I'm Sore!!!

well, I had my surgery last night. I got to the hospital at 2:30 and was admitted to the operating ward shortly after. My doctor that was performing the surgery was able to go above and beyond his job and get a prior authorization for the surgery to take place in the out of network hospital because the in network hospital didnt have the correct equipment. The anestheseologist came in to tell me what he was going to do, and it turns out that I grew up with his kids!! When I was wheeled into the operating room, he started talking to me about my friends that I haven't seen in years, and the next thing I knew, I was waking up in the recovery room! He didn't even tell me that he was starting the anestezia. Apparently the whole operation was only supposed to take 20 minutes, but it ended up taking an hour and a half. The doctor called my mom in the waiting room to let her know why it was taking so long, and not to worry. The stone was lodged in my tube, and wouldn't move, I would have never passed it. The doctor placed a stint from my kidney to my bladder to stop clotting and help with drainage. Everything went well, but I am very sore today. I will finally be able to return to work on Monday.

On a different subject, please continue to pray for the Clist family. Grandma Clist passed away peacefully in her sleep last night. We were prepared for this to happen, but It is still never easy. I am so blessed that I was able to know her and have such a wonderful lady in my life, even if it was only a few short years. Grandma will never be forgotten, she was such an incredible lady with a lifetime of stories. Grandma was comfortable with her decision to avoid invasive treatment for her cancer, and was extremely comfortable in her faith with Jesus. Grandma is no longer in pain, but is happy with Jesus now. Please keep happy thoughts a prayers for Grandma and the rest of the family.

so much time, and so little to do!

Since I have been home with this stone the last couple of weeks, I have decided to do a little digital scrapbooking. I have completed 2, yes only 2 pages and finally (with Courtney's help) figured out how to make a masthead, which you see above. It's my first one, so a little boring, but I will try harder next time! Anyways check out my 2 pages that I did from our trip to New York City in December http://www.scrapbookflair.com/jaclist Jeremy, myself, my mom, my dad, and Mom C all flew out to NYC and met up with Aunt Sue and Uncle Curt. It was my first visit there, as was my dad's, and we could not have asked for better tour guides! We had a wonderful time, and these are only a few of the many pictures that we took. We even got to see the Radio City Rockettes Christmas show, which was the highlight of my trip. We also saw a matinee of A Chorus Line, which was fabulous. We went to Chelsea Market, which is where the food network films. We saw the firefighters museum, which was amazing. We went to ground zero, which was just surreal. We experienced real NYC subways, and the freaky homeless people that live on them! We saw the Sunday filming of Today with Lester Holt, and saw the ice skating in Rockefeller Plaza. We did sooooo much in just a couple of days, it was a crazy whirlwind of fun. Check out my first pages, and I will post with updates as I complete more.

On a seperate note, please continue to pray for Grandma Clist, she is not doing very well. Dad C is in New York with her as she awaits her final days. She is comfortable with her decision to be with Jesus, and has let the family know that this is what she wants, and is ready. Please just keep your thoughts and prayers with her, and pray for her to be comfortable and peaceful until she is ready to let go.

On another medical note, I will probably be having my kidney stone removed surgically either tomorrow or Friday, so please pray that everything goes well and I can be back at work by Monday.

more like not to pass!!!!!

As an update from my last blog.....I have not yet passed my kidney stone, and have been out of work for almost 2 whole weeks now. Most people would think it would be nice to be home from work for 2 weeks, but I have been bored out of my mind, and in pretty intense pain along with it. I would RATHER be at work!!! I went for a follow up with the Urologist I was referred to by the ER yesterday, I had fresh x-rays which indicated that the stone was in the EXACT same place it was last week. It's not even moving! So, the doctor scheduled me to have surgery for removal today. Why did I not have the surgery, you ask? Well, come to find out the doctor is not in my network of covered providersy by my insurance plan. I called my insurance and got a list of 3 covered doctors in Redding. One of which really isn't covered, the insurance just thinks they are. So I set up an appointment for today with the only one I could get into. My mom and I got to the office and were completely amazed at the lack of technology, they did not even have a computer in the whole office, the receptionist was typing on a TYPEWRITER!!!! Well, maybe the doctor is just a little old fashioned, so we stayed to see him anyways. The doctor was telling me everything completely the opposite of what the last doctor, and the hospital doctor had told me, so we werent convinced. I then went straight over to my primary physician's office (just down the street) and his nurse found me the other doctor in my network and called them. She sent us straight up there to fill out the paperwork and take my films and doctor reports in. The doctor was backed up today, but they managed to get me in for tomorrow afternoon. So after this whole ordeal, we will see what this third doctor says and hopefully plan for the surgery this week! This thing is so painful and uncomfortable, and I just want it gone! By the way, his name is Javier, don't know why, but thats what I have named him, no I want to deport him!

To pass, or not to pass......

Over the last couple of weeks I have been suffering from what my doctor and myself have thought to be a urinary tract infection. I have been treated with two different ant-biotics and the pain has not seemed to go away. Yesterday, the pain became worse than ever while I was at work, it was so bad that I was doubled over and feeling nauseated by it. I also felt like I had a full bladder, but could not pee! About 5 o'clock, my mom took me into the E.R. where I sat for 2 hours before a triage nurse finally called me in, they then decided that I was in enough pain that they would take me straight back. They hooked me up to an IV with a low dose of morphine for the pain, and phenergan for my naseau. The nurse drew a LOT of blood to run tests, and hooked me up to a cathiter which is extremely uncomfortable! They were able to empty out my bladder but I still felt like I had to pee and couldn't. The doctor (after 6 hours) finally ordered a CT scan of my abdomin since I was having severe back pain as well. The results you ask? I have a 5 x 10 millimeter sized kidney stone. For those of you that do not know the size of that, ITS HUGE!!! I also have a few smaller ones in there too, but after passing the monster, I shouldn't have a problem with the little guys! After being discharged at 3 this morning, mom brought me straight home and I totally zonked out from the morphine. This morning I went to see the Urologist to see how we are going to get rid of this thing. It is close to my Uteris so they cannot do anything but wait. The Urologist said that I have a 50/50 chance of passing it on my own. If I don't pass it by next monday, he will do a small outpatient surgery where he will go in and break it down and remove it. This all sounds really gross doesn't it? I have to stay home from work for a week in hopes of passing this thing. If you have ever had a kidney stone, you know how painful they are. They compare the pain to that of child birth. If this is what child birth feels like, I don't think I wanna go through it!!!!

All at once!

As my family closes the chapter of my grandpa's life, we have to bear the news of yet more pain. Jeremy's grandma was recently diagnosed with a very bad form of cancer. It is a rapid spreading cancer that is in her organs. This afternoon as I was just leaving work, I got news that her heart stopped today. It did start again, but it was a huge scare for us all. I ask all who are reading to keep grandma Clist, and the rest of the Clist family in your thoughts and prayers as we await test results.

Also tonight, on a completely different topic, I ask for your thoughts and prayers for Jeremy. He has his FAA checkride early in the morning. Stresses are high, but we will all make it through this!