I was diagnosed with medullary sponge kidneys after a blockage, while working at a nursing home in Saint Andrew's in 2002. They explained it was rare. Doctors said they had never seen it in both kidneys before. I was 41 and I make stones. I spent many years after this having stones blasted and made many trips to the DECH.
February 5th, 2024. Emergency room 8:00 pm arrived after 4 days of pain with a stone. The sweet girl at the door sat me down. I would be next for triage she told me. Kevin apparently didn't like that, because there were others who had been waiting all day. He came out looked at me and proceeded to another patient, blantonly knowing I was in a significant amount of pain. Later he bought Joel out with him. They walked past me. Down te hall they were discussing something, then looking directly at me. Joel took another patient past me, as kevin followed looking away, neither making eye contact. Ok, i have encountered a few unprofessional people at the DECH, but the pain was making me sick to vomit. Without anything to vomit in, i pressed my tongue to the roof of my mouth to stop it from coming up, but it only works sometimes.
Ok, I can handle waiting a few more minutes. I sat for 10 or so minutes. then the pain was hurting me and I quietly cried with my head down. The young girl came over and asked if I was ok. She then went in and bought a nurse out to take me in. I eventually was put in the cubby in a wheel chair, beside one of the people that had been just bought in before me. Actually I was booked in the spot that they gave her. A male Doctor went to that cubby and said my name. She said no and he said, oh they got the spots mixed up and it was suppose to be me. So he attended to her.
It took a while for someone to Ok tramadol which took the edge off, but did little for a short period of time. I waited for what seemed an hour, with no one coming near me. Joel was hovering most of the time in front of me at the desk. At this time I noticed his badge was turned over so his name was not revealed, just as Kevins was. Later he flipped it around.
I finally couldn't handle the pain, so I got out my phone to call my husband to take me to Saint John. The nurse noticed and said, she forgot to get me something else for the pain. I told her that my husband was coming. She told me to calm down and she would be right back. I had been shaking and visibly upset. Dilantin was given, which helped more.
People had come and gone, beds were emptied, but they would not put me in one. One stayed empty for an extended amount of time, but eventually was given to someone else. I don't think I met the Doctor that was on, except maybe for a minute. I did have an xray which showed nothing.
My head was spinning and it was difficult to sit in the wheelchair on dilantin. I finally asked the nurse if she could put me in a back hall or anywhere away from Joel's presents. I was put on the corner by the back hall, across from a man dealing with his legs varicose veins or Gout. We sat and talked for a few hours.. They finally hooked me up to fluids, hours after getting there. (This is something they had always done within about a half hour)
So the man (Collin I think) was beside himself in pain and said he wanted to cut his legs off due to the pain. He was very upset and was going to discuss this with others when he got out. We asked a lady (not a nurse) if she could help put his feet up and she tried to help..
An Asian nurse came around and changed the fluid bag. I had been vomiting and the pain was still increasing. I had seen a female doctor going around me all night, but never acknowledged me, so I assumed she wasn't assigned to me. All night I saw her attend to others but was never approached, although she had looked at me a few times. I had urinated two times during this time, but had difficulty getting to the toilet due to the pain and spinning head.
Many hours later, she came to the back hall and said, "so you are here because of what". My reply was, for a kidney stone. " Her reply was "you have not been diagnosed with a kidney stone, so it isn't a kidney stone until we diagnose it". I explained I have Mudular sponge kidneys. I have passed about 50 stones or more. I have had them blasted a dozen times when they got too big to pass. Last blasting was a 13mm. This just made her more irate. She repeated again, " you do not know it is a kidney stone". I said yes I am pretty sure. She then, after a spur of patronizing remarks, she started pushing on my stomach. She was very aggressive and it hurt from her fingers shoving into my abdominal area. She said does that hurt? Refering to the stone pain...i said no. ( although it hurt from her aggressive acts). She then went to my back. She told me to lean forward, then pushed aggressive hard down my spine and along the spine. Again it wasn't causing anymore pain then i was in from the stone, but her fingers were causing pain. The next thing she did was she started karate motions on my right side, then my left side. Goodness that hurt! She was literally chopping hard, right down my sides.. I said that hurt because you are hitting me so hard, that it was really hurting from the jolting of your slashes and I had already shown her where the stone was. If i wasn't so shocked and hurt, I would have told her to get away from me. I sat back and she walked away. The gentleman 5 feet away ..wow. She was so "condescending" to you. She was actually hurting you and hitting hard.
She was pushing and hitting me so hard I thought this is abuse. I thought it was her childish way of putting me in line for saying it was a stone a few times.I said to the man, she was repremanding me saying it was a stone and how dare i tell her what was wrong. Even to the end, I said I just know its a stone, she said again "it is pain and not a stone". To add to my embarrassment, she went to the emerg desk and stated that "I didn't have a stone because after she had been so rough I wasn't distraught so it couldn't be". She then left her shift. Passing by she said some one else will be taking care of you.
So for hours I watched Dr Barry attend to a lot of people. The man who had been washing the beds was in that same hall. I asked if I could get on one as it's hard to sit in a wheel chair with my head spinning. He asked and he came back with a bed and put it in A Hall. What a relief. I needed more vomit bags and when I asked who was my Dr, the young nurse said she would check. I could hear the discussion of which Doctor was assigned to me. They decided between two that it would be Dr. Barry. I assume the previous abuser just dropped me, not assigning me anyone.
When he finally was given my chart, he came right over. The nurse then said Dr Barry would like a urine sample. Nothing not even a drop. Three more times I tried. I had urinated before the pounding on my sides, and now I couldn't give a drop. I then went for a catscan. A short time later the sweet nurse said she was going to give me a catheter. How embarrassing. She slipped the catheter in so easy. A bit came out.. then she asked if she could put it a little farther? Sure. A little more came out. Asking again, she went a little higher. About a liter came out, and I felt the pressure go. The Doctor asked if I saw the stone, which I replied no, but the nurse had the container of urine. I then urinated a few times, saving it in a Mexican hat. Doctor Barry then told me as I was leaving, if it happened again, to come straight in. I was not sure if the stone came with the urine or it was pushed out of the way by the catheter. But he was very kind and efficient. I am now home, still dealing with the pain, but I assume it is residual pain, as that is common for me.
My previous encounter in emerg, was a while before this.. That visit was in the evening, they hooked up the fluid and sent me for an xray. At 3 a.m. they said the x ray showed nothing and they needed the bed, so I had to leave. I called my husband at 3 a.m. and told him I had to leave. Within 1-2 days I was back. They x rayed and said " not sure how they missed them, as I had several". They did protocol and I passed it. I was then referred to a new Urologist Dr Hickey. In 2019 his statement ( and his exact words I swear were) you are full of stones and always will make more, so we are just going to leave them! Really? I was ready to go to the board of physicians. I never heard from him again.
So the DECH and Dr Hickey had made me feel insignificant, and I swore I would never go back..although I may have had to go one more time.
For about 4 years I passed them at home. I spent many days trying and crying to pass multiple stones. Refusing another humiliation of being called a liar and asked to leave in the middle of the night.
But I could not pass this stone on my own, which brought me to tonight.
