I was in a car accident, and broke my back and pelvis, and hurt my entire body from head to toe, with cuts and bruises. I have also had many kidney stones. Some of the kidney stones hurt worse than the the car accident. The only thing was, the kidney stones did not usually hurt for more than 1 or 2 weeks unless they put a stent in. The Doctor says that most people have no problem with the stents. They lie like a rug, and they know that they are lying. A stent is like you have a coat hanger in your plumbing trying to get out every time you piss. It only is uncomfortable all the rest of the time.
Had one about the size of a BB. Left house to go to Hospital at 4 am & a tree had fallen across the road from a storm that came thru the night before. Had to backtrack all the way to the house and go the other way to town. Don't remember if I said it to my wife or if i just thought it, but I was hoping she would just crash the car & kill me. It was in May of that year so I guess that little bugger has a B-Day coming up.
The Doc said drinking Mt. Dew would cause them. In my late teens I would drink on average 2 20 oz. Mt.Dews a day. I haven't had one since the stone about 15 years ago.
Called hypercalciuria (calcium stones) and hyperoxaluria (oxylate stones), whatever you call them, they have been a bane to my existence. Haven't passed any in two years. Wouldn't have then if I'd maintained hydration in July while working outdoors. Some years back I passed over 100 stones in one year, most of them sand-grain sized, but a few the size of tomato seeds. I begged Jesus to take me that year. Turns out drinking an ounce of lemon juice in a drink every day (ex: lemonade) prevents them.
That might explain why I've never had a stone. I've always drank tons of water. When I was in my thirties I did a lot of heavy physical labor in hot weather and would empty my two gallon water jug every day, which I always added slices of lemon to just to flavor it a bit. I guess that was just pure luck that I did that.
I've had them 4 times. Worst was right after a liver biopsy. Threw a stone after getting home and went back to the hospital. They didn't believe it and let we agonize in the waiting room for two hours. Walking around, rolling up in a ball, wriggling on the ground until one particular deep knee bend created enough pressure to get the stone past the Illiac arch. Went to pee buckets and then went home.
Now the stents are interesting. My first one was after the first go and get it operation via the direct plumbing route. They put a stent in after to keep the ureter from swelling closed. They tie a string to the end and tape it around your winkie. Now two problems for gifted white guys is that they don't leave enough take up string to handle EMHO's and subsequent pee hole irritation. But that's not the worst part. You see its the removal concept. That string is there so the Pee-Pee Doc can grab the end of it like a he's trying to start a snowblower in a Minnesota winter at night. You lie down on the table and he tells you to turn your head and cough and at the count of three we go. The MOFO pulled at two. I didn't think it was possible to rise off an examination table horizontally.
Once you've passed one your tolerance for pain is forever magnified. I confessed to the Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping, the Kennedy Assassination, Iran-Contra, and anything else they wanted to clear up. Since then I've need no pain reliever stronger than Tylenol, even for major surgery. -Rurik
Actual size shown (according to the way they feel when moving). Had them twice. First time didn't know what was up so went to the ER at 1am. Doc knew but wanted an xray before giving me a shot for pain. Couldn't get the xray done fast enough for me. It was a big one, roughly 8 mm. Had to be broken up to pass it. Had a prescription for Loratab, IIRC, and at the slightest twinge, I would eat them suckers like they were M&M's
I drink black coffee and bottled water only. No soft drinks or orange juice. Rolled over in bed and one came loose, vomiting, fever, etc. Had to go to the ER for that one.
I've had over 30 of them. Got my first one at a vertical rescue school we were having at Garner State Park in Texas and was taken by ambulance over to the hospital in Uvalde where they had no idea what to do so. They couldn't even get an IV started. (Uvalde - don't get me started) They loaded me up with pain killers and sent me on to San Antonio where I passed it in the hospital after puking and passing out for 3 days. I've had shock wave lithotrypsy 4 times but I've passed most of them. The pain is incredible. When I had wide awake emergency retina re-attachment surgery 2 years ago the Doctors were impressed by my ability to just sit there. I told them my pain threshold is wildly different than most people. Here is my advice to kidney stone sufferers; 1- See a nephrologist (not a urologist) and get a full kidney chemistry work up, 2- Take an over the counter vitamin D gel cap every day, Vitamin D helps kidneys process calcium rather than accumulating it. 3 - Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. I know there are a lot of outdoorsy types here and I just want to say that the idea that you get enough vitamin D from sunshine is wrong. I stopped getting stones with this routine.
