yet more kidney stuff

[wispfox]

So, apparently, it's probably been the *same* kidney stone this entire time. Yikes.

I get to go in for surgery (is it called surgery if they are not actually making any new holes?) next Tuesday. Joy. But, hopefully, it'll stop this random pain and more or less constant mild discomfort.

Blah.

Comments

Tried to email it to you, but it bounced

[(Anonymous)]

Like you, I suffer from kidney stones. Most of mine are primarily on the left side, and most of mine are what are referred to as microstones, very small, about a millimeter in length, and there are too many to count. I experience the pain constantly, but have gotten used to it in time. When I first got them, they were so large they had to be lasered, quite possibly the most unpleasant experience of my life. Now, however, I pass them on my own.
Water is the first suggestion, and I never travel without a bottle by my side. The second thing to know is what to avoid- caffeine and other dehydrates. I am a Coke fanatic, used to drink several bottles a day, and coffee is my morning addiction. Alcohol, not so much, but I like a glass of wine before bed. All dehydrate me, so if I drink any, I have to make sure, before and after I drink coffee, Soda, or Alcohol, I keep myself well hydrated.
My stones are primarily Calcium and Sodium, but since I do not use either to extreme, I know that it is an internal chemical imbalance. I had to do several urine tests to determine two things - one, I do not drink enough water (sorry to harp on the theme, but it is true. Most Westerners, and Americans in particular, do not know when they are dehydrated, and actually interpret Thirst as Hunger. Desert Warfare classes turned out to be useful, after all) and two, I suffer from a lack of Citrates in by system, it was not absorbing it correctly, causing the kidney stones. I take 4 very large pills to counteract that imbalance.
Make sure you get X-rays of BOTH kidneys, and an MRI, which will pick up the smaller stones.
Eventually, I expect my system to be relatively free from stones, but it will take a while.
If you have any question, do not hesitate to email me back, or IM me at yahoo: craigtremblay or MSN Messenger: ctrem
I have been dealing with this off and on for about 10 years, so I have a wealth of information that can help you.
Take it easy, and good luck!
Craig
http://profiles.yahoo.com/craigtremblay

[rednikki.livejournal.com]

I'm with you in spirit on the health problems, sister...

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

yeah. Noticed that. Stupid health problems!

Hopefully, though, knowing what's going *on* will help you. It often does for me, although in this case I don't yet know what caused the stone to form and get big enough to become a problem.