A New Year Arrives

It's been four plus years since the last post, and not much has changed.

From now on any medical updates, good or bad, I will post here instead of Facebook.
Just to get back into the swing of things, I'll talk about what happened today:
I just got home after undergoing an "E.S.W.L." (Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy) [http://www.webmd.com/kidney-stones/extracorporeal-shock-wave-lithotripsy-eswl-for-kidney-stones] procedure for a 1.7cm kidney stone in my left kidney.
It seemed to go well, I am feeling less of a "poke" in my left kidney, though it could be because of the pain cocktail they use with the anesthesia.
They said I could eat & drink normally now (in fact, I should drink more to help "flush" the stones out of the kidney and to make sure everything still runs!)
I can also take Percocet as needed again (so I took a 10mg pill once I got home as I was feeling the sharp pains returning.)
I passed a l lot of gravel and a nice big chip (!) in my first attempt.
Still a little nauseous so I'll probably keep it to toast or maybe some soup later.
I have an upcoming procedure next Tuesday, February 11th, called a "
Ureteroscopy" [http://www.webmd.com/kidney-stones/ureteroscopy-16859] where the doc will go in with a laser scope and "scrape" any bits & pieces he encounters in my left & right ureters and he'll go all the way up to the kidneys to try to clean them out too.
Hopefully this will not require the insertion of a stent [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ureteric_stent]. I hate stents. My doc knows I hate stents. So he'll only put one in if after he cleans everything out he thinks I need one to help keep the ureter open to help flush it out.
I have to go for Pre-Admission Testing (hereafter referred to as P.A.T.) on Friday for Tuesday's procedure.
So, yeah, being sick keeps you almost as busy as if I was working an actual job.
I will also occasionally post pictures of my wiener diamonds here (thanks to Frank from "Raising Hope" for giving me a nicer name for these horrific monsters!)
I will post today's "big chip" later, I don't feel like getting dressed and trudging out to my car to get my camera right now.