Bedrest, Bedpans, And Blessings! Part 6

After the biopsy is complete, my doc then has the radiology tech take a look over the kidney punctured, to confirm there was no damage. As they look, there are comments like, 'hmm', 'oh', 'yah, right there', 'I see it'. Ok, people, SEE WHAT!?! WHAT IS IT! Oh my gosh my kidney is bleeding to death! Lol. Those were the thoughts going through my mind. Then my doc says that I seem to have formed a hematoma at the puncture site of the kidney.

Hematoma: A localized swelling that is filled with blood caused by a break in the wall of a blood vessel. The blood is usually clotted or partially clotted, and it exists within an organ or in a soft tissue space, such as muscle. Treatment depends on the location and size of the hematoma but usually involves draining the accumulated blood. Source

They call the radiologist in to take a look. He is needed to see exactly how big the hematoma is. Both he and my doc decide they want to keep me there in that room, on the small stretcher I was laying on for another hour. They would then do another ultrasound to make sure it had not grown. The nurse sends my guy in to see me. I'm still a bit loopy and in a bit of pain at the puncture site. Doc explains how the procedure went, that a hematoma had formed and that they need to re-scan me in an hour. During that long hour of waiting I am beginning to feel very out of it. My back begins to really hurt, my head is hurting and I start feeling sick to my stomach. This may be due to the fact that I have been NPO (nothing by mouth) since the night before also. I just wanted to curl up in a ball and go to sleep! Doc then calls the hospitalist doctor of the day. (the hospitalists are our house doctors who admit and make rounds on all of the patients throughout the hospital. The doctor of the day is the doctor who admits on that particular day) I am then assigned a room where I will be staying for the next 24 hours.

An hour is up! I flip to my stomach again, everyone making sure I do it oh so carefully! The radiologist decides he wants to scan me himself to make sure he gets the view he wants. The hematoma got bigger. Not a good thing. My doc and the radiologist then discuss what they are going to do. A small, friendly argument begins over me. My doc doesn't want me to move a muscle. Even into my bed in the room I am assigned to. He is trying to tell the radiologist that they need to bring the equipment up to my room and scan me up there, on the same uncomfortable stretcher I am on. The radiologist explains that they have a busy day and that I need to come back down there to have it done. They finally agree and my doc says I can go down in 4 hours but I have to go down in the bed in my room. No moving back and forth. Yay! I can get off this stretcher at least!

I am taken, by stretcher to my room on the 3rd floor. My doc goes up with me so he can explain some things to me. He is very on edge about me transferring to the bed. He doesn't want me making a move afraid it will aggravate the already growing hematoma. I get onto the bed as smooth as possible. Phew! My parents arrive and my guy is already with me. Doc explains how he is going to order lab work every 4 hours to monitor by H&H. (hemoglobin and hematocrit). A drop in these will indicate how much blood I am losing as it is being pulled into the hematoma from my blood stream. My vital signs (BP, heart rate, temp, SpO2=oxygen saturation, respiration's) will also need to be taken every 4 as well. I would also not be able to lift greater than >20lbs for 2 weeks. Good thing I have a little peanut of a daughter!! Work would be a bit of a challenge though. I would have to rely on my fellow colleagues for help. He then proceeds to tell me something I really didn't want to hear. "I want you on complete bedrest for 12 hours." WHAT?! (I knew what complete bed rest meant, but I thought maybe I could make an exception) ;) "You mean, I can't even get up to pee?!? I have to use the bedpan?!?" I said surprised. "Yes." He says ever so calmly! Ugh. I remember praying I would only need to pee that night! Lol. Come on 11:30pm!

It was lunch time so I ordered some lunch (yay, I could finally eat!) My guy then went home to get my girl down for nap time, and my parents left as well. It was a pretty lonely afternoon spending my time in the hospital on the other end of things. Nurses came in to check my VS, check my bandage, do their assessment, ask me questions, etc. Things that I was used to doing there. Not lay in bed for 12 hours! Later in the afternoon I was taken down for another ultrasound and as soon as I returned to my room the phlebotomist was there to draw my blood. After being so busy and enjoying my excitement for the afternoon,the hospitalist who admitted me came in to assess and go over my lab and ultrasound results. I was glad it was this particular hospitalist seeing me. Sometimes you just prefer some over others! I know this because I work with them and was hoping I would have one that I liked! He explained that the hamatoma had not gotten any larger (praise the Lord!) and that my H&H had dropped slightly. The drop in my labs were pretty much expected, but it wasn't too bad. We would then just recheck H&H that evening and then in the morning. No more ultrasounds.

I spent that afternoon and most of the evening in God's word and listening to music. I had my iPhone so I was able to listen to some of my favorite tunes. Letting the music, full with words of peace, love, and God's goodness fill my mind and soul! It was a day full of my mind wanting to wander. But I was trying to rely on God to not let it! My biopsy would have to be sent to a children's hospital where it could be read by a very experienced pathologist. My doc said it would be multiple days before we would hear anything. All the "what if's" wanted to creep in. Cancer, kidney failure, dialysis, transplant, on and on. I am so grateful for a praying family, church and friends. I was able to keep my mind on the truth. Going back to scripture and spending time in the bed soaking up HIS love. 

I had some visitors that evening. My family all came back in, as well as my sister, brother-in-law, and nephew. They had gone out to eat at the local steakhouse and brought me my favorite salad! Mmm! My in-love's also came in to see me that night. What a blessing it was to have everyone there, helping me keep my mind off things! 

Soon everyone had left. The staff kept coming in to check on me. I decided I wanted to go to bed, even though it was pretty early. I was tired and hurting. I was glad to have only needed to use the bedpan twice! Yay! I tried to hold out as long as possible, and I did manage to put myself on and off it by the way. Evey time I voided (ok, peed :) my urine had to be saved to make sure the color was ok (not too much blood). I was still taking lasix so I was peeing quite a bit. I probably had like 10 little cups in the bathroom in a variety of colors by the time I left. Haha. My urine was pretty dark/rusty due to some blood and my kidneys not filtering properly. 

That night of sleeping wasn't the greatest. I was awaken multiple times for VS and lab draws. I was still having the most terrible night sweats so I had to get up and change a couple of times. Oh, and of course pee. My H&H had gone up that morning so I was free to go by lunch time. My doc explained that no news was good news as far as the biopsy goes. He was actually going to be out of town that next week on vacation (great) so he explained my situation to another nephrologist so that if I needed immediate treatment before he got back it would be handled. More waiting.