answers

Well, I've been kind of a whiner lately. Just been "off".

Out of sorts, a slacker, tired and achy.

I attributed it to the "crud" that's been making the rounds. Or middle-age. Or eating too many dark chocolate rockin' nut road Snickers. or raking leaves. Or a combination of all of those things converging in a cosmic "screw you, take better care of yourself" kind of message.

Well, on Wednesday (which I thought was going to be an enjoyable beer and sweet potato fries interlude at the hockey rink); I started to feel achy, like I was sitting wrong and got a back ache. I felt "full" and didn't want to finish my beer (Brooklyn Brown ale!).

It hurt so bad, I was almost in tears on the drive home. I got a hot pad and some tylenol and tried to sleep.

I got up multiple times in the night with a stomach ache.

I threw up.

WTH? It was only one beer!

My back was KILLING me.

I felt like a whiner.

I went to work on Thursday. I was uncomfortable and not very productive.

Thursday night I took a Vicodin leftover from my surgery. At least I slept.

On Friday, I felt nauseous again. I cried in the shower.

I really felt like a whiner.

A friend suggested I call my doctor. Oh, no, I said, it's only a back ache.

At 3:30 PM on a Friday (Halloween! Trick or Treaters! My husband's birthday! Number One Son needs me to drive him to hockey practice! I'm too busy) I called the doctor.

My doctor had no appointments for two weeks.

That clearly was not going to work.

They got me an appointment with another doctor in the practice ( I hate that) (but I'm grateful for it) for Monday afternoon.

When I asked what I could do for the pain over the weekend, I was urged to go to the local emergency care clinic.

I went at 6 pm, after dh said he could pick up NOS from hockey.

It was a nice facility very close to home and was not busy. I was seen within 10 minutes.

I have a kidney infection (acute - I apparently don't do things half-assed) and possibly (probably) kidney stones.

Ahhh. Relief. Answers. A diagnosis.

Now, at least I don't feel like a slacker and whiner. This is real, not just middle age and being out of shape.

I don't feel better yet, except mentally. It's good to know what's going on.