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I was 19 years old when to my surprise, I passed my first kidney stone. Since I was so young, the doctors never suspected a stone. Rather, they treated me for a pulled back muscle. After a few weeks of extreme discomfort and blood in my urine, I went to see the nurse at the college I attended. She was shocked at the amount of blood in my urine and asked me if I was certain I wasn’t on my cycle. I explained to her that the doctor just thought I had a pulled muscle in my lower back and that he had given me two prescriptions to take. One medication was for the pain while the other was an antibiotic for a possibly urinary tract infection. When I mentioned the names of the medicines, she explained to me that I was actually on two painkillers. I later discovered that the medical doctor had made an error and soon had the antibiotic personally delivered to my front door within a few hours. Thanks to the high dose of both painkillers, I was able to pass a kidney stone the size of an eraser head without any real serious pain. This stone was delivered on my 19th birthday and I brought it in to my doctor. He took this stone for further testing, however, I never did learn what type of kidney stone this was. Exactly 12 years and two stones later, I passed my 3rd kidney stone. However, this stone required the assistance of a surgeon. I remember going in for some routine testing and being admitted to the emergency room for surgery. I had three children at that time and the pain was not comparable to this stone that was lodged midway between my kidney and my bladder. I remember looking into the eyes of my concerned husband and thinking to myself that I really didn’t mind if I died on the operating table. My skin was green and I was vomiting from the pain. Death seemed like an escape to me. Once my doctor was able to successfully remove the stone that was large enough to block the passage of urine, he released the stone’s remnants to the lab for further testing. The surgery was a success and now all I had to do was wait for the lab results to come back. In the meantime, I began to research the various types of stones and discovered my body manufactures Cystine Stones. My world changed drastically as I discovered the nature of my stones. These stones are rare and apparently genetic. Regardless of what type of stone is produced, the fact remains that there is a metabolic disorder that exists in all kidney stone patients. Dietary and fluid intake changes must be made to decrease the chances of recurring stones. It is incredibly important to have kidney stones tested so changes in dietary intake can be made to counter the kidneys lack of ability to metabolize certain foods properly. If you or someone you know is suffering from kidney stones, be sure to talk with a urologist about making changes in your diet. I found the internet to be extremely helpful when researching my medical condition. There are a lot of online forums with people who suffer from kidney stones and they can be a support system in addition to a more personal source for treatment options and preventative measures. If you don’t suffer from anxiety, this can be a great way to educate yourself without using textbooks. Remember, always take the stone in for further analysis. Your kidneys will thank you for it!
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