I Got "Stoned" on Spring Break

I know it has been over a week since I have written and those close to me, particularly my father, have been wanting me to post. I started my spring break with a much needed trip to Birmingham last weekend. It is always so good to go back and see familiar faces and places. Because I have not been back in 2011 I had a lot of catching up to do and thanks to some friends getting plans rolling I was able to see everyone but one person I wanted to while I was there. The one guy had to flu and I did not want to be sick all Spring Break. So I cut my losses and headed home Sunday after church.

I mean who wants to be sick on their Spring Break, the one week nothing is due, until the end of April? Who wants to spend an entire morning in excruciating pain and an afternoon in the hospital? Who wants to still have pain coming and going for the rest of his break, even if he is on a strict regimen of pain pills? I never wanted to, but that is what my Spring Break looks like now... I got kidney "stoned" on Spring Break 2011 (This was a tweet I used when I was leaving the hospital, and I am not sure people who read it realized the pun).

The pain started just after 10:00 AM yesterday morning. It would come and go about every thirty minutes, providing me some tough bouts with my inards. The pain would bring me to my knees and to the point of vomiting. Around 12:45 PM. I finally gave up trying to convince myself the pain would pass and called Pops who came and picked me up and we went to the hospital. Luckily for me, the staff at Floyd Medical Center got me in quickly and I was hooked up to some drugs. X-Rays and CT scans were taken and the doctor said I had a kidney stone.

I am always trying to make light of any situation and these are snip-its of me trying to do that while I had a saline IV, and on a little bit of pain medicine (which if you have ever heard stories of when I got my wisdom teeth out you know could be dangerous):

-The nurses asked did I cry? I of course told them, "No, I am a man!" Luckily they laughed a little bit. All jokes aside, it really did hurt.

-Just before drawing blood a nurse wrapped a band around my biceps. I asked her if the band was going to be big enough. She didn't get the joke.... which made it even more embarrassing to tell her it was a joke about the size of my bicep.

-I tried to tell the nurse my college roommate's cell phone number as my social security, luckily the parents were there.

There are more I am sure but I was doped up so I have an excuse not to remember them all. I am home now waiting for the stone to pass, but want to say thank you to my parents. My Dad for picking me up, racing through town, only to sit in the ER with me for four hours. To my Mom, who also felt under the weather, getting my medicines in order and taking care of me as I came off of the drugs from the hospital. I am grateful for a caring church family who sent text messages, called, and emailed all of my family concerned for my health.

To quote my father, "I am ready for the stone to be rolled away and it's not even Lent yet!"