Ray/Dave/John I heard from Carolyn this week about some test results. Get back with me regarding her message if relates to her old injuries or the recent tests.
Thanks!
Gary

My e-address is listed on my profile.

Anybody have any more details? I hope everything goes well for Carolyn.

I'm home and am going back to bed ASAP. ( smile)

I've been dealing with this issue since July 7th and it came down to deciding if it was kidney stones or bladder cancer.

The CT scans were in and a procedire done Thursday at the Urolgist's office showed no bladder cancer but one ureter totally blocked and the other one almost blocked.

The CT scan had showed that the kidney's were swollen with a 7 mm stone ( that's big) in the right ureter and a 4 mm stone in the left ureter.

There was great concern about losing a kidney or going into kidney failure so the decision on Thursday late was that surgery had to be done ASAP/

Living alone it's tough to find someone to drive me over there, get all the pretests done, sign so many forms and on and on but Freda, whom I've mentioned before as the person who cleans for me and also does all my gardening for me was able to take me and stay.

The large stone was embedded in tissue so the procedure took almost two hours rather then the 45 minutes expected, and a stent was put in the right ureter and as a precautionary measure a stent was also put in the left ureter but the stone not removed.

Now I have to go back to the hospital in a week or two to get the stone out of the left ureter and remove the stent in the right ureter and put another stent in the left one, and then get that one out which can be done at his office.

And they won't do surgery unless someone is with you after you get home, so another friend was here all night and she just left.

Freda goes back to work Tuesday so I have to round up other drivers and watchers. The hospital is about one hour away from my home.

Having kidney stones is not new to me for I've had about 9 now and three lithotripsies b/c I don't excrete them as some folks do. But I haven't had any in the last 10 years. Sigh.

Pain? Let us not discuss it, pretty please, said to be the equivalent of a heart attack or giving birth.

So I'm supposed to be resting in bed and pushing fluids which means I'm up almost every half hour going you know where.

Thanks so very much for your concerns. I did mention this in a thread here Thursday night b'c two folks had asked me a question and I wasn't up to even thinking about the question and I consider it rude when I'm asked something and then don't reply.

This ASAP situation was just so sudden it really did shock me, but it looks like the kidney function may have been saved so I'm happy about that.

I'm more comfortable in bed but SHEESH, the US tennis Open is on now and those who know me well know I'm a tennis nut, so I hope to be able to get out to the living room to see some of it today and for the next week. Sigh.

And now to rustle up some breakfast, shower and then back to bed. It's strange that I've had no appetite at all and I last ate or drank anything at midnight Thursday.

Carolyn

I hope you get better soon Carolyn. I know that pain. Would rather pull a watermelon through my nostril.

Be careful in the shower.

Carolyn god bless and get well soon.

Carolyn my prayers are for a speedy recovery. God Bless. JD

Carolyn:

We are so glad you are back safe.......Thank God for big and small miracles.......

Three cheers and a high five to Freda............

Tom

What an ordeal! I can't even imagine how painful that must have been. So glad that the doctors were able to help you in time and that the prognosis seems to be good. I'm betting you will find a way to get out to the TV for tennis! Hope you have a speedy recovery.

Dee

I am glad your surgery went well. I hope you get better soon!

Jane

Carolyn!

So glad your home and OK.

NO BLADDER CANCER is the best part of your report.

Sounds like you have at least another 100,000 miles, lol.

John

Best wishes for a speedy recovery!

Stones suck. Majorly. Get well soon.
{{gwi:1379570}}
T

Dr. C. Here's another bouquet to try and bring some cheer.

{{gwi:870150}}

A little bird headed south for the winter said you liked Day Lilies. Hope you like triple petal blooms. Take care of yourself and get well soon.

Best Wishes for a quick recovery!

PJ

Please take care of yourself. I don't know how to say it any better.
Kenny in Colorado

Get well wishes, I'm praying for you.

John

It sounds like an incredibly awful ordeal, Carolyn. I sympathize. The closest I've ever come is kidney infections, and those are bad enough.

Glad the outcome will eventually be a good one. Take care.

Carolyn, I hope you are resting comfortably with some pain meds. We went through this last year with my Katharine over night in the emergency room. Doctors said they couldn't get it so sent her home to pass it. So, we know what you are going through.
Thinking of you and hope you are felling better soon,
Gary

Wow ...just came across this post. Sorry to hear your going thru all that pain. I know what its like, been there done that.

I am wishing you as much a pain free recovery as possible and hope you get well soon... we all need you back on this forum.

