Kidney Beans

[Bandit]

I'm praying that you are feeling MUCH, MUCH better, VERY soon.

Hi AngelinaCat Thank you for the prayer.

I know I have my quirks about god & gods & religion, but I am not so silly to not accept that others are praying for me & also know that prayers do go somewhere & eventually come back with answers.
Much peace to you

[JRScott]

Wow sorry to hear Bandit, I hope you pull through okay

[Bandit]

Glad you enjoyed the link! www.webmd.com is one of my most favorite websites for any medical-related questions, and I first heard about it from my own PCP! He did warn not to go overboard with the "self-diagnosing" part and to just call him with any questions before attempting self-medication/self-treatment.

Drinking a lot of water helps so much to prevent or alleviate a lot of medical conditions, not just kidney stones. I'm rooting for you, and hoping you won't need any more surgery or encounter any more medical problems.

Keep us posted!

I am confident that my bad drinking habit, I dont mean getting drunk, rather not exchanging the proper intake of water while guzzling diet soda played a big part in me getting these stones. I changed my liquid diet over the last 4 months to only water, 100% juice & green tea or other herbal teas. I then added supplements as ginko biloba, ginger, cranberry pill, milk thistle, and a couple of others, of which help the smaller organs & digestive tracks.

I feel that my recent liquid diet change actually helped in moving these stones & the water helped to flush them. Like you say, if i had drank the proper amounts of water, it would have regularly flushed those microscopic crystals from calcium and whatever else & I would not be going thru this today.

I dont see how soda pop actually creates the stones, but the lack of water properly flushing the organs is what causes problem over a time. It will be interesting to hear what the lab finds was in the stone as well. I also heard that drinking cranberry juice followed by water is a great way to help keep kidney stones from building.

It is very easy to self diagnose & get it all wrong, unless of course you had it before then I would relate what happened to me to someone else.
I like that medical website a LOT!...added it to my favorites.

Wow sorry to hear Bandit, I hope you pull through okay

I am feeling more confident today now that the pain has stopped & I am home again.


Thanks all. I needed the uplift & shared experiences on this matter.

[momof5]

momof5, I hope you never never, never never never never, never never never, never, NEVER NEVER NEVER! have another kidney stone as long as you live, but if the good lord should bless you with another child then ok...well, you know what I mean

I had an ultrasound a couple years back of my kidneys and at that time they were free and clear so fingers crossed. They usually grow in the kidney for quite some time before they try to pass so there is away to be proactive about them. Of course it often times requires switching doctors to one who has had one and just wants to reassure you that your not in any immediate danger of another one. I dont even worry about them any more.

Now as for being blessed with another child. No more blessings for me! All done... I am 37 and have one graduating high school and one just finishing Kindergarten this year. The thought of ever having to do the diaper/burping/terrible two's/ potty training..etc. just doesnt do it for me anymore. I used to think that I would not know when I was done because I just loved my children so so so much. After #5 came along weighing in at nearly 12 pounds. I knew the minute he was born. I am alllllll done! I have enjoyed him so much and he has promised to still be my baby and cuddle with me even when he is 50. So he is the end of the train.



As for the medicines.. I cannot really remember exactly but I do recall being given morhphine when I was not pregnant and had one, it did nothing. I have a very resistent system to pain meds and they used IV sedation so I could at least relax for a few minutes. Even with that I had to be given a dose equal to what they would give a 250 pound man. I was about 103 pounds.

When I was pregnant and had the stent put in it was because I could not take the meds and couldnt have the removal surgery until he was born. They had my pregnancy doctor there during the stent surgery as a 'just in case' and only had me out for as short of time as possible. They could not use the radioactive dye either and it was a tough case the urologist told me. I think he enjoyed the challenge. It hurt to urinate and even to walk for the next few weeks. I laid in bed between hospital stays which were about every week for a few days. I was so relieved when my son was born because I knew it would be just a few days till that kidney stone from hell was out! It took a few more weeks for total removal but after finding out that there were 3 more in the kidney that would also be removed that was a life saver.
Shock wave therapy it was called. I was trying to think of the medical name for the water blasting procedure I had done after the laser lithotripsy.
That was pretty simple, epidural, some bruising but they all passed as little itty bitty tiny pieces.

Cranberry juice is a miracle fluid for preventing Kidney stones. I could not drink it years ago because it was to bitter. Now they make the kinds that are mixed with other juices. Goes down much easier... and Still kidney stone free *knock on wood*

Good luck to you and may you never have another one again!!!

sorry for the huge long posts...I am making up in advance for the 2.5 months that I will have to fight for computer time! just a couple more days of school!

