So, hi. I post this from the hospital, where I have been for the past 56ish hours with an infected kidney stone. Thankfully, I have not gone septic and I had the stone surgically lasered last night, so I feel a lot better today. But it was not pleasant. I had a 9mm stone caught at the very end of my ureter, which can only expand to 5mm. Urology was very impressed that I was able to get it that far, but I couldn’t get it out the rest of the way, so they had to go in and break it up with a laser. I have a stent now, which is slightly unpleasant, and the first hour or so after waking up was uncomfortable, but the pain is gone now, so I’m content. I had a CT scan to diagnose the stone, and they couldn’t see any others, so hopefully I won’t make too many new ones too soon. Or ever, but that might be too much to hope for. At the very least, we can hope I don’t have one this big again. The staff have been amazing at both hospitals (went to emergency at one and was sent to the bigger one for admittance). However, I did have to stay quite awhile in both ERs and there were quite a few interesting characters around. Shout outs to:

Small Precocious Boy and Endlessly Patient, Awesome Mom, who answered each and every question he had factually and with great diligence. Sorry you couldn’t have ‘just one’ glove to play with, but I hope your rash is better soon.

Confused Old Man and Histrionic Lady with Cellulitis And Also So Many Other Ailments But Apparently Refusing to Take Any Medication For Them, who vomited in stereo on the bed bays on either side of me for most of the night.

Nice Girl in Waiting Room who got up to fetch me a new vomit bag after I’d used mine. Sorry to the waiting room for having to watch me vomit.

Bitter Lady in Waiting Room who parked her wheelchair specifically to block the most direct path through triage, berated the entire medical system and insisted she needed a push to the waiting room, but was able to go out on her own for a smoke somehow.

Confused Old Lady With Swollen Feet, who responded with ‘can you please take a seat’ with ‘I’m 96 years old’, and only got more adorable and feisty from there.

Lovely Old Italian (?) Couple, especially Cute Old Man With Back Pain, who I want to be my possibly Italian grandpa.

I’m free to go home at any point now, but Mum and Dad have gone home for some proper sleep and to visit with Ascii, who apparently slept in my room last night, on my clothes. :(