Last Year The Launceston General Hospital Saved My Life

In Tasmania the hospitals struggle to keep up with demand. Almost everyday we see media stories about 'ambulance ramping' and 'bed block'. Most people just want to stay clear of hospitals.

Except when you wake-up early one random morning in severe pain. I was healthy when I went to bed but by daylight I realized I was going to need to visit a hospital.

After ringing for an ambulance I was on my way to hospital. On the way the paramedic diagnosed a kidney stone. The bed in the ambulance is on wheels and I waited outside the emergency department on it for some time. I don't know how long it was. The pain was very bad and came in waves.

Later I was given a cat scan and taken back to the ED. Some time in the early afternoon a doctor told me the scan showed a large kidney stone obstructing a tube to my bladder. I was given pain relief. Later the pain seemed to disappear as fast as it started, but not because of the pain medication. Pressure builds-up in the affected kidney and bursts the tube. The pressure is gone but now I was in a toxic situation that had to be fixed.

I went to surgery in the middle of the night and was given general anesthetic, a first for me. When I came around they had disintegrated the stone with a laser and put in a plastic stent. This had to stay for 1 month while the body repaired the broken tube. I was home after 2 nights. I found it uncomfortable for the time the stent is in place but eventually it came out under local anesthetic. This was also not pleasant.

Since then I have changed my diet, avoiding 'oxalates' which are in many foods I like such a blueberries and raspberries. Thankfully they are not in stone fruit which I also like.

Now 4 months later I feel back to normal. This experience was an eye-opener for me on many levels. Kidney stones are often recurring and at my age I can't afford to go thru that again. I now drink more water and avoid nearly all nuts. I eat a lot more dairy. 

I want to thank the staff at the LGH for the excellent care I received. It's obvious staff in the ED are under a lot of pressure beyond their control. Thank you LGH for being there to save me.