Being a new kidney stone former can be a frightening and confusing experience. Even if you manage to get medical care promptly, you may be left with a number of unanswered questions: What are your options for treatment? What should you expect during and after treatment? How you can prevent a stone from ever forming again?
Looking online it can be hard to find a trusted answer and while your urologist may provide you medically reliable information, let’s face it – not all doctors are great at translating medical information into something that’s easy to understand as a patient.
To help new stone formers in need, David Pogue, a noted technology news reporter from Yahoo, and himself a KidneyStoner, recently created a “user’s guide” for new kidney stone patients. He says he wrote it because when he was a new stone former, he wished he had an article just like it he could read. You’ll learn everything you need to know as a newbie in his 8 minute video. You can find it below.
We think it’s great. Accurate, easy to understand, and entertaining at the same time. Also, if you watch to the end you’ll see a small shout out to the KidneyStoners community. When you’re done with the video, you can read more in his full “Your kidney stone: A user’s guide” post.
I had lithotripsy and stent done 48 hours ago. I had lithotripsy 5 years ago with no stent and it was very easy process. Not that lucky this time. This stone was 14 mm or 1.2 centimeter. I had to have stent put in. I could never ever come up with the words to describe the pain. They woke me up in recovery and I was screaming, begging, crying you name it. They gave me Dilaudid, morphine and versed. Went back to my room and it just got worse. I came home 24 hours later and now still severe pain. I have to pee every 5-10 min. Got no rest. Can’t lie on my side. Feels like a 4X4 post up my pee hole. When I go pee I cry and there is no relief. I’m 48 hours out and still pretty bad. They’re suppose to take the stent out in a week if it’s mostly gone. Now I can’t even imagine the pain of them going it there and pulling it out! I had 3rd degree burns over 4 percent of my body and this is far worse. Does anyone know what kind of a position you have you be in for the removal. Prayers for everyone having to go through this,!
So I’ve been having pain in my right kidney for about three weeks now . Went to the doctor about a week later after my pain started . Felt like I was having back labor pains. And yes I have had children and know how that feels. After going to my doctor and telling her it was high up in my kidneys and felt like I needed a kub also a urine sample to be performed . Because I have had stones in past. Went to have those done , of course kub came back negitive, but my urine had blood in it. The Dr. gave me a steroid shot and a shot of toradol.So then the Dr. sends me for a CT scan . By this point I feel like theirs something wrong with my kidneys . And so I went back over to doctors office after the stat CT scan. The DR. came in the room and said well looks like you have MSK Bilateral punctuate calcifications. The doctor then told me I should be having any pain from such small stones . That I probably just pulled a muscle .But still my kidney hurt so bad. Then I started to notice spots of blood on my tissue when I wiped. Also went back to the doctor and they done another urine test. No infection or blood . But it was visible to me at that time. I don’t know why it wouldn’t show up ? I’ve been having to lay on my heat pad because it seems like that’s the only thing at times that feels like it helps.
Im a stoner for the first time. I found your article very informative. Thank you for your sharing your insights on this painful experience,
Is it normal for a Nephrostube to be installed 1 week prior to PNL surgery? i thought it was done on the day of the surgery and maybe left on 1-2 days after? Ureterscopy was tried one month ago on my Mother but it failed to remove stone, it was too large. PNL will be tried now in one week.
I was in terrible pain. Couldn’t eat, couldn’t sleep, all the things mentioned. I finally called a nurse line, and she told me to go to the ER. They thought I had diverticulitis until they did a scan and saw the 6mm stone, which was stuck in my ureter. They called the urologist, who put in a stent and put me on morphine (yeah, pain was that bad), and some other med I don’t even remember. I was only in the hospital overnight (Of course, it was a weekend!). I went home, drank a lot of lemonade, and water. I am having lithotripsy on the 19th (and I guess the stent out too?), and I asked the urologist to get rid of the other stones (in the other kidney) before they cause the same problem. I have to wait until the first one comes out or I will go into renal failure. Can’t have that! I NEVER want this to happen again. Don’t know what happened.
I’m having another kidney stone surgery I have a stent it’s the
Most painful thing without
My pain medication I would not survive
“Killer Kidney Stones” article by Health Journalist, Maria Dorfner https://wordpress.com/post/mariadorfner.wordpress.com/8204
I have had a bunch of these laser ureteroscopy procedures, for stones ranging 4mm to 12 mm.
The pain of the blockage was terrible, and having a stent in was also horrible. Both intolerable, had to use pain medication. Once the stent finally came out after about a week, no more pain medication was needed.
Hi –
I’m looking to hear from someone who has had a kidney stone attack WITH blockage and subsequent emergency surgery with stent AND also elected to have a stone removed via ureteroscopy and laser. Meaning you’ve had an emergency surgery and then formed another kidney stone and elected to have it removed to avoid a future blockage and attack.
I have a 7mm stone in my kidney – currently non-obstructing however it HAS given me pain. I have consulted with a leading expert in stones at Columbia Presbyterian and even though non-obstructing stones do not bother many people, the location of mine does indeed make it possible. And I had all the telltale discomfort.
I don’t want to go through that again nor do I want it to become blocked. As I’ve read how excruciating that is. So I am going to elect to have it removed and I will have the dreaded stent. He’s told me about the drugs he will give me to keep me as comfortable as possible. Alphablockers (such as Detrol, I think that was it), NSAIDs, painkillers. He said it’s a matter of deciding whether to wait for the pain to hit me – and I worry about traveling etc and when it will happen. Or deciding to plan the procedure and being prepared to deal with the pain. He also said reactions to stents vary and it is impossible to know how I will feel.
I’m just wondering if I will encounter the same degree of horrible pain others do with an actual kidney stone attack and blockage if I have this thing lasered out of me with a stent.
Lastly I am NOT a candidate for shockwave. Due to the density of my stone – it is hard, and the chances of the entire stone being broken up and cleared is far less likely vs. the laser which is like 99%.
I’m quite nervous.
Thanks!
Sara
Read more: http://www.healthboards.com/boards/kidney-disorders/1031456-electing-have-kidney-stone-removed-advice.html#ixzz4aGx6LLxG
Question for folks who’ve been through this….
I am a female, I’ve passed several stones recently (SO not fun). I feel like I’ve gone past the worst of it but I have pain/burning when urinating. No back/side/abdominal pain. Just burning pain when urinating.
Based on your experience, could this be just irritation from the stones or could there be one of those stinker stuck right at the opening?
I have a 7mm stone stuck at the entrance to my bladder, so the only time I had real pain was when it was in my urethra, right now its just a little burning when urinating, and a dull pain in my kidney area. they will either do an x ray or ultra sound( I had both), to see where it is. I’m having the lithotripsy procedure done in a few days.
I liked that video of 8 minutes on kidney. Simple and informational.
Im having a lithotripsy procedure done next week. my stone is 15MM in left. kidney. its not in ureter yet so dr. said because its less than 2cm he could break it up and not need stent which im terrified of hearing stories of stents.im having pain on left side back area. is that possible if its not in ureter yet. will this work and be able to pass the dust easy once its blasted>
kidney stone 4.5 mm