Kidney Stones
 

Ugh. Kidney stones #6 and 7 are ripping through me as we speak. Luckily I have some very powerful pain meds but damn, this is getting tiring. 7 kidney stones in 9 years. I should get a boy scout badge or something.

(Kramer enters, walking awkwardly)

JERRY: Hey!

KRAMER: Hey.

JERRY: What's with you?

KRAMER: I got a stone.

JERRY: What stone?

KRAMER: A kidney stone.

JERRY: What is that, anyway?

KRAMER: It's a, it's a stony mineral concretion, formed abnormally in the kidney. And this jagged shard of calcium pushes its way through the ureter into the bladder. It's forced out through the urine!

JERRY: Oh, that's gotta hurt.

Fun! I've had two in the last 10 years. The morphine they gave my only worked for about 15 minutes before the pain came back. Now, every little twinge I have near a kidney I think might be the start of another one.

This too will pass...(pun intended) :D

Well you are not alone. Woke up last night with a bit of pain and really did not think much about it. As the day wears on I am feeling worse and worse. I have had 3 kidney stones over the past 10 years so i feel your pain. Funny how when the early stages hit how you immediately know that one is coming.

Is the suspense killing you?

I had one about 3 or 4 years ago. It lasted about 3 hours before I passed it.

Drink more water.

How big are the stones, within the last 3 years I've pass a 4mm & 6mm, and at the end of 2008 I had a 5mm & 7mm blasted. Everything passed fine but I'm at the point that I know exactly when I have one coming on. Summer is coming, I'm due for one.

I've had a 9mm and an 11mm blasted, passed a 6 and two 5 mm stones myself. The two latest are 5 and 6mm. And yes, I know immediately what the pain is when it happens. The first time, I thought I was dying!

How about some preventative advice for those of us dehydrated alcohol imbibing golfers so we can avoid this terrible circumstance?

Lots of water...LOTS of water, with a bit of lemon juice helps flush out the kidneys. Not too much sodium on calcium in your diet.

I've had about 7 in the last 4-5 years, I feel your pain man.