#@%&<*##$ Kidney Stones, Again

[k9ophile]

I have two of them. I can't remember the last time I had any so I didn't recognize this awful pain. I've even been taking a drug that's suppose to help keep them from recurring. They're 7mm and 9mm.

The only good thing is at least they didn't wait until I'm traveling to Rochester NY to make their appearance. The urologist I really liked and who blasted the last ones has moved away.

 

[hilary1617]

Oh no. I'm so sorry. Hope they pass or are blasted soon.

 

[Larra]

well, that sucks! Hope you can get the blasted things blasted soon.

 

[southernlady]

Get rid of them, and the drink lemonade and add calcium carbonate at meals only. DianaCox has an excellent explanation as to why.

 

[JackieOnLine]

gah, I am so sorry to hear it. I hope you can get them taken care of and that what Diana recommends works so you never get them again.

 

[MsVee]

I have two of them. I can't remember the last time I had any so I didn't recognize this awful pain. I've even been taking a drug that's suppose to help keep them from recurring. They're 7mm and 9mm.

The only good thing is at least they didn't wait until I'm traveling to Rochester NY to make their appearance. The urologist I really liked and who blasted the last ones has moved away.

I hope this is resolved soon.

 

[JackieOnLine]

how are you doing k9ophile?

 

[Spiky Bugger]

They think I’ve been pounded enough and now they blast them with a laser. More invasive, but better than cutting and pasting.

Since I create calcium oxalate stones, I take 20 MEQs in the morning and another 20 MEQs at bedtime of Potassium Citrate, aka Urocit K. I have a 9mm stone right now, but last we checked, it wasn’t growing.

I hope yours don’t grow.

 

[k9ophile]

how are you doing k9ophile?

Thanks for asking. I saw a urologist and he's taking the cautious route. I have a follow-up in three weeks. If it hasn't passed by then, we go with something invasive.He gave me hydrocodone and something for the nausea/vomiting. Only it wasn't really vomiting. It was more like dry heaving. My appetite is way off. I've lost at least 15 pounds, maybe 20. I don't weigh myself often and barely take notice of my weight when I see a doctor.

The worst of the pain seems to be over. I get a little twinge now and then. I got an x-ray and the stone is approaching the bladder. Mostly I'm happy that my nausea is gone. I'm hoping to get as much of an appetite. back as a DSer can have.

And my hip is improving. The most pain is in the soft tissue where the incision was made. It varies in size. My husband had his hip replacement two years ago and still has the lump at the incision site. It doesn't hurt, so that's something to look forward to.

 

[k9ophile]

I take Urocrit K, and thought it would totally prevent stones. I was naive. When I had my appointment with the urologist, I asked when I had the shock wave blasting. It was October, 2014. That probably explains why I didn't recognize the pain being due to a stone. Of course, now that I know the problem, I remember all the fun and games of nausea and weight loss.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

Susie Sunshine here.

The 7 mm, perhaps. But…the 9mm has, per the folks who SHOULD know, about a 20% chance of passing on its own. I guess I’m saying that I’m so neurotic, I wouldn’t leave town until it was resolved. I’d hate to be in a position where I’m out of town and immediate surgery is the only option. (OTOH, at my age and in my health situations, I’d never be able to leave town!)

When dealing with a “stone in motion,” I used to be prescribed FloMax. (Yes, I realize I don’t have prostate issues,) That drug theoretically offers some pain relief and “softens” the tissue in the ureter and urethra which allows the stone to pass with less pain. But, a fairly recent large study established that it didn’t help at all! It was just something to do to keep busy.



On the “more invasive” front, I’ve been this route (up there) a few times. On one occasion, the stone was quite big and quite hard, so the procedure took forever. And then I peed sand for about a week. But except for the damned STENT…which I removed myself because I’m in the small demographic that just doesn’t tolerate a stent well at all…it didn’t hurt. So there’s that.

But! Good news on the hip!

 

[southernlady]

And then there my Charles who went the surgery route from the get go because of the size of his. He had almost no chance of either of the other two procedures working and surgery wasn’t even 100% given it’s unique configuration but the surgeon got it all.

 

[Spiky Bugger]

And then there my Charles who went the surgery route from the get go because of the size of his. He had almost no chance of either of the other two procedures working and surgery wasn’t even 100% given it’s unique configuration but the surgeon got it all.

Wow!

 

[k9ophile]

Susie Sunshine here.

The 7 mm, perhaps. But…the 9mm has, per the folks who SHOULD know, about a 20% chance of passing on its own. I guess I’m saying that I’m so neurotic, I wouldn’t leave town until it was resolved. I’d hate to be in a position where I’m out of town and immediate surgery is the only option. (OTOH, at my age and in my health situations, I’d never be able to leave town!)

When dealing with a “stone in motion,” I used to be prescribed FloMax. (Yes, I realize I don’t have prostate issues,) That drug theoretically offers some pain relief and “softens” the tissue in the ureter and urethra which allows the stone to pass with less pain. But, a fairly recent large study established that it didn’t help at all! It was just something to do to keep busy.

View attachment 2723

On the “more invasive” front, I’ve been this route (up there) a few times. On one occasion, the stone was quite big and quite hard, so the procedure took forever. And then I peed sand for about a week. But except for the damned STENT…which I removed myself because I’m in the small demographic that just doesn’t tolerate a stent well at all…it didn’t hurt. So there’s that.

But! Good news on the hip!

Yeh, I'm a bit concerned that it won't pass on its own. I really need to keep off the Internet. In checking the diameter of tube, they're a bit smaller than the stone. However, he did use a picture to explain the use of Flomax. Supposedly, it dilates the opening into the bladder. I can only hope so. My follow up appointment is a few days before I leave. I'm a bit frazzled and trying not to panic.

 

[k9ophile]

And then there my Charles who went the surgery route from the get go because of the size of his. He had almost no chance of either of the other two procedures working and surgery wasn’t even 100% given it’s unique configuration but the surgeon got it all.

The one that got blasted in 2014, was about the size of a nickel and shaped like an arrow head. It took two sessions to get it all. The doctor wouldn't say that all the blood in my urine was due to that stone. I definitely think it was.