
I have to say that I'm relieved physically and emotionally now... and I'll tell you why.
Last Saturday and throughout the whole week I was in serious pain. It literally felt like a Clydesdale was kicking the left side of my back nonstop. Several times I could barely walk because of the pain.
So a couple days ago I finally went to the hospital and had a CT scan done. The source of the problem?
A 6mm kidney stone that was kicking my ureter's (the tube that runs from the kidney to the bladder) ass.
The ureter is a teeny, tiny tube. And one that contains muscle and nerves. I didn't even know I had more in my kidney and you normally don't know until one starts to go down. That's when you get the pain.
I hear that people describe it as the worst pain a person can experience, even worse than childbirth... but honestly, my pain scale was a 7-8... I was miserable, but I wasn't screaming in pain like the stories I've heard...
So I was flooding myself with fluids for a few days, taking some advil to keep the pain away. I was still miserable due to other symptoms it caused...
And today, that 6mm rock my kidney made is GONE.
I can't begin to describe the relief. I'm 99% pain free now. The timing couldn't be better; I was able to bring the stone in to the urologist as I had an appointment today. She told me that people don't usually pass anything past 5mm on their own, so I was very lucky. I don't need any surgery thankfully.
There are a couple more stones left in my kidney, but they're so tiny that there isn't anything that can be done. I just need to get better at taking in more fluids.
I know it sounds TMI but... honestly, it goes to show that this can happen to anyone. No matter what age or how healthy you are. Especially if it's genetic, which it might be for me... :\
If you feel intense pain that runs from your lower back to your groin, ask your doctor for a CT or ultrasound. And if you pass a stone, be sure to bring it in to the lab. There are different types of stones depending on why your kidney is producing them. And there are different ways to prevent more from occurring such as diet, fluid intake, and medication.