Update: Back from the doctor

Yesterday's pain at the grocery store was bad but this morning was even worse. I had been off work last week and I told myself no matter what, today, I'm going in. Then I realized as I was getting ready that I hadn't peed this morning, or very much at all yesterday. I drank some gatorade and waited a bit then tried to go, and that's when I knew something was definitely amiss. Note to readers: No piss = amiss. (stupid, I know) but I figured I can wait to deal with this later in the day. I had to get into the office. I loaded up on some pain pills and continued to get ready. Shortly after 9am Karen called me. She was concerned and advised me to put this first and foremost. She is such a warm and caring individual as many of you know, and I really took what she said to heart. After we got off the phone I called the doctor. I told them I was having urination issues and was in some pain. They wanted me to come in and I said I would leave work early and be there around 4pm. They said ok. I was just pulling out of the driveway when my cell phone rings. It's the doctor's office again and they said based on the pain and no pee factor (they put in more medically eloquent terms I'm sure) that I should be seen right away. They wanted me to take another urine test to see if this was another bladder infection. I said that's all fine and dandy but I'm not able to produce urine. I headed back inside and grabbed a big bottle of Tejava Iced Tea and told them I'll chug this bottle and head over.

I'm waiting in the doctor's office, finishing off the bottle and NOTHING. I am now in STABBING Pain from all the liquid in my bladder and start shaking uncontrollably. They take me back to the office and have me sit down. They take my temp, there's no fever. I tell them that I want to try to use the bathroom. I'm in there for a few minutes and then finally some drops. And a little more. It filled about 1/5th of the small container. And once I saw the color, I knew there was another infection. Sorry to be gross but it was the color of the 12:00 vile in the above picture. Or like the color of my Tejava tea. I came out of the bathroom and handed the cup to the nurse she said, Wow. I think that's the standard response when one sees pee that color.

She said it would be tested right away but was pretty certain it's another infection. I'm wondering if it's the same one from 2 weeks ago. They never re-tested me prior to surgery on Monday so I could have potentially had this while my internal organs were poked and prodded. I'm not sure I'll ever know but this, among other things, has caused me some concern about the way this entire process has been handled. For instance just this week I find out that my doctor is out of network and I will be billed at 60% of the costs. As of now I stand to pay $5600 out of pocket for the surgery itself, not including anesthesia, pre-op testing, and pathology. I am fighting this tooth and nail (I don't get what that means) because the doctor's office had my insurance information since April and I was told they accepted my insurance. Even today they admitted that was the case and this is now going to be a battle against Aetna because when they submitted the pre-certification paperwork it was processed and never denied as out of network. Something else to look forward to. Battling with insurance companies. (picture NOT kid friendly- sorry to the 13 year old who loves Chumley and reads this blog. They're really not that creepy in real life and hopefully you'll not see that many all at once. You should probably wait til you're like 25, just to be safe. So much for my public service announcement on penises. Seriously, my head is spinning.)

Holy F*ck this is a long post - I'll try and speed things up a bit.

I left the office still in pain and drove 20+miles into work. That was a blur. The temp was 76 degrees out but I was still shivering. I got into my office and doubled over in pain. My co-workers who consist of 2 people, the CEO and CTO were concerned. I gave them the low down on the past week and the update on why I'm writhing in pain on my office floor and then the doctor's office calls. They told me I had a full blown bladder infection (interesting how that only took about an hour and a half but yet they waited a WEEK to tell me the last time!) So they called in a prescription to the Target pharmacy by my house which I then called and asked to send it to the pharmacy by my work. They said that once it's in the system it will automatically be at any Target store in the area. This was 12:30 and they said they are inputting it as we speak. I called at 1:00 just to make sure that it was in and the pharmacy by my work was CLOSED! I was almost in tears. I called the store and they said that everyone was at lunch. Again at 2:00 it's STILL CLOSED! I couldn't take it any longer so I got into my car and sped over there thinking I will hop over that fricking counter top and start pouring pills into viles willy nilly if I have to so help me God. Seriously the pain was that bad that this is what I fully intended to do.

I get there and it's a coffee klatch so I politely interrupt and ask for my prescription. I give them my name and I instantly think, it's not going to be in that perfect little alphabetized bin. I just know it. And nope it wasn't there. I provide them with all my information, they made a phonecall and once they found out what it was for and watched as I'm sprawled across the countertop they rushed to get it filled. It cost only 80 cents. I'm thinking my doctor's office may have had something to do with that. Just a little suspect in my opinion.

So I grab a bag of bagels, some cream cheese and a yogurt drink (yogurt is supposed to be good for you when you're on antibiotics - prevents Yeasties (that's what I call them. I've only had ONE in my entire life and it was in college. It was the last time I wore skin tight jeans on a 90 degree night while doing a drunken ice-capades routine outside of a fraternity house.) So I head to the check out to pay. At this point I'm feeling like I could pass out. There was a little girl in the line with her mom and she must have been about 7 or 8. She kept looking at me and then shyly looking away and I thought she must sense that I'm about to keel over. After a few times I finally smiled at her and she smiled back so big and said, "You're pretty." It was one of the sweetest things to hear coming from this cute little voice and I swear the pain subsided for a moment. I told her "thank you and so are you" and her mom smiled back at us both. It melted my heart.

As I'm walking to my car I'm opening the pills and chuck one into my mouth and swig some water. I'm supposed to take them with food but I couldn't wait. Back in the office lunch room I sit with my co-worker and toast the bagel slather on the cream cheese and reach for my yogurt drink. He's commenting on what a day it's been and I tell him that there's a dark cloud above my head, Can you see it? He says he saw it just blow away and I say thank GOD and start to shake up my yogurt drink. Yogurt drink splatters across the kitchen floor and down my shirt and jeans because the cap was already opened. My co-worker and I both double over laughing and I tell him that the black cloud has not yet lifted. I toss the pre-opened yogurt drink in the garbage and share some of my co-workers fruit. What a day this has been. Scary thing is, it's not over yet...

Can't urinate.

I swear the days just KEEP GETTING BETTER PEOPLE!!!!!!!

Thanks to all of you who have been so thoughtful and concerned. I am truly blessed with the support of so many amazing people inside this computer.

Thank you.