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Well, It's been quite a month... Exactly 1 month ago I went in to see the urologist for kidney stones. Obviously, he diagnosed me with a testicular lump and TC took precedence... but I still had to treat the large stone in my left kidney and the multiple small stones in my right. Two weeks ago I had lithotripsy on my left, with no complications. Today, they did the same to my right...
Before they started I asked the lithotriptor tech if the pain would be unbearable without putting me under. He said "yeah, I would imagine it would be"
My second lithotripsy experience didn't go as smoothly as the first. First of all, I felt myself going under, which didn't happen in my previous two procedures. I think my body probably developed some tolerance to these sedatives.
Then I developed a cardiac arrhythmia during the procedure and they had to pause it (they told me this afterwards). They resolved this by synchronizing the shock waves with the refractory period of the ventricular cycle and continued.
Finally, I awoke DURING the procedure. They didn't notice that I was completely awake, and I tried to stay that way for some length of time. Initially, the shocks didn't hurt, they felt like light blows. The three on the surgical team (anaesthesialogist, Uro, and tech) were just talking amongst themselves. I don't remember what they were saying, but I remember it was precedure-related. At that point, the pain suddenly began to become unbearable...like Mike Tyson was punching me hard in the back. I finally relented...
"Uh, guys, I'd like to experience this procedure, but in all honesty, it hurts way too much..."
I guess they got me under pretty quickly after that because then I awoke in recovery with my Mom next to me.
The lithotripsy tech walked by my bed at some point, and I called him over... I said, "I just wanted to confirm what we suspected earlier...lithotripsy would be UNBEARABLE without sedation..." He then told me that I pretty much shocked everyone in the operating room when I spoke, and that they all had a good laugh at what I said
Before they started I asked the lithotriptor tech if the pain would be unbearable without putting me under. He said "yeah, I would imagine it would be"
My second lithotripsy experience didn't go as smoothly as the first. First of all, I felt myself going under, which didn't happen in my previous two procedures. I think my body probably developed some tolerance to these sedatives.
Then I developed a cardiac arrhythmia during the procedure and they had to pause it (they told me this afterwards). They resolved this by synchronizing the shock waves with the refractory period of the ventricular cycle and continued.
Finally, I awoke DURING the procedure. They didn't notice that I was completely awake, and I tried to stay that way for some length of time. Initially, the shocks didn't hurt, they felt like light blows. The three on the surgical team (anaesthesialogist, Uro, and tech) were just talking amongst themselves. I don't remember what they were saying, but I remember it was precedure-related. At that point, the pain suddenly began to become unbearable...like Mike Tyson was punching me hard in the back. I finally relented...
"Uh, guys, I'd like to experience this procedure, but in all honesty, it hurts way too much..."
I guess they got me under pretty quickly after that because then I awoke in recovery with my Mom next to me.
The lithotripsy tech walked by my bed at some point, and I called him over... I said, "I just wanted to confirm what we suspected earlier...lithotripsy would be UNBEARABLE without sedation..." He then told me that I pretty much shocked everyone in the operating room when I spoke, and that they all had a good laugh at what I said
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