Monday, August 28, 2006

I'm Too Young for This Shit

Ouch.

Just when I think I got a handle on this thing called Life, it throws me a fastball that makes me go "huh?"

Last Saturday morning, I woke up with a really bad pain at my lower right back that I first thought was a muscle pain but couldn't shake off. It got so bad that I asked my mom to bring me to the hospital (the nearby Medical City). At the emergency room, the attending doctor told me that it didn't seem like it was a burst appendix so they wanted to conduct a urinalysis test and a CBC first.

While waiting for the results, the pain seemed to have receded but later traveled to my abdomen. Then things got a little excruciating when the pain in my abdomen started a duet with the pain in my lower right back.

It eventually passed but to be on the safe side, Aljay (fortunately, he was on call at the emergency room at that time) called for a painkiller and anti-acidic medicine. I was out like a light for an hour or two. When I woke up, I found out the results: I had a stone in my kidney with some infection.

A check with the ultrasound revealed no obstruction and I was later able to go home that same day. I figured that whatever stone I had I managed to pass during that rather critical time late in the day.

Geez, kidney stone at my age? Whatever next?

25 comments:

JP said...

Owchers. Take care, banzai cat.

banzai cat said...

Thanks man. Though the amount of water I drink nowadays, I feel more like a banzai fish.

*sigh*

Andrew said...

I was wondering about "where" you were, hoping that the work isn't all that bad. Reading this entry, I wish it was just work that was keeping you busy.

I think coconut juice might help, so you may want to try that.

As for being too young to suffer through this, I presume you're older than a friend of mine. He had kidney stone problems at 23, or even earlier.

I thought it had to do with his personal dietary habits, but I'm beginning to think it's a more general issue with the way food is prepared these days.

Hope you feel better soon.

Anonymous said...

awww. i hope you'll get well soon. i had two relatives who had their kidney stones removed. i hope yours is not that bad. :|

Mahesh Raj Mohan said...

Oy, man. I hope you're feeling better. This may make you feel less weirded out about age: a friend of mine had one of those at the ripe old age of 21.

skinnyblackcladdink said...

sadly, no, these days you aren't too young for that kind of 'shit'

so what are they doing or going to do to you now?

Anonymous said...

Hey kitty! Sure glad it wasn't a hairball. Tee hee. Just cheering you up. Take care, I always seem to be telling you that.

banzai cat said...

eldritch: Yep, someone suggested coconut juice, which ain't so bad since I like those sweetened ones sold in little plastic cups. However, it's a little hard finding where my office is located.

And 23 years old? Geez, that's younger than me.

stg: Thanks. I guess it was relatively better in that I passed mine instead of having an operation to take 'em out. But pain is also relative. *wince*

mahesh: Yipe! 21 years old? So there's really no age marker for stone?

skinny: Yeah, am learning the hard way that age ain't nothing but a number here. I passed the stone anyway so don't need an operation but still, I'd rather forego the whole thing altogether, if you know what I mean. ;-)

bee: I know, I know. But you know us street cats-- getting in the way of cars at the worse times. Thanks anyway! :-)

Charles said...

The age marker's 20 and beyond, so you're not too old for it (and neither am I). =)

As for coconut juice, what are you talking about? There's lots of them near the BIR building, which is beside your office (since I usually end up walking all the way to UN Avenue, I run into the banana cue and coconut vendor crowd).

Anonymous said...

oh, my! too much salt probably. lessen the intake of salty foods. stop eating junk foods. increase water intake, drink buko juice.

take care, mr banzai cat..

mysfit said...

welcome back to the land of the living cat - i took Hamlet to the hospital for the same thing last year and he's a few yers younger than you... it's a bitch right? well be thankful they didn't have take the long metal thing with the "snatchers" on the end and... well you are just a lucky cat that's all - seems you used up one of the nine for a silly reason though - have a care darling

Mahesh Raj Mohan said...

Yup, what Charles said. I became an obsessive water drinker after I found out, ;-P

Conchita said...

Hey! There's book fair at the World Trade Center til friday I think.

I looked na. Got a couple of books but the books I read are all trash naman eh... hehehe!

LiVEwiRe said...

Oh man, that's awful! I've been there as well and it's definitely not something I recommend and I'm sure you agree. Your body will adjust to the increase in water over time. Until then, Banzai Fish does have a nice ring to it... ;) Take care and feel better.

banzai cat said...

charles: Heh. That's not exactly reassuring. As for coconut juice, my question is: is it safe? This area ain't exactly first world for food preparation.

bing: Thankee! Considering I prefer sweets, I'm a better target for diabetes rather than stones!
:-)

mysfit: Hah! My body is self-correcting it seems. That and it probaby got scared at the notoriously-shaped probe for the ultrasound machine. Brr!

And yep, one more life down. ;-)

mahesh: But... but... I can't even drink mineral water! (Supposedly distilled water is better.)

blairbitch: Lucky you. *sigh* No money for my honey yet. Mebbe this weekend.

livewire: Good thing us banzai cats are okay with swimming. (Just as long as we have scuba gear.)

Don said...

yep, skinny's right you're never too young to contract a disease or something like that.

I'm 18 and I'm already hypertensive which makes me agreat candidate to the Stroke race.

Charles said...

On Food Preparation: think of it as building up your immune system. What won't kill you will only make you stronger.

BTW, if you die or commit suicide due to insufferable pain, could you will to me your books? =)

skinnyblackcladdink said...

der fuhrer: you're 18 and hypertensive? hmm. while hypertensives and people with heart disease are getting them at younger and younger ages, you're still a statistical outlyer. (BC's case is different: stones don't have a particular age predilection other than, possibly 'adult.') i suppose you get checked regularly and have been completely worked-up? stupid question. you're in the field, after all.

mysfit said...

oooooooo banzai fish!! how'd i miss that?

banzai cat said...

fuhrer: Heh that's one race everyone would gladly lose... er, at least not come in first place. (Dammit, this all sounds wrong!)

charles: Getting all Nietszche on us, eh? Still, I'm not sure about having all those lil' things floating in my digestive system.

As for my books, hah! ;-)

skinny: Heh am so happy to be surrounded by medical-related people. Now I can get free medical advice. :-D

mysfit: Yeah, I should change my icon to fit it! ;-)

Don said...

skinny: yeah. I mean, I'm in the hospital 3 times a week, it'll be really stupid if I don't even know how to assess my health status. haha.

and just lately, I'm having lower back pains. But its probably because I sleep like a contortionist. Better have it checked though.

banzai cat said...

You definitely should. I thought the kidney thing was a backache or a pulled muscle in the first place.

Kitty Litter said...

Aw. but if it's any consolation, my sister's significant other got stones at the age of 26. You oughtta take care of yourself.

"Banzai fish." Hmm. I have this image of a goldfish (in a fishbowl) throttling a curious cat. Hehe.

I wonder-is there a test for those stones? A [preventive one?

Ryan said...

didn't rhoch's brother get kidney stones at an even younger age? it was because he drank softdrinks all the time.
i remember you would drink softdrinks with your cigarettes.
so maybe it's the cola?

banzai cat said...

kitty: Fish throttling a cat? Yes, I've run one or two fighting fish in my time. ;-)

As for prevention, nothiing really except a good diet and drink lots of water. I heard also if that if it runs in the family, then you're more susceptible.

ryan: Hey man! How're you been doing?

I didn't know about rhoch's brother. However, I've been drinking more coffee than soda drinks actually.