[Bandit]

I just got an insurance notice on this. while the hospitalization was acute they may very well not be be paying the
claim& have made
me know that I may be responsible for some (more than I would expect) or
the entire amount.

& I am supposed to keep giving BC/BS 650.oo every two months for health insurance that should pay 80/20?

which to date would be about 33,000 for all the treatments, hosptial night, xrays, not including the two stones still left inside of me.

http://jgoforth.com/blog/archives/251

I am so tired of fighting.

[AngelinaCat]

Hi Bandit: I hope you are doing MUCH better. Yes, we have gotten hit with some heavy duty insurance bills. I broke my right arm and left knee in August 2007, and DH, otherwise known as AngelinaCatHub had a close encounter with a skilsaw and his abdomen November 3, 2007, about 2 hours after signing us up for COBRA. I lost my FT job Sept. 30, due to budget cuts. So we know what you mean by insurance payments.

We have to pay COBRA $885.21 a month for 18 months straight in order to get coverage when we qualify after the 18 month period, with BC/BS for a lesser rate, because he has had a pre-existing condition--total prostatectomy in 2004.

Now because of all this adventure in his abdomen, he has developed a hernia. When we are honest and upfront about not being able to pay copays, no doctor will touch him until he is 65 and on Medicare, the "they have to take you." He has about 10 months to go. Otherwise, should it become critical, he has to go to the emergency room--which probably means to the 'tender mercies' of the local hospital, which in our area is popularly known as the XXXXXXX XXXXXXXX Charnal House

Now, should 'Hub rreached age 65 and get Medicare, he will be eligible. I will be 56, and not eligible. So we are exploring options for that. Any suggestions?

I do have a PT job, and an application in at the same place for a FT position, but I am not sure that if I get that, I want to go back to a group plan or not. We have so much paid into COBRA now, that once we are done with the 18 months, if I could just get a good single person plan, I think I would rather do that. Any thoughts or suggestions are welcome. This probably should have been asked as a new or different thread, but Bandit's insurance questions and concerns is what prompted this.

Thanks

[BigJohn]

Hey Bandit, I hope things go up hill from now on.
I looked up what toradol is. It is an anti-inflammatory. Some might not realize it, but taking an inflammatory, the inflammation is reduced and the pain goes away, or at least in some cases. When I saw you mention toradol, I thought you were mentioning tramadol, which is an opiod but is a lot easier to get then some other drugs.

As for your kidney stones, I can feel your pain. I had them once. All I remember is the pain, the burning up fever and the cold shills.

The only thing I remember that is comparable is back in 1994 I fell, I got 2 fractures in my back and fractured everything in my right foot at the arch and laid it over 60 degrees (everything dislocated). When it happened, it didn't hurt much, but 12 hours later I was begging for pain shots.

As for insurance, we should have national health insurance.

[Bandit]

We have to pay COBRA $885.21 a month for 18 months straight in order to get coverage when we qualify after the 18 month period, with BC/BS for a lesser rate, because he has had a pre-existing condition--total prostatectomy in 2004.

Now because of all this adventure in his abdomen, he has developed a hernia. When we are honest and upfront about not being able to pay copays, no doctor will touch him until he is 65 and on Medicare, the "they have to take you." He has about 10 months to go. Otherwise, should it become critical, he has to go to the emergency room--which probably means to the 'tender mercies' of the local hospital, which in our area is popularly known as the XXXXXXX XXXXXXXX Charnal House


Thanks

it is so out of control that we actually pay for insurance & still are not covered. i for one will not keep the policy if they are not going to pay because that is just throwing away good money since it will put us right back into another bankruptcy.

with all the wealth of the united states they refuse to care for their people. if our crooked government wasnt taking so much from our pay in tax we could spend it on health insurance & a decent retirement.

BC/BS is reglulated when you get it through an employer or government but when you have to pay on your own they do whatever they please.

then i hear people complain about stupid stuff while others suffer in constant pain & cannot get any help at all.

what do you mean by XXXXXXX XXXXXXXX Charnal House? is that like a county hosptial?

[Bandit]

Hey Bandit, I hope things go up hill from now on.
I looked up what toradol is. It is an anti-inflammatory. Some might not realize it, but taking an inflammatory, the inflammation is reduced and the pain goes away, or at least in some cases. When I saw you mention toradol, I thought you were mentioning tramadol, which is an opiod but is a lot easier to get then some other drugs.

As for your kidney stones, I can feel your pain. I had them once. All I remember is the pain, the burning up fever and the cold shills.

