My doctor has told me that my problem is “idiopathic urinary calcium”, as stated in your other thread. He didn’t use those words (he’s kind of a condescending git), but he did tell me about the excess unexplained calcium. Over the years, I’ve tried many dietary changes on the advice of many different urologists, never with any success. About two years ago, my current urologist told me “no more soda!” Apparently, soda makes the urine alkaline, and this fosters the creation of stones. So I gave up sodas completely for more than a year; it was then that he did the surgery and told me that the inside of my right kidney looks like a cobblestone street because of all the new ones forming; made me wonder how much good it had done to give up the sodas. Now, I drink a 12oz. can of soda with dinner; otherwise, I limit myself to coffee, water, LightStyle cranberry juice, unsweetened iced tea, and beer, all of which he says are good for keeping my urine acidic, and keeping me flushed out. I drink lots of fluids, too.
Yesterday, in his office, I told him I was concerned about having this surgery, because last time, I came out of the surgery with the Blood Infection From Hell ™, and he said “Typically, that doesn’t happen; but then, I never expect anything to be typical with you”. So, he thinks this is more complex than the ordinary cases of stones, too.
So, Qadgop, what about what ParentlAdvisory said? If my doctor took out my right kidney, would my left one just start to form stones more often? It’s a question I’ve thought of before, and meant to ask my doc, but keep forgetting.
Well, golly, thanks for letting me know this is what my course of action should be! Who would have dreamed it was so simple? I’ll draft the eviction notice promptly!
Pardon my rearranging your quote, but if your doctor doesn’t expect typical behavior from you, I don’t think I can give a meaningful answer to your question. I don’t know why the hell one kidney is forming so many stones and the other isn’t. Does your urologist have an opinion? And make sure to ask him if he thinks your good kidney would take up the slack and make stones once your current lithogenic kidney goes bye-bye.
I feel your pain…literally, having just had a nice, lima-bean-sized rock yanked through my pecker.
I’d just like to thank God, who, in his infinite wisdom, not only foresaw the need to create kidney stones in the first place, but also decided to add insult to injury with the great idea of putting pain-sensing neurons throughout my fucking ureters. Thanks, God. Thanks a lot.
norinew, you have mentioned surgery. Have you ever had a lithotripsy instead? I suffered for nearly six years with stones in my right kidney before the doctor finally yanked it in January, and I’d never had cutting surgery, just the sound waves to break those little bastards up.
In a way I was lucky. My first attack had little ones on the left, and a honking big one on the right. After my first lithotripsy the left one stayed completely stone free, but they kept coming back on the right. It kept losing more and more function, then finally gave up. All it produced were stones and infection. So the doctor removed it and I have to rely on the left one.
It sounds as if you have sought more than one opinion for your troubles, and that is good. Is your left kidney in good shape? If it is, although IANAD, I"m surprised it hasn’t been recommended to take it out.
The following is some information my sister the pharmacist sent me. Some interesting stuff there.
I’ve never had lithotripsy. As I mentioned above (we were talking about ultrasound to break them up, which I presume is basically the same thing), it doesn’t do any good when the stone is so high up in your kidney that it can’t fall into the bladder to pass it. That’s the deal with this one. If you have a stone that high up, and have lithotripsy, you end up with lots of little stones you can’t pass. I have, however, been able to get rid of a couple of them with a 'scope, which is not nearly as invasive as cutting; unfortunately, this one will require cutting.
My left kidney has produced stones, but with nowhere near the frequency my right one has. Also, every stone my left one has ever produced, I’ve been able to pass (that may be coincindence). Also, every IVP I"ve ever had done, the doc always says “Oh, I see some here on the right. . .” never about the left. I asked my doctor about removing my right kidney, and he said that he won’t because it’s still functional enough so that if anything should happen to my left kidney, my right one could take over for it. I don’t know if that will always be the case, though. I suspect I’m headed down your road.
Taxol, Tylox, Toradol…I don’t know. I know it started with a T, and I’m pretty sure there was an X in there. They had given me something, and although I was pretty woozy from it, it wasn’t doing anything for the pain. So on the way back from the twentieth visit in half an hour to the bathroom to pee a couple of drops, I told the nurse that although the drugs they had given me were making me wonderfully light-headed, they weren’t doing anything for the pain.
