A Great Start to Vacation (Not)!

Last night, shortly after I went to sleep here in gorgeous Calistoga, I awoke in excruciating pain. Doubled over, I started vomiting. I thought for sure that I had appendicitis. My husband called the ambulance and I landed in the Emergency Room around 1 am. Every bump in the ambulance brought another bout of pain. Long story short, I had a 6mm kidney stone. Many drugs later they finally found one that reduced the pain enough to fall asleep…at 4 am. Since I had no pain later that morning they thought that I’d passed the stone…so discharged me. We’re exhausted today - and still in quite a bit of pain. The theory is that moving a stone that size caused a lot of irritation. I don’t recommend this as a way to spend the beginning of one’s vacation! However I am eternally grateful that I’m not currently recovering in the hospital from an appendectomy!

So an emergency blip tonight…not straying far from my chaise lounge on our deck. This is Phlomis russeliana or Hardy Jerusalem Sage which is growing all around the inn.