To finish the story of my great ordeal, on the day before Christmas my lower back started aching. I was able to keep it at bay with lots of ibuprofen, but it continued to worsen the next few days. By Monday, I wasn't able to get out of bed and was back on the strongest pain relievers I had been given for my kidney pain, plus 800 mg of ibuprofen every 4 hours. I wasn't sleeping and was feeling frustrated that I had just overcome intense pain and was now dealing with more intense pain. Tuesday wasn't any better, and by Wednesday I was in constant tears. We left on Wednesday morning for Kansas City, where we spent a couple days in a hotel as a family, doing many of the nearby activities. I will upload pictures from those days later. I spent most of the mini-vacation laying on the hotel bed while my family left to have fun. It was very unlike me, and I hated feeling like a complainer after having just had to excuse myself from activities because of my kidney surgery.
By Friday I was able to keep the pain at a reasonable level by hardly moving at all and doing some physical therapy on myself. With it being a holiday weekend, my Family Practice doctor was out of town and unavailable until Tuesday. At my appt on Tuesday morning, the doctor walked in the room and said he was having a crazy day so far. I told them that was very unfortunate, because I had a lot to discuss with him! He patiently listened to all my whining about the surgery mistakes, gave me some good advice, then listened while I talked about my back issues. I had been convinced that I had a disc that had slipped in my back, because of the Springer family history of bad backs. The doctor did some x-rays and tests, and really thinks I dodged a bullet this time and that the back pain was a result of my being in so much pain with the kidney stones the previous week. He said I had been clenching my muscles so tightly and bending over in pain, so it threw my back out. What do you know, I think he was right because I feel a million times better now.
In other important news, my Grandpa Palmer (my Mother's step-father) is dying of leukemia and I haven't been able to see him because I live so far away. My parents and both sisters drove to Washington last week and spent many days helping my Grandma and taking care of my Grandpa. I love him and I've been wishing I had put more effort into learning his favorite piano songs during all those years I took lessons. He always wanted me to play "Oh My Father" for him, because he loved the song so much. I read the words to that song this past week, and my heart ached. The first and fourth verses were especially poignant right now.
O my Father, thou that dwellest
In the high and glorious place,
When shall I regain thy presence
And again behold thy face?
In thy holy habitation,
Did my spirit once reside?
In my first primeval childhood
Was I nurtured near thy side?
In the high and glorious place,
When shall I regain thy presence
And again behold thy face?
In thy holy habitation,
Did my spirit once reside?
In my first primeval childhood
Was I nurtured near thy side?
When I leave this frail existence,
When I lay this mortal by,
Father, Mother, may I meet you
In your royal courts on high?
Then, at length, when I’ve completed
All you sent me forth to do,
With your mutual approbation
Let me come and dwell with you.
When I lay this mortal by,
Father, Mother, may I meet you
In your royal courts on high?
Then, at length, when I’ve completed
All you sent me forth to do,
With your mutual approbation
Let me come and dwell with you.
My family tells me that Grandpa is at peace with dying. I don't know his religious views, but he knows he has led a good life and deserves a happy afterlife, which I'm positive he will enjoy. He has lived in the shadows for most of his lifetime, and I hope he knows the love his family has for him.
And in other news, I have to give a shout out to my hard-working husband. Because of his dedication and vision, he was PROMOTED TO VICE-PRESIDENT AT WORK TODAY. I'm so proud of him! He earned it and has proven himself during the past many years.
So after getting through my holiday health crisis, I've realized a few things:
1) I'm not very patient with chronic pain
2) It was such a blessing to have this happen during the 2 weeks when Ryan wasn't traveling and the kids weren't needing to be taken back and forth to school and activities.
3) I will have extreme anxiety every time I walk into a urologist office from now on.
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