Kidney Stone Revisited

Joel was complaining earlier this week that he thought he was getting a kidney stone. I didn't pay much attention. Not because I don't care or anything, it's just that ever since Joel's first kidney stone experience (three or four years ago), he complains about once every couple months that he thinks he's getting another kidney stone. He's like The Boy Who Cried Kidney Stone. After a while I started tuning him out. So imagine my surprise when he comes home from work last night and announces that he has a doctor-certified, honest-to-goodness kidney stone.

When he had the last one, he threatened to jump out a window during the height of his pain (he claims not to remember this). But so far he is handling this one very well. I am afraid that may just be because it hasn't gotten down, you know, far enough to cause a lot of pain.

He was reasonably cheerful this morning, even not minding much the fact that I had invited one of Ben's school friends and his little brother over to play. Both are, shall we say, extremely boisterous children. The play date did not go extraordinarily well as these things go -- there was a fair amount of crying, timeouts, poor behavior, running around and top-of-the-lungs screaming. So I expected Joel might be ready to kill me by the time they went home. But he was fine. He was even well enough to go out for a late lunch/early dinner at The Cheesecake Factory, and now he's watching the Phillies (go Phillies).

I expect at any moment he may double over in agony, so although he's getting tired of it, I shall continue to ask him "Are you okay?" every thirty seconds for the next three or four days.