January is not even over and so far it has been interesting. First we all got covid but fortunately it only lasted 2 weeks and we didn't need hospitalization. Very thankful to the Lord for that. While it was bad, it could have been worse, like many of you have had.

Next, I recently had a kidney stone and could not believe the pain associated with it. I normally deal with pain ok but I never knew how a kidney stone could be. Mine traveled on it's own into the right ureter and caused excruciating pain to my abdomen.I had the lithotripsy a few hours prior and was able to go home tonight. I forgot how bad the pain with just using the bathroom can be. I thank the good Lord for His help. Sorry, just had to vent a little and appreciate the health stories here on the site and pray for you all for this coming year.

quote:

Originally posted by patw:

Next, I recently had a kidney stone and could not believe the pain associated with it.

I'm fortunate that I've never had kidney stones but one of my best friends did. He didn't have health insurance so he called me to drive him to the hospital. I showed up and the pain he expressed while I trying to move him almost made me call an ambulance. Anyways, that saved him about $1,200 back then. We get to the hospital and the doctor sees the stones on the xray BUT he "had" to be sure so despite my friend's protests that he didn't have insurance they gave him an MRI that cost $3,000. All in all it was a $5,000 bill that ended up never getting paid and the hospital wrote it off after ruining his credit.

I was talking about it with him the other day and he says to this day it's the most pain he's ever felt.

I tend to get kidney stones about every couple of years. The last few I've gone to a Urologist for treatment and he seems to be the only medical professional that I've been to that actually understands the amount of pain they can inflict. I told him I had taken some Tramadol that I had left over from something else but it didn't help. He said "Oh you need something stronger than that" and prescribed Percocet. That's the only pain killer that I've ever taken that will knock the pain right out. I always keep some in reserve so that I can avoid a emergency room visit simply for pain relief when the next one comes along.

Drink water every day from this day forward.

I had to quit drinking sweet tea because it’s what makes my stones..calcium oxalate

I just had one not too many months ago, and the pain was incredible. I even had to go to the ER.

It appears that every 20 years I try to pass one and it sucks every time.

I am supposed to drink 100ounces of water and lay off the tea, coffee, etc.. but I have been slipping especially in the cold weather months.

I tend to drink a lot of coffee when I am stressed which I have been for the last year or so trying to find work.

When I was in the ER, I could have sworn they gave me some type magic drug through an IV but according to them it was just liquid advil.

Thanks for the responses. I remember now getting some inguinal hernias repaired 20 years ago and remember after getting the Foley catheter out, how painful it was to use the bathroom. I am not sure which was worse the stone or the using of the bathroom. Ok, it is definitely the stone.

quote:

Originally posted by Hildur:

I'm fortunate that I've never had kidney stones but one of my best friends did. He didn't have health insurance so he called me to drive him to the hospital. I showed up and the pain he expressed while I trying to move him almost made me call an ambulance. Anyways, that saved him about $1,200 back then. We get to the hospital and the doctor sees the stones on the xray BUT he "had" to be sure so despite my friend's protests that he didn't have insurance they gave him an MRI that cost $3,000. All in all it was a $5,000 bill that ended up never getting paid and the hospital wrote it off after ruining his credit.

I was talking about it with him the other day and he says to this day it's the most pain he's ever felt.

Not to derail the thread too much, but when a hospital / doctor / dentist asks for my SSN, for some reason I can never seem to get it right Especially if they don't take my insurance. I was out of town and needed stitches a few years back. The hospital sent me a bill right away, which I paid. The DOCTOR somehow didn't get the right info for 11 months and didn't know how to find me. I didn't even know I owed him money (something like $120). So after 11 months, his office finally tracked me down properly and I paid him/them. If I had given my correct SSN, I'm sure it would have been in collections by then.

I understand your pain. Take a hard look at your diet too. Many healthy foods are also high in oxalates. Morphine works as does Percocet for the pain.

I have used Uva Ursi twice to get rid of kidney stones. Most health stores like Vitamin Shoppe carry it:

https://www.vitaminshoppe.com/...100-capsules/so-1301

Drink very well filtered water or bottled water, had them urologist said contents of pipes and water treatment chemicals exacerbated stone production.

My wife says she gave me kidney stones by feeding me lots of spinach salad. Off the charts high in oxalate. I did lose weight though. Yeah the pain after lithotripsy when the diamond-like shards of calcium oxalate were blocking my ureter—worst ever. That took IV morphine.

quote:

Originally posted by texassierra:
I tend to get kidney stones about every couple of years. The last few I've gone to a Urologist for treatment and he seems to be the only medical professional that I've been to that actually understands the amount of pain they can inflict. I told him I had taken some Tramadol that I had left over from something else but it didn't help. He said "Oh you need something stronger than that" and prescribed Percocet. That's the only pain killer that I've ever taken that will knock the pain right out. I always keep some in reserve so that I can avoid a emergency room visit simply for pain relief when the next one comes along.

same for me, about every 2 years

Uro was concerned years ago because I was still showing blood in my urine after passing a large one a few months earlier, so he decided to check out my bladder from the inside

I think he ran that damn scope up to my right kidney as well, and stopped when I told him 'that fukking hurts doc'

lately, I just pass them
minor discomfort then gone, in a day or so,

My wife has had kidney stones over the years. Recently, she had a stone so large that it required surgery. That process involved going through her back and directly into the kidney for removal. A couple of days later, she had an infection.

She's OK now, but went thru hell!