Big Al

I always thought -that in this day and age, kidney or bladder stones did not invlolve any invasive surgery at all, and almost all the stones are broken up into sand or gravel size grains by using the ultrasonic sound waves and then can fairly easily be passed in the water afterwards-most hospitals use this method to deal with them these days which does not involve any cutting or surgery at all.

Also if one is prone to kideny or bladder stones it is better to avoid eating lots of spinach as spinach is known to cause them if eaten quite often.

I always thought -that in this day and age, kidney or bladder stones did not invlolve any invasive surgery at all, and almost all the stones are broken up into sand or gravel size grains by using the ultrasonic sound waves and then can fairly easily be passed in the water afterwards-most hospitals use this method to deal with them these days which does not involve any cutting or surgery at all.

*****

The first k stones I had back in the mid-80's were eliminated by ultrasonic waves by the patient being sedated and lowered into a tank of water.

Then intraurethral surgery, called lithotripsy, became available and that's what was used for the rest of my k stones including the one done on Friday and it will be the same for the one in the left ureter when that one is done soon..

There is no cutting per se but in my case the stone had become embedded in the tissue of the urethral lining, which is not at all common. So some cutting had to be done to free the stone so it could be smashed by ultrasound without further damage to the ureter. And then gallons of water are used to flush out the ureter.

And I am having complications that need to be addressed and I'll call the office on Tuesday/ Having stents in both ureters right now is very irritating, medically/symptomologically, and it was that or possibly lose kidney function b'c of the bilateral hydronephrosis ( kidney swelling) that showed up on the CT scan as well as the totally blocked right ureter which showed up on the cystoscopy done THursday/

(Also if one is prone to kideny or bladder stones it is better to avoid eating lots of spinach as spinach is known to cause them if eaten quite often.)

There are four types of kidney stones based on their mineral composition and the most common are the calcium oxalate stones, which mine in the past have been.

The old now outdated suggestion was to prevent further stones by not eating anything high in oxalic acid, such as rhubarb, spinach and beet greens and eating a low calcium diet.

But research has shown that the best way to prevent such stones, and actually not just Ca++ oxalate stones, is to keep the urine very dilute by drinking prodigeous amounts of water which keeps the oxalate and Ca++ molecules far apart so they don't complex and form stones.

Carolyn, up now b'c of two of the complictions I've been experiencing and b'c I wanted to see if Djokovic won his tennis match at the US OPen. And so back to bed for now and all of tomorrow until I get help and advice on the current situation on Tuesday.

I'm going to go refill my water bottle right now.

Should we drink Heirloom water or just plain old regular hybrid water??? LOL.
Carolyn, best of luck & god bless you!!!

Carolyn, A glass of wine every day is supposed to be good to prevent them. Good for other things too.
Kenny

My thoughts and prayers will continue to be with you. You are always here for us...now it's our turn to be there for you.

Mary

I Wish you a fast and speedy recovery. I've had my own recent surgeries and know they are not fun at all.

Big smiles and a computer hug,
James

Carolyn--I said a prayer for you today. Hope things are going well for your recovery. All the best.

Some people have been known to save their kidney stones afterwards as souvenirs, if they are removed whole- I read of one chap once who had his polished and mounted on a chain around his neck- where it was a great talking point for him to anyone who noticed it on the chain- barely anyone believed him when he told them they were acutally kidney stones that had been inside him. :)

Carolyn,

My warmest Aloha and best wishes for a fast recover.
Thank you for being their for us.

Mahalo nui loa.

Update.

Without going into details I am not recovered from the surgery of last Friday, far from it, and that's important b'c they wanted to go ahead with the seond surgery this week or possibly next week.

No way this week, no way at all.

I will call their office this afternoon and try to get a handle on this by describing where I'm at and where I should be re any second surgery.

One additional problem is finding someone to drive me over to the hospital b'c in the last three years I've had several surgeries and pre tests and post tests re the quad repair and the new left and right hips and I'm running out of folks to crawl to. I've always been a very independent person and having to rely on others is rather new to me.

My one cat has gone AWOL as she did about this time last year and my other cat hasn't been able to pass her drivers test yet. ( smile) And Freda, who has been so helpful goes back to work today and thus can't do any driving for me.

On the up side Freda comes today for a short while and we're going to try to continue processing tomato fermentations already set up and process some new ones as long as I hold up OK. She stands by as I squeeze out the pulp, label the containers, etc. Without her I'd be sunk.