The only thing I remember that is comparable is back in 1994 I fell, I got 2 fractures in my back and fractured everything in my right foot at the arch and laid it over 60 degrees (everything dislocated). When it happened, it didn't hurt much, but 12 hours later I was begging for pain shots.

As for insurance, we should have national health insurance.

they try to tell you that morphine works but I know it does not. there are specific pain killers/inflammatory for certain things in the body & they dont work for everything. toradol is the best for stones & it last for as long time.

i bet those fractures took a very long time to heal & then being dislocated you might have to wait to treat it. yes? 60 degrees is a lot.

they aren't going to give us national insurance. both obama & clinton are lying through their teeth just for the poor mans vote & it is not going to happen now, no more than the republicans are going to get it rolling.

I am really scared now because if the dr finds out they wont cover it then i have two more stones that he may decide not to do surgery on because I cannot even pay one cent on the bill because I gave it all to insurance.

if they start to pass then the one is going to get stuck again because of its size & i have to go through the whole thing all over again.

[Bandit]

Now, should 'Hub rreached age 65 and get Medicare, he will be eligible. I will be 56, and not eligible. So we are exploring options for that. Any suggestions?
Thanks

the only one i can think of is a supplement through AARP in your 50's. but it is not enough by itself to keep you out of a bankruptcy.

i also have another one I am looking at through physicians mutual by mutual of omaha, but it only offers 50% & still is not enough to keep us out of a BK.

but if BC/BS wont pay then they are ripping me off & I will end up in another BK any way. so what is the point of having self pay insurance!

[Bandit]

I was trying to think of the medical name for the water blasting procedure I had done after the laser lithotripsy

Thanks for the story & update. I think the other one you are thinking about is ESWL?
Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy

I wonder how much that is going to cost or how much they need down? I am sure it is way out of my budget! but I have to do it in two weeks. I just hope they still take me at that time.


there is another one but I cant remember the name either.

[AngelinaCat]

what do you mean by XXXXXXX XXXXXXXX Charnal House? is that like a county hosptial?

Yes, it is the county hospital, and actually is the ONLY hospital in our county. People around here, when given the choice, opt for the facilities in the neighboring counties. One is a teaching hospital connected to a university.

[woeisme]

I have hd bouts with kidney stones many times, probably about a dozen now. I've changed my diet, added tons of water, but some people are just prone to getting them and I had to resort to medication (a water pill that makes sure my kidneys are flushed daily) because I was getting a stone every 6 months or so, including one that had to be surgically removed. If it's any help, the surgery wasn't really that bad, they just threaded a wire with basket on it past the stone, then the basket popped open so they could scoop the stone out as they removed the wire. The stent they put in afterwards was the bad part (was in for 5 days and felt like a metal rod in there!) but when they removed it, it was this really soft piece of flexible plastic, smaller and softer than a straw, I couldn't believe that was what was making me so uncomfortable!!! But it sure beat the pain from the stone! And I know what you mean about the pain meds constipating you, I had a horrible case of that with the first stone, where the Darvaset had me so backed up then they gave me caster oil so they could do a scan to find where the stone was and needed me to be "cleared out" before running the scan! It was a case of an immovable object meeting an irrestiable force! Man, that was an awful night!!! Almost took my mind off the kidney stone, lol. But just wanted to say for any of you prone to repeated stones, Hydrochlorathyazid (HCTZ) worked wonders for me, went from having over a dozen bouts with stones over the course of 3 years to no stones for a decade. However, in the past two years, my body must have adjusted to the HCTZ and it stopped working so good for me, had stones twice, but at least they were ones I was able to pass in a day or two as opposed to getting so big I needed surgery. I always keep a supply of a couple Percosets or Darvocets or some pain med around just in case, because waiting to get to the ER or your doctor is too agonizing without something to take the edge off.

[Bandit]

hey! thanks for the story & for the facts, woeisme. I hear you about the stent. it has caused me to not be able to function properly in bending & leaning at work so I had to miss more & do only light paperwork which I dread.

it does feel like metal rod about 10 inches long going from my heart to my blatter. then depending on the stone, smooth or jagged & size will of course determine how much pain we suffer. but the stent is not as bad for me as the stone was.at least I can function without crying & begging for mercy.

I am sorry you have had so many stones but it sounds like you got a good routine & good diet down just in case & to help prevent as many. I have my own theories about what happened here but that is all it is.

I always keep a supply of a couple Percosets or Darvocets or some pain med around just in case, because waiting to get to the ER or your doctor is too agonizing without something to take the edge off.

absolutely agreed.

[Jason]

My aunt suffered for a while from some kidney stones until she had the surgery. She said that was almost the worst pain in her life.