Dreading Tomorrow

Anyone who has ever had a kidney stone knows how extremely painful it is. This will be stone #16 for me since 2019. I really don’t understand what kicked all of this off. I drink fluids. It’s not like I’m NOT drinking.

I have a feeling it’s related to the infection in my face. Your thyroid is what regulates calcium in your body, amongst other things. But the infection is around where the thyroid sits. I’m pretty sure it’s been fucking with it, and as a result, I get rock kids.

Last time this happened, we couldn’t do anything for 6 weeks. While hospitalized with COVID in 2022, they found rocks in both kidneys. Nothing travelling yet, but they wouldn’t operate on me since I had COVID for 6 weeks. I guess it’s ok to play it safe, but right at the 6 week mark, the ones in the right side decided to go on a road trip. It’s probably the worst pain anyone can experience.

The one in my left kidney was only 2mm. But since this week’s visit, it’s now 6x4mm, and there is NO way I’m gonna pass that without help. Stones of that size can cause obstruction from the kidney to the bladder when it gets lodged in your ureter. The stone in 2020 taught me that. Your body becomes toxic pretty quick, and if not addressed quickly, can become pretty fatal.

I’m glad that I went in this week, since I was reluctant to go in. I know this is the better approach to taking care of it vs dealing with the consequences of doing nothing. Not a favorable outcome.

ESWL or shockwave is what will be done tomorrow. This is performed under general anesthesia. Powerful sound waves are used to obliterate the stone into smaller possible fragments.

Even though it doesn’t “hurt” as much as lithotripsy, you still have to void the sand they have created in your kidneys. Last time I had ESWL it took me a few days to recover, so hopefully it’s quick, and I can plan on starting light duty at work soon.

I’m just not looking forward to the process of this whole ordeal. It starts tomorrow @ 11:30am, but surgery doesn’t start till 1:30pm. The typical 2 hour prep. But along with all of this, is the Pre-Surgical anxiety I get every time I have to have something done. I for one hate losing the feeling of control. Anesthesia does just that. At least I won’t be awake like when the placed the portocath. That shit is stupid.

When the anasthesiologist comes in tomorrow, I’m definitely asking for a double dose of versed, and I’m absolutely asking for ketamine. Now that I know the benefits of it, I’ll ask to have him push a good amount in me as the procedure is completed. I don’t give 2 shits if it makes the recovery longer, this is about me and being comfortable.

The recovery of ESWL is not as bad as lithotripsy, but you still have a good amount of pain associated with it. That’s why today I went to Target and picked up Azo. Which helps with all the related ureter pain. I still have a good amount of Flomax, which helps calm down your muscles, so I should have everything on deck to deal with the after part. The one thing I’m not looking forward to is the pissing blood for a few days, and the insane amount of burning it causes while you pee.

I’ll just have to drink lots of water (no coffee), and stay in front of the pain. Once the pain gets ahead, that’s when this becomes much harder to deal with.

It’s really sad that this will be my 5th stone related procedure, I know what to expect, so I’m at least ready to deal with it, I’m just glad we aren’t putting in a stent. They are the absolute worst.