Comments on: Nephrolith

By: Bad Juju

Bad Juju — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 18:45:28 +0000

He didn’t call for a heart attack?! Wow…very old school.

By: SylviaN

SylviaN — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 15:40:37 +0000

I hope things are turning out all right. Wish I could share my anti-fear of hospitals with Aya. I’m not sure when it happened or how, though my theory is with my mother being a nurse and working in a hospital the fear just never developed. This is, unfortunately, not something everyone else gets and isn’t exactly a “trick” to share on getting past the anxieties.

Of course, my niece was practically a hypochondriac for about a year. Mention any sort of disease and she wanted to know about it and if she could have it. But she’s getting over that. A few trips to the doctor where she didn’t have to get a shot but just medicine helped, too.

Visiting the nursery is a great idea. I wish I had some stellar advice – but I don’t. The next time your local hospital is having an open house (well, they do from time to time — particularly if they open new wings), maybe stop by?

By: Eve

Eve — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 14:37:35 +0000

@L — Pain may not be an emergency, but I can tell you that kidney stones do indeed hurt worse than childbirth. I’ve heard from people who have the experience to compare that renal colic is worse than a heart attack, worse than appendicitis, and worse than getting shot – and those generally are ambulance-worthy emergencies. It’s especially frightening when you don’t know what’s wrong. Fortunately, most of the paramedics I know around here are very compassionate. . . hopefully I’ll never be in a position to have to call them. :/

@Bad Juju — This is the guy who refused to call for an ambulance when he was having a heart attack. Twice. Old school is probably right. :/

By: Bad Juju

Bad Juju — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 13:43:48 +0000

EMTs/Paramedics can sometimes be dicks. But they do appreciate it when people delay calling them unless they are losing a limb/having a heart attack/bleeding to death or bad car accidents. When I used to work on an ambulance, that was the general attitude of the guys I worked with. Because most times they get frivolous calls. Winos passed out on park benches who are unresponsive. Old people who are lonely. I would say in the half decade that I’ve been involved in emergency medicine only 5% of people I’ve seen roll in on ambulances were actual emergencies. When you explained you had no other ride L they should have taken that for an answer.

I know a lot of old school people who won’t call 911 for an ambulance unless they think its an emergency that warrants it. And ambulance rides can sometimes cost upwards of 5k, which sometimes is not completely covered underneath your medical plan. The same goes for ER visits too, most insurers only cover a portion of that bill. I can sort of see where your father in law was coming from by not calling the ambulance and asking for a ride. Kidney stones don’t necessarily warrant an ambulance ride.

Poor Aya, I’m sure seeing her grandpa sick made her feel very worried. And yeah, the hospital is a very scary place to a child. Maybe you can take her to see her grandfather after he gets better? That might help her get over her fear of the hospital a little bit, and make her feel more comfortable with the whole situation.

By: L

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 09:37:27 +0000

Note to self: Double space L, learn it.

By: L

Sat, 11 Oct 2008 09:36:24 +0000

My mom had some really terrible kidney stones before, and had to call the ambulance to take her to the hospital. There was just no way she was going to be able to drive herself, and since it was in the AM hours no one else could come get her. :\ The ambulance workers were nice enough to complain to her the whole time and tell her ‘pain wasn’t an emergency’ and she shouldn’t have bothered them. (Hopefully in your area that’s now how things roll)
I know they’re really nasty things to have. I feel better now that I drink more water than anything, at least, so I don’t fear getting them as much as when I was soda exclusive. I figure they’re hereditary, considering my mom and half-bro both have had them.
(And I must find these elusive Pepto Bismol Tablets; that’s like my favorite medicine ever and tablets would probably be useful for carsickness)

By: Eve

Eve — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 02:20:34 +0000

@M. Pence – I did. She did the same thing back to me. It was amazingly silly.

@swanofgrey – I *do* keep a supply of Pepto and ginger ale around. And use acupressure points. And candied ginger, which is good on all its own. It’s a phobia I inherited/learned from my mom. It’s completely irrational. I hate it!

Good idea to take her to the nursery at the hospital.

Actually, probably a good idea for me, too. I need to remember that good things happen at hospitals.

By: swanofgrey

swanofgrey — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:42:05 +0000

After a brief visit with my dictionary I have come to the conclusion that your house must have lots of pepto bismol (did you know they make them in caplets now?) and ginger ale.

Admittedly I hate hospitals too. Mostly because they smell funny and it seems like all you see are sick people. Maybe, if your hospital will let you, you can take her to peek in on the baby nursery then next time she ends up there so she can see that it’s not ALL bad stuff.

By: M. Pence

M. Pence — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 03:29:58 +0000

Hope everything is alright, and give Aya a big, noisey, oum nom kiss.