Thanks for asking Cat!
So I went in for allergy testing...stayed for a CT scan to see if I have a kidney stone
(results pending this morning, it wasn't an ED visit)
First, the allergy testing -- I may only have tree nut allergies! That was the ONLY thing the skin prick testing showed - amazing! So, I'm on a strict, 6 week elimination of all things tree nuts, to see if it helps - she isn't super hopeful, as I don't eat tree nuts every single day, but it's worth a try. If it doesn't help symptoms in 6 weeks, I'm free to add them back to my diet.
However, the allergist didn't stop there. Going over *everything* in my chart (she was super amazing!) she decided that it was possible I may have Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, so she ordered a blood test for Tryptase (have to go back and get that drawn, the possible kidney stone interrupted things). If that comes back "off" we'll talk about what that means (and I'll be reading about MCAS on the 'net I'm sure!).
Finally, about the kidney stuff -- around midnight Wednesday I woke up thinking I was sleeping weird because my was sore on the right side. I also felt that I had to pee. When I went to the bathroom, I couldn't go. So back to bed...but 10 minutes later, the urge to pee was back, back to the toilet, and just a dribble. Back to bed, only to be woken up shortly *again* thinking I really had to go this time...rinse repeat for an hour, until I finally gave up and stayed up. Around 2am I decided that maybe if I started a lot of water, I would be able to MAKE myself go, and that if this was the beginning of a UTI, that was the best idea anyway, so that's what I started doing. Still just dribbles, with the near constant urge to go, and waves of back pain, until nearly 6am!! Finally, at that time, I went a full stream, and went back to bed, sleeping a bit restlessly until 9am (dh stayed home from work to get the kids to school for me, sweet man <3 ). When I got up, I called my GP, and begged for a same day appointment, but made it clear I didn't want to cancel my allergy appointment - lucky everything is located in the same hospital offices, so it worked out.
When I got the hospital, the first thing I did was buy cranberry juice to drink during the allergy test. After allergy appointment, went straight to the Internal Medicine offices and gave a urine sample. Amazing to me and dr, it came back perfectly normal. But when he whacked (lightly) on my back on the right side, man did it hurt! So he sent off an urgent request for a kidney CT, told me what to watch for in case it ends up being shingles instead (oh I hope not!), what to look out for in terms of infection if it is a stone, etc. Then sent me down to radiology to see if they could fit me in ASAP.
Again, things were in my favor! They have extended hours (by this time it was near 5pm) and they were able to schedule me for a "same-day" evening CT! So I hung out in the cafeteria for a bit, then went and got scanned before heading home. -- As a side-note - they make you lie on your stomach for the stone scan, and OMG the pain in my back while laying on my belly! I never expected that! -- Then told me the Dr will have my results this morning and sent me on my way home (after being at the hospital for half the day, I was thrilled to have dh finally pick me up!!).
Last night I took pain meds (that I have for my joint pain, Dr told me to use them for the back pain) and was able to sleep! But now I'm back with the urge to pee after just going again. Ugh! I really hope it's nothing.
So that's my super long update!