Kidney Stones are no fun at all

May, Thailand, March 2005



SO MUCH has happened since my last entry. The gist of it is - I had three episodes of absolutely agonizing pains in early August (following a day of bloody urine) and on August 12th it turned even nastier. Dr. Simon was away in Monrovia and very helpful by phone but I also called in my friends from Medecins sans frontieres. Before long I was on a (wonderful) morphine derivative and feeling a little bit better. I am very very lucky to have had such concerned, caring and skillful help, particularly from Emmanuel, Dr. Jochan, Dr. Brown, Brian, Anna, and Anna.


Dr. Jochan from MSF took really marvelous care of me. The initial diagnoses were appendicitis or kidney stones but my symptoms were not classic for either. There was a LOT of consultation between Dr. Jochan, Dr. Brown (of the Liberian Government Hospital) and Merlin Doctors Simon and Julius (and my boss Jen) in Monrovia - and even our London office. Dr. Brown brought an ultrasound viewer and although we learned a bit I kept needing that (wonderful) morphine and it was soon decided that I had to be evacuated to Monrovia as quickly as possible.


Anna (left) and Anna (right) from MSF-Holland took great care of me, as did Dr. Jochan (in the car, adjusting my (wonderful) morphine IV).

'Quickly' meant a UN helicopter so to get that approved I was taken to the UNMIL (UN Mission in Liberia) hospital where I was examined by my third and fourth doctors of the day. They quickly approved the chopper flight - and I'm very grateful for that - but the typical Liberian rain was reducing visibility too much. Instead I was placed on a mattress on the floor of a Merlin LandCruiser and after a few false starts (due to the on-off-on-off possibility of a chopper flight after all) Dr. Jochan and I rode to Monrovia.



On the way I was looking up out the windows and sometimes could only see blue sky... Liberian weather is very changeable. On the way we stopped to meet MSF's Dr. Aileen on her way to the airport and a new life - so she became my fifth doctor of the day although basically she only teased me. I was taken straight to the St. Joseph Catholic Hospital in Monrovia where Merlin Doctors Simon, Julius and even Alex (who is normally based far away in Harper) examined me, along with a Liberian doctor. (This brought my doctor count to nine for the day.)



My colleagues described the Liberian as a 'Journeyman' doctor - I think because he wanted to scoop out my appendix first and ask questions later. Dr. Julius was his normal diplomatic self and kept me from going under the knife. I had more pain that night and still needed very strong analgesics.



I was admitted into hospital for the first time in my life. From the next morning on I didn't need any more pain killers - only boredom killers. Thank goodness my friends and colleagues visited but I didn't really need the hospital counselor who told me so many times not to worry that I began to worry quite seriously. I stayed two nights, hardly seeing any hospital staff except nurses who would visit with their successors at shift changes, who I would then not see until their shift ended...



When I was finally released - feeling as fit as a fiddle - I had another night in Monrovia and then was told I had to go to London for further investigation! The doctors (by now I'd had another Liberian, making ten in all) could not confirm that I'd had kidney stones and Merlin's insurance company preferred to fly me to London for tests and treatment than perhaps to have to fly me out urgently in their private jet later on.



At this point I'll emphasize that I've had no discomfort since my first night in the hospital but I've just come back from ten rather fun, rather relaxing, rather stimulating and very very very expensive (but for the insurance company, not me) days of consultations and investigations and treatments. I met friends and ate out and saw four movies and the hardest part was not feeling guilty about a) not working and b) 3.5 million Liberians who could certainly not have had any of the care I received. (If they'd had what I felt, but out in the jungle, they'd probably be pleading for death the way I would have if MSF hadn't been there to help me.)



To finish up the story a (£1000+) CT scan revealed a 2mm kidney stone in my LEFT site (my pain had been on my right). If I understand the medicine correctly, this gave strength to the unconfirmed theory that my pain had in fact been due to the passing of a kidney stone. Stones up to 4mm are supposed to be able to pass without help - but not painlessly. I had (£2,600) lythotripsy treatment to pulverize it and I'm now trying to drink lots of water every day to prevent this ever happening again. (But I'd accept being flown back for a check-up...)



One very last thing: I'm planning a dinner to thank as many of the people as possible who helped me. And - oh - I haven't been running in a month...