I thought I had better write this while the pain relief drugs are still doing their work.
I just got back from the hospital and was told its definitely kidney stones. Looks like the earliest they can operate is 26th Aug, 2009. That sounds a long time having just come back from waiting around having tests and having an IV drip in since 6 this morning.
Here is the picture the specialist drew for me. I think she really enjoyed getting to write it all in English even though I had tuned out totally after hearing the pain was going to be around for another three and half weeks.
That’s a tough deal, man. Hope you get well soon.
thanks 1Rick. http://2jpn.com is looking good. thanks for promoting Gundam pixs
Hi, there. I’ve been following y’on Twitter for a week or so now. As someone who’s had a bout with kidney stones a few years back, I can relate to the pain. (well, maybe..mine weren’t bad enough for surgery..)
Hope y’get well soon!
Thanks. Good to follow you on Twitter too. Hoping for an easy passing of these stones 🙂
Best wishes for the continued success of the pain pills until you’re done with this. Get well soon!
thx. appreciate your thoughts
Get well!
And from now on, drink more liquids…
More liquids. Good idea. I should have remembered that from last time when i had kidney stones
I feel really sorry for you. Get well soon!!!
Thanks. How was your holiday?
RT @Shibuya246: Kidney Stone 2 | Japan | Shibuya246 http://bt.io/3jr Hope all the meds will help. I’ve never had to go through what you’re going through, so I can.t compare it to anything I’ve ever had. To think they’re making you wait untill the 26th for surgery? how ludicris?? Hopefully all the meds they gave you will hep till then. How long did it take before the doctor was able to see you? Sorry for all the questions, but just 1 more what’s that that package w/Rilakkuma on it ? Looks to me like some type of listening device. Hope it was ok that I let Kimonbox know what happened. Ya know anything I can do to help, just ask me.
Well, take care,and hope the meds get you over the hump till the 26th.
Ja mata ne
Thanks. much appreciate your support.
The Rilakkuma package are tissues. 🙂 At least there is some reward for getting ill.
I’ve had to pass 8 stones so I know what you are going through. Keep drinking lots and lots of water (several liters a day). 5mm should be something you can pass. I hope it’s not stuck or anything. Are you having a Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy? (Using sound to break it into smaller pieces?)
8 stones sounds bad.
I am just looking up some details about the shock wave treatment now. I think it is the same thing you are talking about. They call it 体外衝撃波結石破砕術 or ESWL.
One place additionally provides 経尿道的結石破砕術（TUL） Transurethral ureterlithotripsy、経皮的結石破砕術（PNL） Percutaneous nephrolithotomy as well.
This is the third time I have had kidney stones. The first two times I had operations. This time I would like to find a better alternative and deal with it quicker. Well pain wouldn’t be a bad thing either.
Did you have the ESWL? How was the actual procedure?
8 stones!? Yikes! Just one reduced me into a miserable wreck.
On the plus side, getting through that makes you a badass!
The first was the worse. By the third one I knew what it was and just drove myself to the hospital. The nurses and doctor where a little surprised. I even passed one on the plane to Japan at the start of a 3 week vacation, luckily no problems during the trip. I had just mentioned to my parents I forgot my pain killers before I boarded the plane, but what were the odds?
My hero though is a girl I knew that was a ballet dancer. She got the pain right before a performance and danced the whole thing before going to the hospital. That was her first. That’s being tough.
I remember my first. I got it while in Japan and went to 4 doctors in the space of 2 months. They all said the pain was likely something I had eaten. Nobody could pick the stone. I had no idea what was going on. The pain got so intense my body started to react to the shock in some not so nice ways.
I traveled back to Australia still not knowing I had stones and visited another 2 doctors, one who suggested I was a drug addict, but didn’t tell me it could be kidney stones.
Finally, one morning, my sister called an ambulance for me, about 4 months after the original pain, and the ambulance guy picked it immediately.
A couple of days later with some surgery the stone was out !
