Turns out bloody urine will get you antibiotics every time. NOT
Okay, here is, hopefully, the last entry in a looooong time about my kidneys. But unfortunately, probably not my last lament re: healthcare.
Today is Wednesday the 19th of September. I have been nauseated for a few weeks, but let’s chalk that up to your friendly neighborhood BCP (girls will know what that is) and pretend that was not a symptom of my pending kidney infection (which I found out yesterday I have! Shocker). So 2 weeks ago I had familiar left flank pain that increased with deep inhales and extreme bending. I thought that meant that when my lungs inflated and put pressure on my inflamed kidney, I had soreness/pain. Then I passed some stones and thought hey, get to the doc and get some antibiotics for the infection that ALWAYS follows the passing of my stones, but the doc didn’t believe I even had stones (until the CT revealed them) and didn’t bother to have the urine cultured, just did the dip test and threw it away. Who cares that I have one of the classic UTI symptoms: increased frequency and urgency to urinate…oh and the pain, but who cares about that.
So I went to another doctor, hopefully to get antibiotics for the kidney infection I was PRETTY SURE I had…but that urinalysis was only BORDERLINE and they had to grow a culture for 5 days (took on Friday). On Sat I got that lovely telltale (and very familiar) malodorous urine for which I got to go in and give another cup of pee to culture, and as we all know, by Tuesday morning I was peeing blood. Which I take as a bad sign. Right?
So I got my antibiotics injected into my hip and picked up my prescription for Cipro and went to meet a new urologist this morning…a meeting the doctor yesterday set up for me. Guess what I got to do in a little cup when I got there? And then I met my new doctor…whom I don’t think I will keep around much. Here’s what he said:
1. I think the flank pain is a coincidence and is more muscular-skeletal than kidney-related. So we’re not going to think about that.
2. Your urine looks better today so you are getting better.
3. Here is your CT. See these stones? They are tiny.
And I had a few questions for him:
Q: How can it be a coincidence that every time I get a kidney infection I get this same exact flank pain preceding the bloody urine?
A: *shrug* What you’re describing isn’t stone pain.
Q: I know. It’s KIDNEY pain.
A: It’s not a symptom.
Q: How can I get faster help next time? Why did it take 3 urine tests and then finally bloody urine to get treatment?
A: Bad luck.
Q: Bad luck? Well, let’s just assume I have bad luck all the time, are you going to treat me sooner next time?
A: We’d have to do a culture.
Q: Or I just have to wait to pee blood to get treated?
A: Peeing blood isn’t bad. it happens to everyone.
Q: So let me get this straight. You think I psychically predicted I was getting a kidney infection and it had nothing to do with actually FEELING PAIN?
A: *shrug* (Looking straight into my eyes) yes.
I’m out.
What an ass. I hate doctors.