I've got a Kidney Stone! (2 Viewers)

[Blu]

The first lithotripsy treatment was with the stent and I had blood for nearly a week.

The second one was only two weeks later and without a stent and it was two days and no blood.

 

[JonZ]

I have gout and on meds to control uric acid. Luckily, I havent had to deal with stones though.

 

[Johnny Angell]

Have I mentioned that my string disappears and than reappears? It was kind of startling the first time it happened.

 

[Blu]

So how are you doing Johnny A?

 

[Johnny Angell]

Doing ok. Still straining my pee looking for fragments. I've found only a few, now sure how many I'm supposed to find. I've got an appointment on the 23rd when they'll take a xray to see they got it all and I presume they will then pull the "string."

Having that stent in there, combined with drinking more fluids than normal, means I'm getting tired of trips to the bathroom.

There have been no further painful attacks.

 

[Blu]

If it was a large stone then it might not have been completely broken up.
That is what happened to me. I just got out of the third lithotripsy in six weeks a little bit ago.

The stone on the right side was large it didn't break up all the way but was smaller so that was what today was for.
No stent!
Very happy!

 

[Johnny Angell]

You had it done today? I sure hope they got it all this time.

edit: How come they can't tell during the procedure if they got it all?

 

[Blu]

I hope they got it all as well. They seemed confident this time about it and I really don't know how they can or can't tell.

 

[Alf S]

Oh man I feel your pain...I had the same thing happen to me a couple years ago..NOT FUN!

I had it blasted and after a few days thing got better but having the stint string thing was no fun...I still dreaded having to pee when it was in there due to the stinging, AND wondering if the residual stones would come out.

In time I medium sized stone did come out, but the rest was sandy like particles...ouch...

Wait till ya gotta drop the pants and sit in the stirrups to get the stint yanked out...fun.

Good luck with your recovery!

 

[Johnny Angell]

Ok, you gotta provide me some more details on this, don't leave hanging out there (pun intended) like that. A guy doesn't go thru life expecting to be in stirrups.

 

[Stephen Orr]

I ended up curled up in the floor board of my car weeping when I had a kidney stone attack on the way to a restuarant. We were meeting my son, who had just driven home for the first time from college in Tenn. This was in 2002.

I had two stones - one was 1 cm., and the other was .5 cm. I had no idea I even had them until the attack. I spent the weekend on some major painkillers, and had my lipotrypsy on that Monday.

The next time I suspected that I might have another stone I did not pass go, I had it checked out immediately. Sure enough, they found three small ones, which they pounded out of me with the sonic thingy.

 

[Johnny Angell]

Most of you know that I've had two bunion surgeries recently. I just got the statement of charges for my kidney stone procedure from the hospital. It adds up to more than both bunion surgeries. In fact the procedure itself (without all the attendant hospital charges) is more than the entire total for my two bunion surgeries.

 

[Johnny Angell]

So you'll see my stone and raise me one

Mine was .65, I think, so the 1 cm is big, and the .5 is similar. Both were very capable of bringing you too your knees.

I'm starting to get the idea from the comments here, that kidney stone procedures aren't done on an emergency basis. When I saw my urologist, he said if I had another attack in the middle of the night, to take my pain meds, gut it out, and call them in the morning. I guess they're not worried that these things could do damage while passing.

 

[Francois Caron]

I can tell you it CAN do damage. One week before the stone finally left me, I had a UTI. Not only did I see a few drops of blood leave me after I finished painfully peeing (very scary), a piece of bloody flesh from my ureter actually came out!

All this happened during the week I moved to a new apartment! Ugh!

The attitude of my doctors was just as bad. The problem is that although kidney stones can cause incredible pain, they're rarely fatal. And that's the problem. The doctors would rather give you painkillers instead of eliminating the item which is causing you the pain in the first place.

The problem with me is that I can't tolerate painkillers. They screw up my system so badly that often I preferred to endure the pain instead of dealing with the side-effects of the meds. In fact, the meds they gave me in the hospital were particularly nasty. If I try to eat or drink too early after getting them, eventually my stomach contents would come back up. Somehow, I always made it to the bathroom on time and was able to release it in a controlled manner. But I must admit it's the first time in my life I've ever projectile vomited before.

It could make for an interesting party trick!

 

[Johnny Angell]

I'm thinking that maybe your avatar is a photo taken shortly after taking some painkillers

You have my deep sympathy for not being able to tolerate them. It denies you the chance for pain relief.

 

[Bob Graham]

Actually, you don't have to get in the stirrups for the stent removal. You just lie on the table and the doctor draws it out in one quick move. I had visions of myself wildly pissing all over the place when the the thing was removed (like an unattended garden hose with the faucet on full blast), but that didn't happen either. Compared to what you've been through, it's practically painless. The worst is over. Relax.

 

[Johnny Angell]

I'm going to take a leap of faith and accept what you've said, even though someone is going to be pulling an object out of my penis!

 

[Francois Caron]

Nah. I just cut myself shaving that morning.

 

[Johnny Angell]

It's out...the stent that is. Went in for my follow up today and the doc asked "have you still got the string" which I did. He said "I'll send someone in to remove it...oh heck I'll do it." So I drop my drawers set down and ziiiip, it's out. It hurt some, but wasn't agony and it was pleasantly surprising how quickly you start to feel better.

Yesterday, after the doctors offices are closed, I have a bloody, painfull urination and I start doing it often and urgently. Later that night the blood is gone, but not the other symptoms. When I tell the doc this, he says he doesn't get worried about symptoms like that unless they happen after the stent is out.

Within a half hour, the pain and frequency symptoms had declined drastically. Combine that with the fact that I don't have to have the procedure again, I'm a happy old codger today.

I think the stent was thinking if I'm gonna be gone tomorrow, I'm going out with a bang.

 

[Blu]

Wooohoooo!

Drink that water!