Wow, 2 months?! My first started as a dual ache walking to my college class. By the time I got to campus I was nauseous from the pain and couldn’t even keep my breakfast down. I think college medical office kept my there for a few hours till I was begging them to kill me. At that point they figured they better send me to the hospital. (^_^) They gave me some morphine and I was out the next morning after passing it. Even as a dull ache I can’t imagine living with it for 4 months. There is nothing you can do to make it go away, other then heavy medication. I hope you resolve this one more quickly rather then next month. Lots and lots of water! 5mm isn’t too big to pass. Best of luck and I hope Mita or one of those other hospitals can help you out.
I’ve had ESWL twice. It’s pretty much painless. They use a real time x-ray to pin point the stone and two emitters I believe to target the stone. Where they meet causes the stone to break into smaller pieces. They have you lying on your side. No cuts or anything done and you can have it done while awake. They use a water like substance to form a connection between you and the machine to transmit the vibrations better. I’ve heard it’s uncomfortable for some people, but I really didn’t notice it. It’s supposed to be more effective when the stone is in the kidney, and that’s where I’ve had it done. Not sure what’s possible in your case. You still have to pass the remains of the stone afterward, but it’s easier and considerable less painful in my case (and fast). Both mine were performed in the US, I moved to Japan almost 2 years ago now.
I haven’t been in recently, but you should probably go to a urologist at least once a year, maybe even 6 months for x-rays to check for stones and their size. It’s easier to have the lithotripsy when a stone become larger, but before it’s a problem.
Great advice. I am looking at the Mita hospital http://mita.iuhw.ac.jp/clinic/eswl/index.html#a1 and a specialist center in Kawagoe http://www.ims.gr.jp/miyoshisougou/speciality/fragmentation.html as possible choices.
I also had a kidney stone a few years ago, so I’ve got great empathy for your situation. I was fortunately lucky enough to pass mine naturally after a couple of days of miserable pain. Since then I drink quite a bit of water daily and cranberry juice as well.
Supposedly beer is beneficial to helping stones move along, so there’s a good excuse to drink!
Seriously though, hang tough my friend, I’ll keep you in my thoughts….
Thank you. Great to hear from everyone. cranberry juice sounds a good idea. someone else also mentioned grapes or grape juice to me. Apparently grapefruit is bad though.
I am going to call the center that specializes in shock wave treatment ESWL and see what they can offer. breaking the stones down first and then passing them sounds better than just waiting for a big stone to pass.
Cranberry juice is good. Also water with lemon helps. I haven’t heard that beer helps, but I do know that beer binges cause stone formation. Black and ice tea can also cause problems in large quantities. Some people don’t like water, but I recommend drinking it along with tea, juice or whatever you prefer. Stay away from soda. They recommend to drink at least 2 liters a day. I’m used to drinking a least 4 liters a day now and fortunately I haven’t had to pass a stone lately. (knock on wood)
A urologist can also do a 24 hour urine collection that can help determine if something in your diet is causing stone formations. I’ve heard it can be rather strange things sometimes, peanut butter, even apple juice. Just depends how your body processes. Some foods are universally bad, but a particular one could be a culprit.
Went through two kidney stones in Japan. The first time was absolute hell because it was a Sunday. The local ER was closed, the ambulance ride took forever, they wouldn’t give me any pain meds until the doctor saw me. The second time, I had some pain meds left over. I knew what was going on, took some meds and rode my bike to the local hospital.
They were going to operate if the stone didn’t come out within 30 days. It was stuck in the same place as yours. Drank water like it was going out of style and the thing still wouldn’t come out. The second to last day, I almost drowned in all the water I drank, but it finally came out. Getting the thing stuck in my bladder sucked bad as well. Was pissing pure acid for a while.
I havent drowned yet, thankfully, but it sounds like when I get there, the fun keeps on coming. Thanks for your great description of it all. 🙂 It cheered me up