Oh the Agony!

Remember that terrible back pain/UTI/baby-using-my kidney-for-a-punching-bag stuff I complained about here and here?  Well, yeah...it got worse.

Saturday morning our alarm went off at 6:15am.  For the first time in months, I really, really, reallyreallyreally! OMG! REALLY! did not want to get out of bed.  Chris needed to go to work so I did get up.  But, oh the pain.  I thought, "ok...I'm definitely feeling the pregnant thing and it SUCKS!"

After taking Chris to work, I begged the children to behave and let mama go upstairs and work for a bit.  I had a lot of catching up to do...especially after the events of the last week.  I sat here at my computer for all of two and a half minutes before giving up and going back to bed.  I was miserable.  I didn't sleep well, but I could not move.

A few hours later, I emerged to shower and leave for Alex's basketball game.  But the kids needed lunch.  Damn!  I just couldn't do it.  Grace was generous to offer to make lunch while I showered.  But we were almost out of bread.  She made the kids lunch but did not make anything for herselft.  She neglected to tell me this until five minutes after we should have been walking out the door if we were to make his game on time.  And she proceeded to LOSE HER SHIT over it.  Which in turn caused me to lose mine and this turned into an ugly screaming match from hell.  Then she lunged at me (never has she done that before),nI defended and ended up pushing her into her closet.  We gathered ourselves and left...still fuming at each other.

At the game we barely spoke.  I could barely even sit in the chair without wanting to die of pain so the silence was just fine.  Finally, we both apologized, cried it out, hugged it out and shared a hotdog from the concession stand.  I'm sure we looked like complete messes but whatev...we worked it out.

After the game, we headed to my parents to visit my sister and nephew who were in town for the weekend.  I complained to my mom how much pain I was in.  My kidney was KILLING me.  My dad got me a heating pad, and I parked my tuckus in the lazy boy for the rest of the afternoon.  Then we went to get Chris from work.  By this point, the pain was relentless.  No amount of water or cranberry juice or heat or sleep would eleviate it.  I just couldn't function.

We grabbed some fried chicken and sides on the way home because there was no way in hell I was cooking anything or sitting anywhere but my couch to eat.  The kids fell asleep in the car on the way home.  Once inside, they snuggled up on the couch and continued to nap.  I was jealous.  I decided to call the exchange.  I really thought I could "tough" it out until Monday when I could call my OB and get a prescription of some sort.  The doctor on call, however, told me to go to labor and delivery because it was absurd that I was in that much pain.  Honestly, I was kind of relieved.

Chris called his mom and she agreed to watch the kids.  I ate my chicken and cole slaw and mashed potatoes and biscuit and drove the kids to his moms and then to the hospital.  Fortunately, I didn't have to wait long before I was in a bed and hooked up to monitors.  I knew it was my kidney.  I assumed another UTI or even worse a kidney infection is what the culprit was.  But I was concerned that maybe the baby was in danger.  The nurse asked me stupid questions including, "How do you know it is your kidney that is hurting?"  I know because it is.  And I have a basic understanding of human anatomy.  She took a urine sample and left. 

The resident OB came in not long after.  The baby was fine.  She looks great and there are no issues with the pregnancy.  He poked on my side asking if it hurt here, and here, and here.  I showed him exactly where it hurt.  He pushed on my rib and asked if it hurt.  Yes...because you are pushing on my RIB!  Then he proceeded to tell me my problem wasn't with my kidney.  It was my RIB that hurt...probably because of the position of the baby.  I told him I wasn't stupid and knew the difference between a bone hurting and a vital, internal organ!  My rib only hurt because he was pushing on it.  He checked my labs and said I did have a UTI.  Surprise!

He offered to write me a prescription for Keflex and send me home.  I requested he call my on-call doctor first to see if he agreed.  He called and my doctor didn't agree.  I was to be admitted, pumped full of fluids and high dosages of antibiotics.  This is my THIRD UTI in 22 weeks.  This infection isn't simply going away.

I was bummed that I had to stay, but relieved to know I was being treated properly. After 24 hours of IV's, antibiotics and percocets, I was feeling better.  Plus, they treat you well there.  Chris had his own bed next to  mine.  We played Angry Birds and Words With Friends and watched bad TV and ate burgers and onion rings.  It was like checking into a hotel for the night.  It was kid free, pain free and just what I needed. 

I immediately filled my prescription once leaving the hospital Sunday afternoon.  I did not want to chance the infection and pain coming back. I will need to take an antibiotic everyday from now until the baby is born.  I don't like that so much, but a little red pill is much better than what I was going through.

I feel great for the first time in weeks.