The Birth of a Kidney Stone

One of the topics that you all wanted me to cover was kidney stones. I am battling them again. The first one I ever had was when I was 22, not long after my 3rd child was born. I have had the wonderful opportunity to suffer from them approximately every 6 months. If you have never had one (lucky you!!) it feels a bit like a baby trying to claw its way out of your kidney. Or so I have been told, I had c-sections. I went to the ER at one hospital about a week and a half ago. I was told I had multiple. Yippee skippee! I saw my family care doctor, who referred me to a urologist. One I have seen before, actually. The urologist says since it has been a few years since I have been in, I need a CT. They made my PCP schedule my CT. Of course it was at a hospital that I wouldn't trust clipping my toe nails. I wait in the radiology waiting room and they forget about me. They thought I was a lady in there waiting for her hour and a half to be up since drinking her nasty fluid. The tech at least apologized. I began to get very nauseous and the pain was up there on the sad to elated face scale. The one with a 1 being Happy Dance, the 10 being like your body was set on fire. So I walk over to the ER. Luckily my husband had got off work and came up to the hospital with me. Labs, fluids, zofran, toridol, and morphine later, I am on my way. I still have several so now it is just a waiting game.

So what causes these wonderful little invaders? I caught a few when I had my lithotripsy a few years back. That is when they use the waves to break up the stones. It feels like you are getting punched in the back over and over again for an hour. I had a bruise after it. My DR told me I have calcium stones. He explained that it wasn't because I had to much calcium (I don't drink milk), but I eat too much sodium. So no more frozen dinners, no more canned soup, no more salt shaker. But I still get them. So does my mother in law whose diet is completely different than mine. The woman hasn't had a sip of caffeine in her entire life. If I knew what was causing them I would change!!

So what do these tiny little guys look like? You're thinking how can something that is 2mm REALLY cause that much pain? Here is a snapshot of one courtesy for Google.


If you have any ideas or tips on how to prevent these boogers pretty please with sugar on top let me know! Right about now if someone told me to stand on my head, rotate 180 degrees counter clockwise, all while drinking vinegar, I may actually try it. For now I am going to rest, drink some water, and take a mild pain pill.