My life is so exciting that an update on the Invincible Kidney Stone is in order.
I’ve been dealing with this stone for a year and nine months now. It’s been through a lot with me, and I’m going to miss it’s constant companionship.
Maybe that’s an exaggeration.
I almost backed out of surgery this time. That is not an exaggeration. There is something fearful about consenting to go under General Anesthesia.
I am glad I did not back out.
I am also very grateful to the wonderful staff at Legacy Meridian Hospital and my urologist, Dr. Michael Gardner. The staff is professional, friendly, reassuring, and they are always washing their hands. I knew the team in the OR was a good team by the way they joked with each other in my pre-op room, and the back-handed compliment the OR nurse gave my surgeon (“quietly unassuming” was the terminology he used for Dr. Gardner, and I would say that is quite accurate). The anesthesiologist, Dr. Zack, was reassuring and humorous.
My husband hovered. ♥
I was scheduled for 2PM; the hospital had an opening and bumped me up to 10AM. Then they had a no-show that bumped me up a little more. I had to wait until 9:30AM only because the back-up plan wasn’t ready.
Yes, my surgeon had a back-up plan: if the laser didn’t work, he was going to try shock waves from the outside. Last year, he tried shock waves, but they didn’t work, hence the laser this year.
I dreamed something pleasant while under, but I don’t know what it was.
Surgery went like this: the laser scope went all the way up the narrow urethra tube to my kidney. There are several openings into the kidney, but only one where the stone – which should have passed a long time ago – was lodged. Last year, Dr. Gardner didn’t get this far because the tube contracted. This year, he discovered there was an abnormal growth of tissue blocking the tube where the stone was located. Cut the tissue out and, lo & behold! The stone had already been blasted into tiny pieces by last year’s shock waves! Dr. Gardner was able to remove all the pieces plus a new 2mm stone.
He put in a stent (“in case”) and gave me a whole bunch of wonderful drugs to take.
I was up on my feet (a little wobbly) and out of the hospital by 12:30PM; home and in my own bed by 1:30.
So what causes a kidney stone?
I copied this from this site: http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/
“Who gets kidney stones?
For unknown reasons, the number of people in the United States with kidney stones has been increasing over the past 30 years. In the late 1970s, less than 4 percent of the population had stone-forming disease. By the early 1990s, the portion of the population with the disease had increased to more than 5 percent. Caucasians are more prone to develop kidney stones than African Americans. Stones occur more frequently in men. The prevalence of kidney stones rises dramatically as men enter their 40s and continues to rise into their 70s. For women, the prevalence of kidney stones peaks in their 50s. Once a person gets more than one stone, other stones are likely to develop.
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What causes kidney stones?
Doctors do not always know what causes a stone to form. While certain foods may promote stone formation in people who are susceptible, scientists do not believe that eating any specific food causes stones to form in people who are not susceptible.
A person with a family history of kidney stones may be more likely to develop stones.”
I fall into the category of having once had a stone, more likely to develop a stone. The good news is this: the first stone I had was passed in 1980, when I was 24 years of age. I am now in my mid-50’s, when the prevalence of stones hits its peak. To my knowledge, those are the only kidney stones I have ever had: the one in 1980 and these two.
To my hopeful mind and heart: this will be all I ever have to deal with. I don’t drink much soda pop or consume a lot of dairy, foods which traditionally have been associated with the formation of kidney stones (despite what the article says, they still do consider diet – my urologist quickly determined diet was not a factor for me).
Anyway, I am in a bit of pain, mostly from the little bit of cutting and the stent. I will be able to return to work on Monday. The stent comes out on October 8 or very close to that date. And I can move on to the next exciting part of my life (which is, thankfully, not very exciting, medically speaking. And I hope to keep it that boring!).
For your enjoyment: Master Sha’s Soul Song for the Kidney:
Heal well!!
I’m so glad you didn’t back out and got it over with. I’ve heard those are just miserable! Take care friend.