A Painful Path to Health: My Experience with Kidney Stones

 When I was a young man in my early twenties, I had a painful experience. I had recently graduated from college and was living back at home with my parents. It was the early nineties, and I was about two months away from getting an apartment and going out on my own.

I was a healthy, active guy who never had any serious health issues. However, one morning, I woke up to a sharp pain in my lower back that was so intense that I could barely get out of bed and when I did, it immediately brought me to my knees. Confusion, fear and uncertainty filled my thoughts.

Being dazed by the destructive pain; I asked my father to drive me to the doctor’s office. I felt as though the intense pain would not allow me to focus on driving myself. Did I mention we were in the middle of a tropical storm?

If you unfamiliar with this type of weather, then let me share a little insight. It was one of those days where the National Weather Service advised that you stay home. You see, a tropical storm is a type of severe weather that can cause significant damage to both coastal areas and inland regions. It typically is filled categorized by strong winds, heavy rain, and flooding. These intense storms are often seen as destructive forces of nature.

Well, after finding a way around a fallen tree in the neighborhood and flooding streets, we made it to my family doctor’s office. It was much closer than a hospital. The medical staff ran a few tests and took some x-rays. The doctor told me that I had developed kidney stones. I was shocked and didn't know what to do. I wasn’t familiar with kidney stones and didn't know how they were formed or how to treat them.

The doctor explained to me and my father that kidney stones were hard deposits that could form in the kidneys and cause pain and discomfort. I was prescribed some pain medication and told to drink plenty of water to help flush out the stones. And the doctor handed me a small white plastic item with a mesh strainer in the center. What? He advised that I urinate into this strainer to “catch” the kidney stones so the doctor’s office could send them to the lab for analysis. Yeah, ok!

We left the doctor’s office, headed to the pharmacy to fill the prescription, and then headed back home. Despite following the advice of the doctor, my pain only grew worse. I found it difficult to think about anything or to focus on anything but getting these “stones” out of my body.

I drank water and drank more water. I urinated much more but no kidney stone relief. The pain medication gave me a few hours of comfort to try and flush out the kidney stones. But after a long day, still no success. Every time I started to feel the medication wear off, I would take more pain medication because the pain was just overwhelming.

I could barely sleep that night. Another day passed and no success with guzzling glass after glass of water. I was unable to sleep well and had trouble concentrating on work. I also started feeling nauseous and dizzy. My appetite had diminished. I soon realized that this was going to be a long and painful journey.

Another day passed and my condition seem to worsen. My appetite decreased more and the pain medication was not lasting as long each time I took it. I contacted my doctor and he advised me that if I cannot pass them (kidney stones) on my own, then I would have to have an operating room procedure to remove the uncomfortable, jagged, and evil stones. Not wanting to have any operations, I decided to up my game plan against the kidney stones. I purchased several gallons of spring water and decided I was going to flush these awful things out of my body once and for all. And today was going to be the day it happened!

I paced around the house when the pain would flare up but had a gallon of water in my hand at all times. I would chug water as much as I could. I decided I was going to overwhelm those stones with water and finally get them out. I drank, I went to the bathroom, I drank more. I was determined to flush them out. After drinking a gallon of cold water as fast as I could and waiting no more than a half hour, I headed to the bathroom.

Armed with my “pee strainer”, I began to urinate and “felt the rocks” on the way out of my body. My plan to overwhelm and win was a success. I was relieved to finally be rid of the kidney stones. I was also amazed at how much pain I had been enduring for so long.

After this experience, I more than learned the importance of drinking plenty of water, eating a balanced diet, and staying even more physically active to prevent the formation of kidney stones in the future. I also made a promise to myself to educate others about the symptoms and causes of kidney stones to help them avoid going through the same painful experience.

From that day forward, I have made sure to take care of my health and spread awareness about kidney stones to others. I never want to experience that kind of pain again and want to help others avoid it as well.

How do kidney stones develop in the human body?

Kidney stones develop when substances in the urine, such as calcium, oxalate, and uric acid, form into crystals and become concentrated enough to form a solid mass. The stones can then get stuck in the urinary tract, causing pain and discomfort. The formation of kidney stones can be influenced by factors such as genetics, diet, fluid intake, and certain medical conditions. Some people may be more susceptible to developing kidney stones due to their lifestyle or medical history.

What is Lithotripsy?

Lithotripsy is a medical procedure used to treat kidney stones. It uses shock waves or lasers to break up stones so they can be passed more easily through the urinary tract. This procedure can provide significant relief for those suffering from painful and uncomfortable kidney stones.

The most common risk associated with lithotripsy is bleeding. During the procedure, the sound waves or lasers may cause damage to the surrounding tissue and vessels, resulting in bleeding. In rare cases, this bleeding may be severe enough to require a blood transfusion.

Other risks include infection and blockage of the urinary tract due to fragments of stone that become lodged in it. In addition, there is a slight risk of damage to nearby organs such as the bladder or ureter if they are too close to where the stones are being broken up.

Lithotripsy Facts

According to the American Urological Association, approximately 500,000 lithotripsy procedures are performed each year in the United States. 

Lithotripsy is a medical procedure that uses shock waves or lasers to break up stones in the kidney, bladder, or ureter. It is a minimally invasive procedure and often used when other methods of stone removal are not possible.

The number of lithotripsy procedures has increased significantly over the past decade due to improved technology and better patient outcomes. This increase is largely attributed to improved imaging techniques such as ultrasound and CT scans which allow doctors to accurately locate and target stones for treatment. In addition, advances in laser technology have made lithotripsy a safe and effective treatment option for many patients with kidney stones.

I hope you found this article informative and useful. Thank you for reading.