I 've had several over the years. Once, I had an attack while I was driving from Port Charlotte back to Pompano Beach. Got held up at the weigh station because I was a couple of hundred pounds overweight. Tried to get one of my laborer passengers to drive and they refused. So I drove towards Pompano. Made it across Alligator Alley and almost to I-95 on I-595, when I couldn't hold it in any longer. Tried to roll the window down and stick my head out the window as I was also trying to get over to the emergency lane, but I didn't make it. Puked all over the inside of the windshield and steering wheel and on the inside of the driver side door. I felt bad for the guy who had to finish driving the truck back to our warehouse.
I forgot another funny kidney stone story - take it for what it's worth. I was having trouble with a kidney stone once and this old rodeo cowboy I knew told me to drink a six pack of Shiner and eat 2 cans of spinach and that stone would pass. I did and it did. I make no claim of any scientific basis for this series of events.
Hmm,,,I'm surprised. I was just sure that murfugger that raked my urethra had tiny fish hooks on it. So it's Just faceted crystals,, that if you could scale it up you could build a wicked mace.
Sharp little crystals. And they say childbirth is painful. Just try passing razorblades coated in diamonds.
ReplyDeleteI was in a car accident, and broke my back and pelvis, and hurt my entire body from head to toe, with cuts and bruises. I have also had many kidney stones. Some of the kidney stones hurt worse than the the car accident. The only thing was, the kidney stones did not usually hurt for more than 1 or 2 weeks unless they put a stent in. The Doctor says that most people have no problem with the stents. They lie like a rug, and they know that they are lying. A stent is like you have a coat hanger in your plumbing trying to get out every time you piss.
ReplyDeleteIt only is uncomfortable all the rest of the time.
Had one about the size of a BB. Left house to go to Hospital at 4 am & a tree had fallen across the road from a storm that came thru the night before. Had to backtrack all the way to the house and go the other way to town. Don't remember if I said it to my wife or if i just thought it, but I was hoping she would just crash the car & kill me. It was in May of that year so I guess that little bugger has a B-Day coming up.
ReplyDeleteOuch. I'm very thankful I never had them.
ReplyDeleteIsn't keeping well hydrated supposed to help in preventing them?
The Doc said drinking Mt. Dew would cause them. In my late teens I would drink on average 2 20 oz. Mt.Dews a day. I haven't had one since the stone about 15 years ago.
DeleteWhich is why they are among the more painful maladies people can suffer...
ReplyDeleteMore painful than infected, swollen, bleeding hemorrhoids and full blown torso shingles combined.
ReplyDeleteNo Passing Zone!
ReplyDeleteAnd they feel exactly how they look......
ReplyDeleteCalled hypercalciuria (calcium stones) and hyperoxaluria (oxylate stones), whatever you call them, they have been a bane to my existence. Haven't passed any in two years. Wouldn't have then if I'd maintained hydration in July while working outdoors. Some years back I passed over 100 stones in one year, most of them sand-grain sized, but a few the size of tomato seeds. I begged Jesus to take me that year. Turns out drinking an ounce of lemon juice in a drink every day (ex: lemonade) prevents them.
ReplyDeleteThat might explain why I've never had a stone. I've always drank tons of water. When I was in my thirties I did a lot of heavy physical labor in hot weather and would empty my two gallon water jug every day, which I always added slices of lemon to just to flavor it a bit. I guess that was just pure luck that I did that.
DeleteSeveral coworkers claim their wives stopped having kidney stones after giving up Coke.
ReplyDeleteI don't drink any kind of soft drink and any water I drink is bottled because of the high mineral content in the water around here.
DeleteIf true, that's excellent news; my ex is a fiend for Coke.
DeleteI've had them 4 times. Worst was right after a liver biopsy. Threw a stone after getting home and went back to the hospital. They didn't believe it and let we agonize in the waiting room for two hours. Walking around, rolling up in a ball, wriggling on the ground until one particular deep knee bend created enough pressure to get the stone past the Illiac arch. Went to pee buckets and then went home.
