Randy's Kidney Stones, Stent removal. Semi-graphic description

Randy got more bad news about his kidney stones.  There is another one in the kidney.  I am beginning to believe that his doctor is milking the IPA for visits, though.  He is sending him for another x-ray to verify where the stone is saying that the one Randy has is not clear enough.  How can it be clear enough for him to say he has another one, but not clear enough for him to schedule the procedure to remove it?  Even if he needs another x-ray, it would seem that the authorization process should have started with what he already has. SMH.

The doctor did remove the stent in his office.  Randy said it was a much better procedure than when the last stint was removed by the other M.D.  But I had a feeling something was wrong and went home for lunch instead of seeing my mom.  I wound up taking the whole afternoon off.  Randy was in pain.  Do much pain I wanted to take him to the E.R.  But he wouldn't go.  Stubborn man!  He took a TON of medicine and it was still climbing.  Climbing all the way to a 9 on the pain scale. He called his pain management doctor and never got a call back.  He was jumping up and down to try to loosen whatever was inside hurting him.  He drank 5 pints of water to try to flush it out.  Finally, around 5 p.m., he was able to pass some debris and the pain finally eased.  Thank God!

Randy called Dr. Yeske, his primary care doctor, to get him to fax over the order for the x-ray to my office and asked about his state Disability paper work as well.  The doctor still hadn't filled it out.  He told Randy to have Dr. Wu fill it out since Dr. Yeske didn't know the right codes for the kidney diagnoses and procedures.  I mean really?  Have you heard of Google?  That's how my office looks up code we don't know!  So, Dr. Wu didn't want to do the paperwork either.   What?  Randy had to tell him.  You do realize I've been out of work for almost a month and I have a mortgage and bills to pay, right?  Could you go a month without YOUR income.  He finally agreed to fill out the forms.

Randy came over to my office to fill out new forms since Yeske wouldn't fax them to Wu since he had "messed them up" and got to show off the stent they had just pulled out of him in an autoclave bag.  YUCK!  But it was shorter than I thought.  I guess the x-ray is actually enlarged.  But it was still long and bloody.  Gross!

So now we wait again.  This time it should be easier.  The ESWL is a much less invasive and less painful procedure.  The shoot sound-waves at the stone in the kidney to break it up and get it flowing.  The only problem is you do still have to pass them and that can be excruciating.  And they made need to do another scope if any of the fragments are too big to pass.