Monday, June 22, 2020

Hospital Stay

 
Wow! Covid-19 sure had changed things.  For those of you who don’t know, on Tuesday morning, 6/9, at 2am, I took Chris to the ER with SEVERE stomach/side pain.  We suspected kidney stones but weren’t sure.  After 4.5 hours on a hard bench in front of the ER, I was able to speak with a doctor who confirmed that Chris had not one, but TWO kidney stones.  They were admitting him.  

This broke my heart :(  Chris waiting in the ER, alone & in pain, for the nurse.


The imaging showed one stone that was traveling/blocking and another just “hanging out” in the kidney.  On Wednesday, 6/10, Chris had surgery to remove the stones.  The doctor let me know afterwards that it was a good thing surgery was done.  Chris’s ureter narrowed at the bottom which means that his 4mm stone would never have been able to pass through.

In addition, while the doctor had Chris under anesthesia, he decided to perform a prostate exam.  Now, normally this is a procedure for men over 50.  Chris is 45.  However, this particular doctor has had experience with men in their late 40’s showing signs of Prostate issues.  In light of that, he decided to perform a prostate exam.  During that exam, he found a nodule that he “didn’t like”.   He felt very strongly that it needed to be removed and biopsied to ensure it’s not cancerous.  

The dreaded C-word.  Prostate cancer isn’t common in Chris’s family, but cancer is.  His brother has dealt with it 3 separate times.  We are looking at this doctor and even the kidney stones as the hand of God looking out for him/us.  If this kidney stone issue had not happened, it would have been 5+ years before Chris ever thought about his prostate or getting it checked. 

These kidney stones very well could have saved his life. 

UPDATE: We just had his follow up appointment, his stent was removed and his pathology determined NO CANCER!!!  #Praise God

Throughout our stay at the hospital, there were definitely changes in processes & procedures from the last time we stayed at one (Chris’s appendectomy).  Here are the changes that I am aware of while we were there.  I hope this helps you if you need to be in the hospital or have a loved one in the hospital in Osceola County, FL. 
Note: These are just the changes we noticed at our local hospital based on our prior and current experience. 

Changes we Noticed in Hospital:

·         ER – no one is allowed inside the Emergency Room except the patient.  This was extremely hard for me.  When someone you love is in pain, you want to stay by their side and meet any need they have.

Hospital:

o   Only one visitor is allowed for the duration of the stay.  This means that whoever visits you (or is with you in the ER) is the only person allowed to be with you for the entire time you are in the hospital.
o   Visiting Hours -8am-8pm – Strictly Enforced.  On Surgery day, Chris thought he was going to be taken back around 7:30am.  I BEGGED the security officer and information desk person to let me up.  They did… thankfully.
o   Overnight Visits – not allowed.  I don’t know if this is true for the maternity ward.  Chris was on the Oncology floor.   I was allowed to stay overnight a couple times but for the most part, this rule is strictly enforced. 
o   Masks & hand sanitizing are required at all times when moving about the hospital.  If I left the hospital for any reason, I had to get a new mask when I returned.
o   Food/Coffee/Snacks – aside from a vending machine there are NO food/drink options for visitors.  I spent basically 18-24 hours at the hospital so any time I needed a meal, I had to have it delivered or leave to go get it.  The cafeteria has been changed to “Employees Only” due to Covid-19 and the kiosks that sold pastries and coffee are shut down until further notice. 

Chris has been out of work for 2 weeks without pay but there are so many blessings to speak of, like the fact that his insurance just went in to effect on June 1st.  This happened on June 9th!  That's without a doubt, a GOD thing! 

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