself and my family in the new year. It is a very helpless feeling knowing you can’t tend to your health, pay your bills or even provide a Christmas to your children. All I can say is thank God for our wonderful friends who have been able to step in and assist us in having Christmas gifts for the boys. They don’t understand that there is no money and while they don’t long for much, we all want presents under the tree Christmas morning. (I love you, you know who you are! <3)
