Just venting:kidney stones, work, etc.

I am officially "completely over" these damn kidney stones.  This is day three of pretty constant pain (they are not moving (too big to  pass), but one is partially blocking the entrance to the ureter and apparently kidneys strenuously object to a build up of fluid in them).  My boss had been very flexible about letting me work from home so I could take pain meds and not have to drive, but I am taking a pretty high dose of pain meds right now and my brain isn't "firing on all cylinders".  Long story short, I was "scolded" Friday morning for not having remembered something from Tuesday and therefore making an incorrect statement to a client.  I felt horrible already, even taking the 7.5 Vicodin, so I called my PCP and got in to see him Friday right after lunch and he sent me to the hospital for a CT to be sure the one stone wasn't completely blocking the ureter (no, still just partially blocking, but backing up fluid), and he put me on short term disability from Friday at lunch until a week from Monday (I am having the two procedures to locate and break up the stones on Wednesday morning).  I sent the folks at work an email Friday night (and submitted the online form to HR Friday afternoon) and will fax the paperwork to HR tomorrow.  My boss is going to be unhappy (even though I was going to be off Wed- Friday anyway), especially because we already have one person on vacation early next week, but I was doing the best I could under the cir****tances and getting scolded was the last straw.  

I am tired of this pain (almost constant aching in the back with periods of much stronger pain that come and go).   Am frustrated by finding out that many more of the foods i normally eat for my protein -- NOT just animal proteins -- have purines, which are what contributes to uric acid kidney stones (which is what these are), which means probably having to take medication to keep them from recurring. I am tired of not being able to do things (including taking my new car out to see what it can do!).  I had to cancel out on two social activities this week, both of which I was looking forward to.  I don't feel like eating, so I have been eating more crap than I should be (which is probably going to show on the scale next week, especially since I did NOT weigh as usual yesterday).  Oh, yes, and I find it completely unbelievable that the largest hospital group in our area (5 full service hospitals in two counties and several other facilities with radiology labs, PT facilities, breast evaluation centers, etc.) doesn't have a SINGLE permanent lithotripsy machine and has to rely on a "roving" one so that people have to wait 3-4 WEEKS to get kidney stones blasted. They have a gamma knife but no lithotripsy machine?!?  Ridiculous!

Ok, done venting.

Lora

Sorry you are dealing with all of that as its got to be painful and frustrating to deal with a boss on top of that all.

My husband has gout, which is triggered by the purines as well. He has figured out how to stave it off, by using his old school chemistry notions. Basically gout and stones are crystals. How do you keep crystals from forming? By keeping them in solution. That means keep very hydrated. He found that exercising (I know you can't think of that now with the stone pain) and being hydrated kept his flare ups from happening. So when he feels an ache, he starts gulping the water and walking and working out to push the stuff through his circulatory system and keep it out of his joints.

I know kidney stones are different, but perhaps this might help?

Out where we live, the water is chock full of minerals, especially calcium. There is a high amount of people getting stones. We drink filtered water, you might think about your water quality as well. I would also make sure you are eating the correct ratio of protein and getting the veggies and fruits in. Some of the acids in dark fruits can flush out the stuff that wants to stick around and make stones.

Good luck.

I'm so sorry that you're going through this. Between gout and kidney stones, I can so relate. I had to have a stent placed until the lithotripsy could be done and every day felt like I was in hell. I hope the litho does what it's supposed to for you and that you don't get any new ones!

He will be placing a stent when he goes into the kidney to insert the dye so he can see where to aim the sound waves, and it will stay in for about a week.  I am just thankful that the stones are not attempting to pass because that would be horrible!  How long did it take the stone fragments to pass for you?  Did they leave the stent in?  Just curious, since this so all new for me.

Lora

He put the stent in 2 days after my er visit (stone was 6 mm but felt like it might as well have been a brick) and I had to wait almost 3 weeks to get the litho. When he did the litho, he removed the stent, thank god. It was really very uncomfortable having that but was better than the pain of the blocked ureter. Then, two months later, I got another stone, 5mm, but it didn't block things completely, so no litho. When I had the litho, I never did see any particles pass, maybe they were too small? After the other stone, I did finally see a few pieces of stuff come out. One thing that helped a lot during both episodes was flomax, to go with the pain meds.

Thanks for the info.  The two stones that are on the side where I have been having the pain are 8mm and 10mm, and he said there is no way they could possibly pass. I have a 5mm stone in the other kidney but it has not been causing any trouble.  I'm sorry you, too, had to wait so long for the lithotripsy (with the number of people who have stones, I cannot believe my hospital system doesn't have a permanent machine!)

I have to admit that  I'm a little scared now about pain from the stent...    I wasn't expecting it to be painful.  I expected it to be more like having a catheter...

 

Lora

I've read that not everyone has pain or discomfort from the stent, so maybe I was just an unlucky one. I hope everything goes smoothly for you!

 

Lora, you are such a constant on this board and I look so forward to the advice you give. I am so sorry your in pain! My Dad fought kidney stones and it dod the same thing to him. I have never seen my Dad cry and they brought him to his knees. I hope whatever course you take you feel better soon!!!

Hi - I also suffer from uric acid kidney stones.  Two weeks ago I started having the pain and it became more unbearable than I had ever experienced before.  This was not my first bout with kidney stones.  The pain level was so high that I was vomiting and couldn't stand, sit or lie down.  The doctor said drink two liters of water with a lot of real lemon juice in it daily.  As I have no health insurance at the moment he wanted to wait before sending me to the urologist.  I haven't felt or seen the stone pass, however the past few days have been pain free and I am urinating very freely now.  So am not sure where I stand now but I guess need to take it one day at a time.  I constantly live in fear though of that pain returning.

 

I sincerely wish you the very best as I know the AGONY you are going through.  Good luck and keep drinking vast amounts of water.

Oh my heavens, that sounds horrendous!

Could you not go to wherever the machine is in the group and just have the blasting done there? Waiting for it to hit one location sounds awful! And are there no other facilities in your network? With all you are going through, I'd drive 100 miles to get relief.

Have you considered STD so you don't have to work in the short term until this is resolved? The good news is, given your having been scolded, that means the necessary drugs are impacting your ability to do your job, so getting STD should not be an issue other than doing the paperwork.

Hugs to you-this is all just horrible!