my update

Not really IBD related but I thought I'd update:

I had posted last week after experiencing extreme left flank pain. The culpret ended up being a completly blocked ureter, caused by a stone that had embedded into scar tissue from recent surgeries on my kidneys. I had a urteroscopy last wednesday which was unsuccessful at removing the stone or inserting a stent. The following day, Thursday, I had another procedure to insert a stent into the ureter from the kidney, the end of the stent coming out through a hole in my back and then going into a nephrostomy bag.

Since then my pain has been managed off and on by heavy narcotics. I'm still in the hospital with an elevated white blood cell count. They're unable to remove the nephrostomy and reinsert the stent inside the body until they find the cause of the infection. I have been waiting to go for a CT all day today so hopefully we can come up with a plan. I'm unable to be discharged until my pain is managed and my white count goes down. So I wait.

Once I'm well enough my Urologist wants to do a procedure to remove the stone and cut out (resection my ureter basically) the obstructed area of the ureter so as to avoid kidney failure. He plans to do it laproscopically but not sure yet. Originally we were suppose to do the procedure yesterday or today but my white count keeps raising and preventing it :(

I've had a pretty awful day today. I've been throwing up which increases the pain. So they decided to have a pain management doc come in who switched my meds to Dilaudid only for pain. I just am in a rut. School started yesterday and obviously I'm unable to attend this week as I'm still in the hospital....and then next week is when I'll probably have the 5th (and final!) procedure. Anyways, that's my update so far!

I'm currently on:

Dilaudid 4mg every 4 hrs

Phengran 25mg every 6 hrs

Pyridium

Zofran every 6 hrs

Xanax .25mg every 6 hrs

Miralax 1/day (pain meds have me constipated...what a change!)

Dulcolax 3/day (same as above)

Flomax

Prednisone 20mg (tapering from 60mg)

Ambien

Txarmywife -

What a horrible time you've been having! So sorry to hear about all your troubles. I am hoping they find the source of your high white count soon!

{{{Hugs}}}}

Sudsmom

Thanks everyone! I had the reversal nephrostomy yesterday and they were able to internalize the ureter stent. It went great and they discharged me a few hrs later! Im now home and feeling fantastic. My WBC is still elevated so they have me on levquin just in case. Im also on dilaudid 4mg for the pain and another medicine for the stent discomfort. And prednisone 10mg for IBD....which right now is taking the form of constipation from all the heavy pain meds :( so ill be making an apt with my gi (I had to cancel my first consult with my new gi cuz i was in the hospital) this upcoming week. My urologist said as long as im comfortable with the stent he has no problem waiting until thanksgiving or Christmas break to to the surgery to repair my ureter and remove the kidney stone! So im hoping i can hold off and that'll allow me to finish my clinical and classes. Im feeling great and motivated and just so happy to be home. Im def glad I listened to you guys and my body and went in to the ER. If not I could have faced kidney failure :(

So now my plan is to recover from this and get my bowels going again without going too much. Im so uncomfortable now and bloated. It hurts to eat, which makes me partially believe I need to go up on the prednisone again. In the hospital they were given me dulcolax and Miramax daily with no results. I drank magnesium citrate or whatever and that only had me go one small soft bm. They did a supppository which just produced blood and mucus. So now that im out I dnt kno what to do. I want to go but I dnt want to go 30+ times every day like I was when this flare first started :(

Thanks. I go to my regular doctor tomorrow as a follow up so I plan to discuss my predicament with him :) I've been able to reduce my Dilaudid a great deal and Im hoping tomorrow Ill be able to stop taking during the day completely because I go back to school and certainly cannot drive on it. This whole experience made me realize how difficult it can be living with this disease especially when other problems arise. Its my understanding that kidney stones are more common in people with IBD....so I know ill have to be more mindful and drink even more fluids than the average person would to prevent them.