ReplyDeleteNow the stents are interesting. My first one was after the first go and get it operation via the direct plumbing route. They put a stent in after to keep the ureter from swelling closed. They tie a string to the end and tape it around your winkie. Now two problems for gifted white guys is that they don't leave enough take up string to handle EMHO's and subsequent pee hole irritation. But that's not the worst part. You see its the removal concept. That string is there so the Pee-Pee Doc can grab the end of it like a he's trying to start a snowblower in a Minnesota winter at night. You lie down on the table and he tells you to turn your head and cough and at the count of three we go. The MOFO pulled at two. I didn't think it was possible to rise off an examination table horizontally.
Yup, kidney stones are the most fun.
Spin Drift
Once you've passed one your tolerance for pain is forever magnified. I confessed to the Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping, the Kennedy Assassination, Iran-Contra, and anything else they wanted to clear up. Since then I've need no pain reliever stronger than Tylenol, even for major surgery.
ReplyDelete-Rurik
Actual size shown (according to the way they feel when moving). Had them twice. First time didn't know what was up so went to the ER at 1am. Doc knew but wanted an xray before giving me a shot for pain. Couldn't get the xray done fast enough for me. It was a big one, roughly 8 mm. Had to be broken up to pass it. Had a prescription for Loratab, IIRC, and at the slightest twinge, I would eat them suckers like they were M&M's
ReplyDeleteOnly thing that ever caused me to vomit from pain.
ReplyDeleteDaryl
Yes indeed. And they are about the size of a huge boulder. I can attest to that.
ReplyDeleteI drink black coffee and bottled water only. No soft drinks or orange juice. Rolled over in bed and one came loose, vomiting, fever, etc. Had to go to the ER for that one.
ReplyDeleteI've had over 30 of them. Got my first one at a vertical rescue school we were having at Garner State Park in Texas and was taken by ambulance over to the hospital in Uvalde where they had no idea what to do so. They couldn't even get an IV started. (Uvalde - don't get me started) They loaded me up with pain killers and sent me on to San Antonio where I passed it in the hospital after puking and passing out for 3 days. I've had shock wave lithotrypsy 4 times but I've passed most of them. The pain is incredible. When I had wide awake emergency retina re-attachment surgery 2 years ago the Doctors were impressed by my ability to just sit there. I told them my pain threshold is wildly different than most people. Here is my advice to kidney stone sufferers; 1- See a nephrologist (not a urologist) and get a full kidney chemistry work up, 2- Take an over the counter vitamin D gel cap every day, Vitamin D helps kidneys process calcium rather than accumulating it. 3 - Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.
ReplyDeleteI know there are a lot of outdoorsy types here and I just want to say that the idea that you get enough vitamin D from sunshine is wrong. I stopped getting stones with this routine.
Only time in my like i was given morphine
ReplyDeleteI 've had several over the years. Once, I had an attack while I was driving from Port Charlotte back to Pompano Beach. Got held up at the weigh station because I was a couple of hundred pounds overweight. Tried to get one of my laborer passengers to drive and they refused. So I drove towards Pompano. Made it across Alligator Alley and almost to I-95 on I-595, when I couldn't hold it in any longer. Tried to roll the window down and stick my head out the window as I was also trying to get over to the emergency lane, but I didn't make it. Puked all over the inside of the windshield and steering wheel and on the inside of the driver side door. I felt bad for the guy who had to finish driving the truck back to our warehouse.
ReplyDeleteThe first ingredient of beer is water. Just as long as it's not bud.
ReplyDeleteI forgot another funny kidney stone story - take it for what it's worth. I was having trouble with a kidney stone once and this old rodeo cowboy I knew told me to drink a six pack of Shiner and eat 2 cans of spinach and that stone would pass. I did and it did. I make no claim of any scientific basis for this series of events.
DeleteAnd that's about what those fuckers feel like coming out too.
ReplyDeleteHad one 2 years ago. "you should avoid dairy".
ReplyDeleteNah, keep drinking the milk, hydrate if you feel one coming on, and AVOID DOCTORS
Jerry
I begged my dad to kill me when I had my first one. You could see the pain in his eyes, when he said no. What a great man he was!!
ReplyDeleteYup. The doctor in the E.R. took one look at me and told the nurse to get some morphine. Thank you God for that doctor..........
ReplyDeleteHmm,,,I'm surprised. I was just sure that murfugger that raked my urethra had tiny fish hooks on it. So it's Just faceted crystals,, that if you could scale it up you could build a wicked mace.
ReplyDelete