Went in an ambulance this morning.

[bothered]

Woke up at 4am with incredible pain in my left lower back. I tried everything to ease it but couldn't touch it. I was shaking and sweating and wife said I was grey. It got so painful I decided to go to hospital, wife insisted I couldn't drive so she phoned an ambulance. Oddly the pain started to ease just before it got here and by time I got to the hospital it had almost gone, I almost felt a fraud. After Xrays, blood and urine tests they said I had had a kidney stone burrowing its way through my kidney. Nothing more today but the odd slight twinge. I have to go for some scan involving dye in a few weeks to check it out. I did have something like this about 6 years ago but it was much shorter and far less painful, I didn't even see a doctor last time. I really don't want pain like that again, it was agony.
Anybody had experiance of these kidney boulders?

[MiracleManS]

I have, with extremely large ones passing actually. My largest was 7mm x 5mm x 4mm. I was asked by the school nurse when I turned in the stone for analysis why they let me pass it. I was like "Dunno". Turns out on average they only let you pass them up to 2mm...apparently my doc was a moron.

I know how amazingly painful these things can be. I cannot stress enough that you drink drink drink drink drink drink fluids. Specifically water and cranberry juice. Avoid drinking alcohol no matter how much it makes you urinate, it only complicates the problem most of the time (though for myself, it helped, anecdotally).

Did they give you any anti-inflammatories or pain killers? Chances are you're going to be peeing blood, lots of blood if its large, and pieces of yourself (not to be too graphic). I hope you get through this ok bothered.

[profdlp]

Holy cow! :hair:

That sounds awful... :eek2:

[Thrax]

I would imagine you have them over in the UK, but the FDA approved (A few years back) some medications that actually dissolve stones. They're pretty cool. :)

Glad you're well, sir!

[Clutch]

I got scared there for a second, glad everything is okay and you aren't in the Hospital anymore.

[csimon]

Ouch ...I hope you get to disolve that thing before you pass it. Glad you're ok!

[RADA]

Docs can use Ultrasound to break up the little buggers too.

...Not sure how keen I am about having a sonic gun so close to the jewels tho......:Pwned:

[bothered]

cheers all,
The first time it only lasted half an hour. Fridays lasted several hours but it must have exited the kidney just before I got to the hospital. The doctor said they 'can' be microscopic so can be passed easily. I will get some cranberry juice though and drink a pond or two. Still the odd twinge from the kidney but that must just be damage repair going on. They did give me some strong pain killers but they are only if it starts up again.

[RWB]

My uncle had a stone... they put a balloon up his urethra or something to widen it so he could pass it.

Ouch.

[MiracleManS]

If it's large enough, it'll take plenty of time to get from your Kidney to your Bladder. That is by far the most painful part of the process. Once it gets to the bladder, you're home free my friend. All in all it usually takes about 2-3 weeks to pass a stone. I'm not hoping you'll have more pain, just being realistic in the idea that the pain will come back. Just be ready for it and stay as hydrated as possible to stop the thing from getting "clogged up". That's what causes the most intense pain.

In any case, good luck and keep us updated.

[QCH]

I've had three seperate episodes with kidney stones. Two of the three had to be retreived.... the third just "popped" out on it's own.

You're discription.... yep... been there, done that. :(

[Armo]

my brother gets them pretty often, they put him under and use an ultrasonic wave gun and breaks them up to make them easier to pass.

[Clutch]

Glad to hear all is well bothered.

[mmonnin]

My Mom had one. Took the doctors a long time to figure out what it was...once they did an X-Ray. From what I understand the site of the pain is not always a good indicator that you have a stone as it appears in odd areas of the body such as the knees. She also had the ultrasound bouced off her heart done twice. It was the size of a quarter then the size of a pea after the first ultrasound.

Dont get a second one Bothered, then your body develops the tendency to create them on its own and pills will be required to stop that. The doctor's wife didnt take the pills and had had 7 stones at that time.