Kidney Stones.......AGAIN!!

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.

Got the baaaaaad news this afternoon: I have a 1.75cm stone stuck in the mid-pole of my left kidney, which will have to be extracted ASAP.:o

This will be my second laser lithotripsy in less than a year; I'm also supposed to have a parathyroid scan to find out if I'm hyperparathyroid since my labs were all out of whack. Actually, I was supposed to have the scan done months ago, but I chickened out when I found out I'd have to go under the same scanner they put me under when I had my myoview last winter---I'm horribly claustrophobic, and they had to give me IV Ativan just to get me through a 15-minute test. My urologist said "Make 'em sedate you, you HAVE to get this done".

The good news is, there's only one stone this time, and only one kidney is involved, so maybe having a stent in won't be so bad this time........I hope. In the meantime, I've got only 21 more days of health insurance left, so things had better proceed quickly! Bless his heart, my doc didn't even charge me for this visit (and he offered to give me a professional reference when I told him I'd quit the hospital........we've worked together on occasion, and he's always thought I was a good nurse, but I'm still flattered!:p ). He showed me the stone on CT and gave me a couple scrips for pain pills---oh, thank God for Percocet and Toradol!!---then told me he'd call with a surgery date as soon as he could schedule me.

Well, if there's anything good to be said for all this, I guess it couldn't have happened at a better time........I'm not working, nor am I under any particular pressure to at this point, and Lord knows I'll need every bit of recovery time I can get.

Wish me luck!

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Ohhhh, I feel for you. Kidney stones are "Drop to the ground and roll your face in the mud," kinda pain. I'm so sorry you have to go through this.

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Specializes in Nursing assistant.
Ohhhh, I feel for you. Kidney stones are "Drop to the ground and roll your face in the mud," kinda pain. I'm so sorry you have to go through this.

Oh! it is so like that!

Actually, my posture was more like middle-aged-man in labor.....

The doctor walked into the room, took one look at me and said "girl, you're passing a stone..."

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Sorry to hear this Marla. I'm glad it's while you have health insurance though. Hope all goes well at the hospital!

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Specializes in LTC, assisted living, med-surg, psych.
Ohhhh, I feel for you. Kidney stones are "Drop to the ground and roll your face in the mud," kinda pain. I'm so sorry you have to go through this.

Great description!! :chuckle

I used to judge all pain by my first childbirth experience (7 hours of non-stop Pitocin-induced contractions:crying2: ). No more. Now I compare it with my first kidney stone four years ago, which at several points was a 15/10 on a 0-10 scale. Nothing since then has quite measured up to that, not even this go-round, even though it varies between nothing and that bite-through-your-lower-lip-to-keep-from-screaming sensation.

A couple of weeks ago I was going into town to hit the after-Christmas sales on wrapping paper and so forth, and no sooner did I drive over the bridge than the pain hit me, making me break out in a cold sweat and grit my teeth. Now, I am a pretty tough old bird, but I proceeded to turn the car around and head back over the bridge, fighting to keep my eyes from crossing while my left flank, groin, and even my leg spasmed and burned.......it took 2 Percocet, a Phenergan, and a Toradol to get me through that particular episode.:o

I know I got rid of a small stone then, because I felt it pass. No pain for a week......then today it woke me out of a sound sleep at 5 AM and sent me scrambling into the bathroom for the Toradol and Phenergan (I was out of Percocet, or I'd have hit that too). This time, I haven't had the bladder pain, but my entire left flank and groin have hurt all day and I've been afraid to eat much of anything because I'm thisclose to throwing up. Oh well, guess I'm gonna have to live on anti-emetics and narcotics for a little while..........lovely.:stone

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I've had kidney stones four times now------I most definitely feel your pain!!:(

Good Luck to you!

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Marla, so sorry to hear about that... how miserable for you. I hope you get scheduled ASAP and get back on your feet again.

In the meantime, don't be shy about taking those pills, girl. Keep yourself comfy. Speedy recovery! :)

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Specializes in Med-surg.

I can definitely feel your pain. Last summer I went through my first kidney stone and lithotripsy. I went to the ER because I didn't know what it was. The doc said it was stones when I came in, so they did a CT scan and told me that there was nothing there, but I did have a UTI. So they gave me an antibiotic and sent me home. That was on Saturday. I was in pain all weekend! I couldn't eat, move or sit up even. I was throwing up and just plain miserable. On Monday morning, a nurse from the ER calls and says that my scan was "re-evaluated" and I have a 5mm stone in my left kidney and that if I'm still in pain, that I should come back in. I did, of course.

I had to wait 2 weeks to see a urologist, and I had the litho 2 days later. The stent was really uncomfortable at first, but then I didn't notice it. To this day I still have pain from it. I don't know if I have another stone or what, but I'm supposed to go overseas on a missions trip in the summer, so I hope it stops soon.

I am so sorry that you have to go through it again. I know what you are feeling.

Just a general question for everyone whose had stones before: how old were you when you had your first one? I was 19 and everyone said that I was too young to have them. Just curious.

Emery

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Oh! it is so like that!

Actually, my posture was more like middle-aged-man in labor.....

The doctor walked into the room, took one look at me and said "girl, you're passing a stone..."

Yep, you get weak knees and you don't know if you should take some of the energy your body is using to hold the gut/back/flank spasms in place or if you should send some energy down to your knees so you can remain standing.

When your doc asks if you would like MSO4 or Dilaudid you cup his face in your hand, bring him close, and politely scream GET ME SOME DRUGS NOW DAMMMMIT! I WANT THEM ALL!

Then the nurse comes in with the drugs and if it is IM she tells you this will hurt just a little. You want to slap her silly while explaining she OBVIOUSLY doesn't know what pain is!!

When you are out of ER and out of narcs you start going to street corners, body shaking, trembling hands, begging for Toradol. You'll take it in any forum they have, IM, tablets, crushed, used, doesn't matter. You see the cops coming and you hurry and swallow the Toradol so they can't take them from you.

Yep, that's a kidney stone.

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I have never had them (knock on wood), but I wish you all the luck in the world!!!

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Specializes in Vents, Telemetry, Home Care, Home infusion.

Oh Marla I can feel that pain all the way to PA!

20yo son DX 12/21/05 with multiple small stones both kidneys "they should pass". He has survived on Percocet since that time.

Pulled rank, called uroligist scheduling secretary Monday: Got an 8:30AM lithotripsy scheduled tomorrow.

Marla, ask your doctor about allopurinaol: since my DH been on that, stones which were forming every 6 weeks are now down to 1-2 year, gravel size and passable. No lithotripsy in 6 years and holding at #93 stones passed. Only thing that's helped his calcium oxalate stones.

Sending a {{{{{{hug}}}} and laugh :rotfl: for distraction.

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you know marla, when i was delivery my 1st, the ob made a comment on how labor was comparable to passing kidney stones. thinking that NOTHING could compare to an excruciating labor, i removed my foot from the stirrup and kicked him in the shoulder hard! this was while i was attempting to deliver.

now after reading these stories, i feel almost compelled to apologize to him; except that he wasn't around for sev'l hrs during my labor, thus missing my opportunity for an epi...however i will keep his analogy in mind. and i would definitely consider karen's advice about the allopurinol. be well my friend.:kiss

leslie xo

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