My grandaughter-in-law has had 6 lithotripsies and she still suffers from kidney stones.She's in a lot of pain most days.Her dr's tell her that the kind of stones she has are harder to treat,and she also has an almost impossible time passing them.Hers are sooooo bad that the dr's tell her she'll never be able to work again,and she'omly 41 and has been suffering from some form of these since she was a kid.

I feel so bad for her.It also doesn't help that they live in a very small town,so she has to travel up to Modesto Ca for care and any kind of treatment they may be able to do on any given day.

Sure hope those things aren't heriditary,does anyone know if they are??

I'm glad you were able to get help with yours,and they are in the past now.Hope you have no further problems with them.
Kathi

I was wondering how your blast went. I have had 3 blasted, first 1 was in 1992, the last 2 were about 4 yrs ago. I have had 2 'caught' by surgery. I have 2 more sitting in there 'waiting'! I generally pass a stone about every other year...time has come!!

I didn't have as good of a reaction to my last blast. They were both pretty good sized stones, so they used 1200 blasts on each stone. I had a painful bruise the size of a softball on my back....which lasted about 2+ weeks. Of course you still have to pass the "dust"...which some can still be 'gravel'. It took my body just about a month to feel back to norm after my lithotripsy. I have passed at least 20+ stones, and after the blasting, I said I wouldn't have one blasted again. BUT......I know better than to say never. I will just have to wait and see what these, that are sitting there now do.

I have heard more good stories than bad stories from lithotripsy tho....so I am praying that if I have to have more done, it will be like your experience! Glad you are feeling so well from it! =)

Kathi- I don't know about heriditary...but they run in my family. ;) My grandfather had 1, my dad said that he had never seen his father tear up at anything, but when he was suffering dad said grandpa had tears running! (Old Swedish hard working farmer!)

I have a niece that had 1, a nephew, my brother and my sister have all had 1. Notice I said ONE! LOL I got the short end of the stick! :/ Thanking God that neither of my girls have had any.

I can't answer about the hereditary factor--to my knowlege, I'm the only one who's had them in my family. But tendancies toward so many conditions do seem to be passed down through families.

It's true that some stones are of a composition that makes them more resistant to blasting--from what I've read, at least.

Sandi, I'm wondering what kind of machine you had your lithotripsy with? Was it the one that used a vat of water? From what I've heard, with that one, they also injected a lot of novocaine around the kidney (I've been told that was the source of the bruising with those machines). The machine I was treated on is a Dornier Delta Lithotripter. You merely lay up against a fluid-filled cushion, there's no novocaine (you're anesthetized into a very relaxing, restful napping state). At one point, this time, I could hear the conversations going on around me, but there was no pain, no sensation of any kind, actually. With this type of machine, there's no bruising--my side was very faintly pink, but that's all. Oh, and this machine blasts the stone with 1500-2500 shock waves. Since you said you had your last litho 4 years ago, I am wondering if it was on one of the older type? And if maybe you'd have better luck--and more comfort--with one of the newer versions if it's available in your area?

Both my procedures were extremely comfortable. First stone was about the size of a small (Jelly Belly-type) jelly bean. This one is maybe half or a third of that. Really wasn't urgent that I have this one done--it wasn't causing any problems, but since we'd already met our deductible, it just made sense to go ahead (only cost me $83 this time).

I've heard people who swear by Lithotripsy, and those who have had problems, but I have wondered if we're comparing apples (newer machines) to oranges (older ones)?

I've had that thought myself, Azzalea. My BIL has been diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis, a disease which kept his poor mother in a wheelchair for decades. We know so much more about it now, advances in medications, etc., that he has a much brighter future than life in a wheelchair.

Hey, Azzalea, where do you think we'll be in another 20 years? Should be really good, huh?!

Let's hope so, at least!!!

The one I had in '92 was in a tub of water. I remember having some bruising, but nothing like this last time. (I will try to go through pics as we took a few during the weeks following the last one)

The one 4 years ago was on a table with a 'wet mat' under it. I was so surprised when I was asked to lay on that, rather than getting into the tub! So, I believe we are talking apples to apples on this. It was done in Des Moines at a kidney stone specialist office. I was just lightly drugged too....but I said I didn't want to remember any of it! LOL So, I was kinda out of it for a while after. We took our DD out for supper, and I remember sitting in lala land! LOL

As with many things...people react different. I am thankful that you had an easy time of it. I hope and pray the next time (yes...I am pretty sure it will happen!) I have it done, it will be better.

Kathi, I am so sorry that your DGD inlaw has to put up with this. There is nothing that can be done with mine either, but I sure don't go through what she does. I have had every test possible (4 years ago), and the Dr. said I didn't have enough acidity....so I started eating a lemon a day in iced tea.......well until I had another stone, and decided that wasn't worth it. :/ I just force myself to drink more than I like. I don't like water, was even hypnotized to try to like water...but I do drink as much as I can.

Isn't iced tea one of the huge no-no's, though? Everything I've read, and every urologist I've spoken to have said to avoid tea completely. Have you considered giving it up? Also, I think it takes a lot more than a lemon a day. Think you need more like 3-5? But lemon juice dissolves kidney stones, and again--the urologists have highly recommended them to me.

It would be great if one of the medical advances on the horizon would be an easy way to avoid stones altogether, wouldn't it? Hoping that happens for those of you who have htem frequently.

Isn't it interesting ...

... how some don't get stoned at all ...

... and among the others, some get way more stoned than others??

And some wonder whether getting stoned runs in familes?

Can't give any worthwhile suggestions - sorry.

ole joyful