Medical procedure tomorrow

[Drew]

Since January 10 of this year I've been suffering UTI's, one after another, and after some tests ordered by my urologist found out last month that I have a large kidney stone in my right kidney. So tomorrow at noon I'm having lithotripsy to, as WW sez, "bust up that sucker". Wish me luck...I'm nervous.

Drew

[Kcwhippet]

I feel your pain, Drew - really!!! I go in this Friday morn for a lithotripsy, also the right kidney. I have a 7.6 mm stone and they say that technically I can pass it but I don't want any more pain than I have already. Went in last Mon morn to the ER with the pain and they gave me some morphine, did a cat scan (the cat wasn't happy) and it showed the stone just leaving the kidney. On Wed the urologist said I had three options - let it pass naturally (NO!!), put in a stent up from you know where into the kidney and blast it or just blast it. I chose no. 3. Friday the 12th was the soonest they could schedule me in. Vicodin has been my friend lately. BTW, I had this done @12 yrs ago, and it was no big deal. They blast it and you pee gravel for about a week, which is a whole lot better than the alternative. After analyzing the gravel they told me I eat way too much cheese, so if I keep on eating all the cheese I want, I should have to do this another 2 times if I live as long as my dad - unless Obamacare says no.

[Drew]

Wow, KC, good luck with your procedure and sorry to hear of your pain. I've had no, zero, pain but 3 UTI infections and 35 days on antibiotics wiped my flora out so 2 weeks ago I said no more antibiotics. The infection has not returned and my flora is almost back to normal. Even consuming probiotics and yogurt, the antibiotics won out causing stomach upset and a case of roseacea which is almost completely gone. The part of the procedure that I'm nervous about is the anesthesia.

[Kcwhippet]

No biggy. Conscious sedation.

[Innkeeper]

You're in my prayers Drew.

[Kcwhippet]

What about me? Or do I have to wait til Friday??

[Jackie]

I've had 3 lithotripsies and kidney surgery to remove a stone that wouldn't break up. The Lithotripsy is a piece of cake compared to the surgery.

It will be OK. The stent is the worst part. Sometimes they do the lithotripsy without the stent. If that's the case, count your blessings.

In my case, I'm supposed to avoid spinach, kale, chocolate (arghh!).... and a few other things. I'm also supposed to drink a big glass of water with lemon first thing in the morning and sip on water throughout the day to avoid new kidney stones.

It's not fun...but lithotripsies really are not that bad. Don't worry.

Let us know how it goes though. And good luck.

[winoweenie]

Hope both of you dudes sail thru your procedures like a hot knife thru oleo. Back in the year of the black snow I passed one and even tho the memory's the 2nd thing to go I know it twernt "One of my favorite things". ( Would make a great song title). Best to both and keep us posted. WW

[Thomas]

Good luck to each of you. Any medical procedure is nerve-wracking. Drew, the anesthetic is best part!

Water--drink 8 glasses of water everyday of your life.

[TheEngineer]

Best Wishes Drew! You'll be fine!!!

[Kcwhippet]

I've been on a "Weener sabbatical" and sucking down eight 12 oz bottles of water a day per my docs instructions. Pain has been up and down, but not as bad as last week. If I had my druthers, the UTI would have been so much easier. Hope you came through the procedure just fine Drew. Still waiting till Friday to get em blasted.

[Drew]

Ok, procedure was easy and the medical folks were fantastic and humorous. Actual procedure took about a half hour with a half hour of prep and recovery on both ends. They were prepared for 1 stone but found 2 so it's now my job to drink and pee with my little screened cup...oh the embarrassment!
Thanks for all the best wishes. Now for KC...it's your turn at blasting. Good luck to you.

Drew

[winoweenie]

Great news Drewshi-Bubba! Now to see the mity KC hit the knife and overcome! WW!!!!!!!

[Kcwhippet]

Weener, No knife invlolved!!! One stone - one blast. No biggy.

[Drew]

Stayed rather woosy overnight falling asleep at about 7pm. Still tired this morning and feel a little beat up. No bruising but sore on the right side. I'm surprised how much this procedure took it out of me as I fancy myself to be in good shape.....obviously not good enough. Drinking lots of water but no stones yet.

Drew

[Kcwhippet]

I'm supposed to show up at 10 am tomorrow to get my stone blasted. So, tonight we're having grilled rib eye w/ garlic mashed and a 1998 Insignia. If I'm going down, I'm going down in flames!!!

[TheEngineer]

Good luck with yours KC!

[Drew]

Good luck today with your blasting, KC!

[winoweenie]

Don't raise a sweat folk! If ennybodi can git blasted without raising an earlobe it be the mity KC. Sending up smoke signal to big guy. WW

[Kcwhippet]

Well, everything went fine. Way too much time wasted just sitting around waiting for someone to do something. Got to the hospital @9:45am. Left @3pm. Total active time in prep, operation and postop was no more than one and a half hrs - so over four hrs wasted. I was so hungry when we left that we stopped at the Boulevard Diner in Worcester (Google it) and I had a Bully Bowl. It's 4 eggs, onions, peppers, home fries, ham, bacon and sausage all scrambled together. Served with two big, thick slices of Italian bread toast swimminmg in butter.

I'm doing great and will be in the shop tomorrow morn at 8:15 to open up. No big deal.