Kidney stones

Hi,
Just got back from the Doc - I've got kidney stones. Last Thursday I eneded up in the Emergency room with a real pain in the back. I was sent home with a diagnosis of Kidney stones. It's already in the Urethera (sp?), so it looks like they can't use shock waves, but will have to do a Ureteroscopy

Anyone here have one done? How long before you go back to work?

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif I'v had those little buggers off and on for 30 years! Get a vibrater and keep it close by. It helps with the pain if the stone stops in its travels. The pain you had in your back ain't nothing compaired to the pain when the stone stops moving!!! It casuses the kidney to blow-up like a balloon. I would not advise you to do any driving untill the stone passes. The pain of a kidney stone blockage can put youd on the floor in the fetal position. Been there, done that, and have the scars to prove it. You have my wishes and prayers for a smooth passage. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

On the floor in the fetal position is why I decided to go to the hospital Thursday AM. They had to give me "Happy" meds - IV Morphine for when I was in the ER, and then Vicodan for home. I've been just getting twinges since Saturday

I'm staying "Local" with the driving.

I don't know what yours looked like, but on my first stone, my urine sample looked like Coke! Got me moved to the top of the line in the ER! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/icon15.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

I've had them go in frontways -- "ureteroscopy" I guess it was. I think I had the surgery on Friday and went back to work on Monday.

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Joe Talmadge said:
I've had them go in frontways -- "ureteroscopy" I guess it was. I think I had the surgery on Friday and went back to work on Monday.



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OK That's exactly what they are talking about - maybe the end of this week /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

No visible blood /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif , just a lot of pain, as you probably well know

I've also gone through this ordeal twice in the past 15 years, and I can relate to the pain aspect totally. Same deal as you, in the ER, they kept me "doped up" on IV Morpheine, then at home they Rx'ed Demerol. D don't know about anyone else, but Demerol is supposed to be a "strong" narcotic, but for kidney pain, it didn't cut the mustard, if you'll pardon the cliché. The first stone passed on it's own, the second, they had to go in frontally with the "periscope" and grab it. Like Roy, my urine looked exactly like Coke or a very dark beer. I didn't realize that blood in the urine would look like that, but during the second episode about three years after the first, I then knew the telltale sign right away. Then the pain confirmed my "self-diagnosis".
Good luck. I'm sure you'll either hear it from a Doc or nurse during your treatment, but they always reccommend cranbury juice, but frankly, the acidity of it is bothersome to my stomach. Plenty of water is what I would go with.
Feel better soon.
Ed.

Cranberry juice is good for kidney infections!

Had one last year. It coincided with me adding a high level of calcium to my diet. I was drinking protein drinks that had 100% RDA of calcium in them (for those that don't know, high protein diets are thought to slightly increase acidity of blood thereby possibly leaching calcium from bones, ergo, protein drinks often have calcium added)

I probably would have been fine but then I also was periodically popping a calcium supplement here and there (hey the wife bought them but didn't use them, SOMEbody was going to get some use out of them because, well, I'm cheap. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif I'm guessing there were days I probably got 250% the RDA of calcium. Within two or three weeks I was in a fetal position on the bathroom floor, and in the hospital for a weekend.

(BTW, for those that haven't had the pleasure, the incredible pain you hear about isn't where you think it might be, its the stone passing through your kidney that kills you, after that the other event is only a small jolt in comparison)

I disregarded the advice to discontinue caffeinated coffee (sh'yeah right, as if!) and alcohol. However I did discontinue my active calcium supplimentation. Over six months later and not a stone in sight. I know they insist supplimental calcium won't cause stones but I can't ignore my experience. Oh and I was back to work in three days. THe stone passed three days later.

I did learn one thing though...

I reeeaaally like morphine. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/sleepy.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/sleepy.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/sleepy.gif

Hey MM, did they make you "catch" your stone, so-to-speak? I had to pee through this strainer thingy and let me tell you, when it finally passed, I couldn't believe my eyes! That stone was so jagged, like a chard of broken glass. It had all sorts of sharp edges and the shape was anything but smooth. No wonder it hurt like heck. I couldn't believe such a small thing can cause such an enormous level of discomfort. I wished I got to keep it as a trophy, but the Doc needed it for laboratory analysis. Oh well, don't care if I ever see another one again /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Ed.

Yeah, I was trying to spare everyone that disturbing little detail. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/yellowlaugh.gif Nothing quite puts things in perspective as standing in front of a urinal peeing into a paper filter hoping against hope that this is the one where you get a "prize"

And yeah, half of a jagged crystal BB is how I would describe it.

When I had mine I was in a phase of
eating a lot of pimento cheese sandwiches
(calcium). I was also not getting enough water.
I would skip breakfast & not drink anything
until lunch. Ditto Ditto about the pain.
I went to the emergency room and stayed in
the hospital for 3 days before I passed it.
Back to work on the 4th day.

-Rebus

owww....i'm wincing in sympathetic pain! is there any way to positively stop kidney stones from forming? by the way is this ailment restricted to men only or do women get it as well? seems like i read about only men getting it all the time.

Mine looked like a big grain of sand. I was bent over for a few hours in the emergency waiting room at 3 in the AM with my wife wondering what the F? By the time they got around to seeing me the pain had gone. The ER doc I guess had walked by a couple times when I was doubled over waiting and he told me it was probably a kidney stone. Got home and out popped the stone when I took a leak. You should at least get a t-shirt I think.

- Don

is there any way to positively stop kidney stones from forming

Just drink a few gallons of water per day, and pee like a drunk man...
/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif

No absolute way to prevent one from occurring...

.....and while you're doubled up and vomiting from the pain, some clown always comes up and says: "Well, Kidney Stones are about as close to childbirth as a man can get." When you ask, the clown has never given birth to a child or a kidney stone! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/twak.gif

Charlie...

Sorry to hear about your 'situation'!!!

Best Wishes for a quick passage/recovery!

73's and TAKE IT EZ!

I remember (after just getting my driver's license at the ripe ole' age of 16) having to drive my father to the hospital.

He was upside down in the backseat in sooo much pain... It was early in the morning (like 3 a.m.), no traffic per say, I was blowing through the red lights.

He'd always had heart problems, the next door neighbor was in the passenger seat next to me assuring my father it wasn't his heart! Seems funny now, but certainly not at that time!!

I had one last April. It became impacted in the uretor(?) and had to be surgically removed. I walked around with it for six weeks. It's amazing that the human body can become accustomed to that much pain.

Depending on the kind of kidney stone, diet changes can prevent formation

They are something like 10x more common in men