Of the new ones I'm growing the absolute best so far is Orange Minsk, from Andrey in Belarus. With this lousy season taste is hard to determine but that Orange Minsk is just great.

Carolyn, and yes, the pain of K stones has been compared to an MI ( heart attack) or giving birth, neither of which I've experienced in terms of making any comparisons. ( smile) I can compare this episode to the 9 or 10 stones I've had in the past and the 3 lithotripsies I've had. Sigh.

I would come down and play Morgan Freeman to your Jessica Tandy, but those toolbags won't let me across the border.

Carolyn
I wish you more comfortable and pain free days along with the patience it takes to recover. Yes, kidney stones are worse than childbirth. It is ok to ask for help - think of the years you have been there for everyone else. Well wishes from Northwest Alabama,Karen G

Carolyn

I wisshes you well: an will drop everything to help take care of you, Amen!!!

Hi Carolyn,

I'm so sorry to hear about this latest pain. I hope you're able to round up more support soon, there's bound to be someone out there eager to help and honored to be asked. I sure do understand the independence thing, I'm the same way. I'm about to undergo back surgery and asking for help is an unfamiliar task.

If it comes down to it, some hospitals can arrange transportation to and from appointments and procedures, covered under some insurance (Medicaid usually does), and some amount of in-home care might even be covered. You could call your insurance provider and find out, if you haven't already. I know, a familiar face is preferable.

I hope you can get some rest (between bathroom trips), and please keep us posted.

Mary Ann

Again, thanks to all for your good wishes. I had called the urologist's office on Wednesday b'c of some concerns and for information, so here's that update.

*******

The good news is that I don't need a second surgery b'c the stone ( left ureter) that showed up on the CT scan was not there when he looked and I think I know WHEN I eliminated it. Sigh.

The second bit of good news is that I've lost about 10# in the week since surgery. Now I know the true meaning of hydronephrotic kidneys, meaning swollen with fluid. Heck of a way to lose weight, though.

The right ureter stone turned out to be a real complication. When he first saw it he thought it was a calcified tumor and ASAP went to the left ureter b'c apparently tumors are usually bilateral, but no tumor/stone there.

He started to take tissue samples for biopsy but as he cut deeper there was the stone totally embedded in tissue. And that's why it took 2 hours instead of the 45 min expected.

Are there still problems symptomatically? Yes, but they are expected due to the stents being in each ureter, and I'm quite uncomfortable most of the time, and I can't sit upright for long or stand. So it's the recliner chair or the bed. Today it was mostly in bed b/c I couldn't even stand the recliner chair for long despite the men's semis from the US Open, the last one between Murray and Nadal being cancelled due to rain.

An appt is already set up to remove the stents if all goes well, but not for some time to allow for healing without scarring closing off the ureters.

So in the meantime I curse a bit but of course will hang in there knowing that kidney function appears to be saved and also knowing I have no other option other than hanging in there. ( smile)

Carolyn

Whew! No second surgery, great news!

Oh, the stents! I'm wincing, remembering when I had ureter stents in for a few days following a surgery. After they were removed I felt so much better, and it was then I realized how much of my discomfort had been due to the stents and not the surgery. So sorry you have to put up with that for so long - hold on, relief is coming!

Mary Ann

So sorry you have to put up with that for so long - hold on, relief is coming!

Mary Ann

****

MA, I am not new to ureter stents at all Sigh

One of my previous K stone episodes was with three stones in one ureter and the good Dr. insisted that it HAD to be left in for close to a month. A month. Triple Sigh.

maybe it's b'c I'm older, maybe it's b'c there are two stents in but this time seems so much worse than the last time with just one stent and that was back in the late 80's.

Carolyn

Carolyn: Good to hear nature took cares of the kidney stone, an sorry for how painful it was for you. You are being Blessed for helping so many people around the world!!!!

Carolyn, here's another one wishing you a speedy recovery. You don't see me much in this forum, butI am a frequent lurker. When there is someone like you, clearly a world expert on tomatoes, all I have to do is listen in awe and savour the knowledge that you share so freely.

Is it one of those Staghorn calculi? Those do take unusual shapes, and tends to get "rooted" into the recesses of the kidney. Your surgeon did a good job to get it out. If I were anywhere near you, I would take a vacation off work so I can be your driver!

Dr. Carolyn, I've been reading through the posts and am so sorry to hear of the problems you've been having.

My oldest daughter is very prone to kidney stones and it is miserable when they form. I can't imagine the pain which, judging by DD, is excruciating. I think I'd rather go through labor again than have those accursed stones.

What a lousy year for you!