That’s when they shot me up with the T drug in the IV…and then, bliss.
Well, Tylox is not an IV drug, but Toradol is often given that way, and for kidney stone pain. I would wager that’s what you got. But in your opiate-induced haze, you probably added an ‘X’.
Anything is possible. And why do they send in the billing people and have you sign forms while you’re high on the drugs? The first time, it took all my strength to tell the woman, “Not right now,” and then she grabbed me again on the way back from the bathroom. I wish I’d had the sense to tell her, “I’m in no condition to sign anything right now, go away.”
While we are pitting our organs, I will pit a few of mine. FUCK YOU LUNGS. I HAVE HAD TO DEAL WITH ASTHMA ALL MY LIFE! LEARN TO KEEP YOUR FUCKING BRONCHIAL TUBES OPEN FOR ONCE! KEEP THAT FUCKING MUCUS OUT! RESPOND TO THAT FUCKING PREDNISONE I AM PUTTING IN YOU! Next organ. SCREW YOU BRAIN. WHY DO YOU HAVE TO GET MIGRAINES. I AM THE FIRST ONE ON BOTH SIDES OF MY FAMILY TO GET MIGRAINES. FIRST ONE. KEEP THOSE DAMN MUSCLES AROUND YOU IN CHECK. DAMN YOU! brushes off shoulders. I feel better now. Thank you for listening to my ranting on my body parts.
Because I pit you, spine. Yes, you, with your fucked up vertebrae, that caused a 30 degree curve by the time I was nine months old. That caused me to have major fusion surgery the day after the Challenger disaster after years wearing hellishly awful plastic back braces – in Texas, where it gets way the fuck too hot. Let me tell you, that was one bad motherfucking week. Yes, you too, fucked up hips that are set at a funny angle and especially the left one that in the last few months has started getting awfully stiff and sore sometimes. I am way the fuck too young for arthritis, hip, quit it, don’t even pretend you have it which I’m afraid you’re starting to develop. I also wish to pit my incredible knock-knees and my ankles, none of which except my right ankle give me much in the way of problems individually, but together cause me all sorts of weird aches and shit. And also the spots in my back that go into agonizing spasms when I’m on my feet too long, on top of getting pain in my knees and ankles, all of which plus a weird nerve PAIN! in my left leg below the knee when I’m my feet for long, except sometimes when that doesn’t happen which is really fucking confusing, has caused me to shell out $1000 on a scooter at the age of 27. (I had a birthday after I bought it, so I’m 28 now. I love the scooter, but still…FUCK.)
Yeah, fuck you, spondylometaphaseal dysplasia (really!), for causing all of this by fucking with my poor innocent growth plates. Fuck you long and hard with a broken-glass encrusted dildo that was previously used in an elephant’s ass.
Hmm…That felt good. Really good.
norinew, you have my sympathy. I’ve heard about kidney stones. I’m praying I never get them. Here’s to the really good drugs!
Ah yes, the drugs! I am so glad I tolerate codeine.
The only time I ever had Demerol was in the emergency room, during my very first kidney stone attack, March 17th, 1998. I was hurting so bad I was dry heaving, and the pills hadn’t seemed to help. When the nurses got an IV in I got the Demerol.
How do you spell “relief?” D-E-M-E-R-O-L Pain? What pain? I felt like I was floating on a cloud, about an inch above the bed.
I won’t, and you can’t make me! Get you’re own damned painkillers!
Seriously, though, I am feeling lots better. Almost feel like regular today. Too bad surgery’s gonna lay me low again soon, but at least that’s scheduled!
Y’know, it’s funny, but a lot of narcotics, for me, don’t actually relieve the pain. They just make me not give a shit about it anymore. I’m like, “yeah, that hurts. So, how was your day?” The Oxycodone does relieve it, though, especially when combined with Aleve as outlined above. Unfortunately, it loops me out so bad that I can’t actually do anything. I just lay on the sofa bed, dozing, and being grateful that I’m not in pain.
And thanks to the rest of you for your advice, stories, and good thoughts.
