As I was given a time limit of five days to pass the stone or else surgery, I then did whatever to pass it.
What I did were the following:
- Take the new medications as I was supposed to (Flowmax, Tamulosin and Ibuprofen for the night before I sleep )
- Continue on up to 16 cups of water with lemon juice (the goal is to pee as often as possible and you will do just that).
I noticed a difference with the Flowmax as the pain was not as strong. Still there, especially at night in the wee hours of the morning but the pain level dropped from 8 to like 4-5. But no matter what, I had to do all that was necessary to rid of the kidney stone.
My friend who is a doctor actually wanted me to try something and it’s a test I was willing to take.
- APPLE CIDER VINEGAR AND OLIVE OIL: 4 ounces of Apple Cider Vinegar plus 4 ounces of Olive Oil at the first sign of stone pain.
- LEMON JUICE AND OLIVE OIL: Mix 2 oz of olive oil and 2 oz of lemon juice, drink it straight down and follow with a large glass of water at the first sign of stone pain.
In addition, I did the following:
- jog/walk for a mile
And within a few days of doing this, I noticed that when I peed, it’s like a kink in the hose and pretty much you need to make a final push because you feel something is not coming out as much and when you do, that stone comes out. I finally passed one of the stones on my right side.
And to my surprise, that stone was small and tiny. I looked at it and couldn’t believe this tiny thing put me in incredible pain. Many times smaller than a vegetable seed but because your urinary tract is so tight, the flowmax really makes things pass much easier. Possibly the others helped as well.
During my next urologist visit, I brought the sample to my doctor and which it was analyzed and it was the usual Calcium Stone which is formed by calcium oxalates. Others are Struvite stones, Uric acid Stones and Cystine stones. I was very pleased to find out the overall analysis as I worried and hoped it was not Cystine. But Calcium Stones is what was determined and that means my eating and drinking habits change.
So, I was able to pass the first stone. But I’m not out of the woods yes…I still have three stones left, including the big one on my left.
I was given a referral to go get an X-ray to find out if I need lithotripsy or surgery done for the left side and the x-ray showed no big stone on the left.
My doctor said it’s not possible and the x-ray showed two tiny ones on the left and none on the right. But she’s not convinced and deemed this x-ray as inconclusive. She believes in that second CT-scan more and wants another test done in a few months from now.
So, that’s where I’m at.
But unfortunately, while the pain of the one kidney stone is gone, I still have more in me and this pain will happen. So, I still have to go through more testing and stockpiling my medications of Tamulosin and Ibuprofen for the next painful situation.
But the next blog post will discuss something that was just as painful…the medical costs.
The One about Being Rushed into the Emergency Room (My First Kidney Stone Adventure – Part 1)
The One about the Doctors Visit and Urologist Visit (My First Kidney Stone Adventure – Part 2)
