x-rays for kidney stones

Submitted by fannierose on August 25, 2011 - 10:28am
Body: 

not sure if i am posting this in the right place
but i was hoping to have some educated input
into my dilemma of the moment...

as i have said before..i have kidney stones...

in the last 4 years i have had an ivp...2 ct scans..
numerous kub's...and an ultrasound...

the urologist's office that is the only game in town
unfortunately is like a *meat market* in my opinion...

the doctor i now have is the best of the bunch but
last year when i was there ...he was looking at the
wrong notes about me..i had to set him straight..

at that time...he said i had two kidney stones in my
left kidney...as seen on the kub taken that day...

several months later..last september..i was in the
er for another issue and they did an abdominal ultrasound..
results of that.. no kidney stones...

i am due for another yearly uro exam for the stone
situation this coming week...i don't know if i want to
or should have yet another kub....not thrilled with having
all this radiation.....or should i just wing it and take the
wait and see approach...?

i have some vicodin that was prescribed a year or
so ago that i have never used but i have it ..just in case...

i want to do what is best for myself but i don't want
to put myself in harm's way because a doctor says i should..
especially one who doesn't even look at the right records...

i have changed all my eating habits as best i can...lost 35 lbs..
drink tons of water...am doing the best *i* can for me...of course
along w/the ww posture etc for that issue....

there are so many things going on from my waist to my
knees ..it sometimes drives me totally insane...

any input would sure be appreciated to help me come
to the right decision for me...

love peace and health.......fannierose/susan

Christine

August 25, 2011 - 12:36pm

Hi Susan,

If it were me, I would ask myself the question, Is this a path to health? Is keeping track of kidney stones by imaging - which is increasing my exposure to ionizing radiation - going to help rid my body of the stones? What causes kidney stones? Why do I have them? How can I help my body dissolve them and stop forming them altogether? What is it that causes me to place my very health into the hands of another human being and in technology that exposes my body to something far worse than kidney stones? Which has more value - long life or self-responsibility? Can I have both?

Wishing you well,

Christine

fannierose

August 25, 2011 - 4:11pm

thanks ..as always...christine....

i read and keep re reading your
response......and the *can i have
both?* keeps resonating in my mind...

the only solution i can come up with in
that department is perhaps an ultrasound
but not having one medically inclined bit of
knowledge in my pea brain...i keep going back
to...why? if i do indeed have stones that
let loose ...i will then have to have all the
appropriate ..or inappropriate maybe being
a more correct term.....tests so they can
help me with the stone....

i have had all the
visits and tests at the nephrologist's...
24 hour urine x 2.....blood tests...
urine tests....all basically uneventful..
no underlying diseases ie parathyroid etc..

am following all his/litholink's
orders.....which is eat enough calcium..
drink more fluids.....keep sodium to
no more than 2300 mg /day..
and that's about it...

i really feel i have done and continue
to do *my* part....drinking close to 90 oz
of water a day....cut waaaaayyyyy back on
sodium .....not doing too good in the sweet eating
department but much better than i did...

i am leaning towards continuing my healthy
new way of life and lots of prayers and saying
the heck with the kub and/or ultrasound for the
time being....

everywhere i have researched re kidney stones
all give the same basic info...

blah blah blah....no one really knows they all
say...

i asked the nephrologist about vasopressin
from stress and he just shook his hand and
said he didn't really know anything about that..
yet i found it when i researched online...
a little scary,no?

what i do know is that i have been under
a lot of stress the past 7 years or so
and it continues off and on.....i get acupuncture
and reiki to help with that as of lately and
it seems to help...

so ...that is why i asked here as i feel
whole woman women ..if you will...have
more *smarts* than most of the md's i have
been sent to....

looking forward to more words of wisdom
from my ww buddies...

thanks again christine...

love and hugs
fannierose/susan

alemama

August 25, 2011 - 9:14pm

you get the imaging done and then what happens?
If they find a stone, is there a treatment you would need at that time?
Can you admit to the emergency room with the stone presenting and have it taken care of then with no problem?
I think for me- that is what I would do if it were possible. We seem to be very caught up in this idea of preventative medicine- and in some cases, it's extremely valid medicine. In other cases- not so much.
Limit your exposure if it isn't necessary.

fannierose

August 26, 2011 - 8:34am

...

for your input...

while i was reading your post ..
i remembered that i also had
a tiny encapsulated renal
aneurysm that was found on the
lst ct scan..it has been checked
for the past several years and has
stayed the same...it was explained
to me that they are 99.9% benign..
only worry is with someone with
stones so as not to do lithotripsy on
that side and cause it to burst ...:-(

with that i mind...i called the uro's office
this morning w/my concerns re the xrays
in general and a wait and see approach
instead...am waiting for their return
phone call....

i want to just concentrate on one thing
at a time...namely *loretta*/pop for now
but so many other things are cropping
up at the same time and really really
renting space in my mind..

i so appreciate the input and keep it
coming should you have anymore...

love and hugs...susan/fannierose

Little Bit

August 26, 2011 - 9:03pm

Hi fannierose,
You may want to do an Internet search under "natural way of curing kidney stone". Also search "lemon juice kidney stone" and "apple cider vinegar kidney stone". I heard about the lemon juice cure years ago and it seems to be the most effective with or without the olive oil. I hope this helps. There are people that swear these meathods work.
(((HUGS))) Little Bit

fannierose

August 27, 2011 - 8:39am

i have been trying the lemon juice
thing for a year or so now...but will
definitely look up the others...

everyone's support is so appreciated...

love hugs and light......susan/fannierose

Christine

August 27, 2011 - 11:22am

...I knew we could count on you. :) On the pH side of things - after metabolization - lemon juice actually ends up more on the alkaline side of things. Apple cider vinegar seems plausible, but I really don't know enough to comment further. You will find your way, Susan.

fannierose

August 27, 2011 - 8:38pm

thanks for the confidence in me, christine!

i am on a path that will lead me to the right place...
thanks to everyone on this forum!!

love peace and hugs...susan/fannierose

fannierose

August 29, 2011 - 8:30am

forgot to answer this ..
what with the upcoming and
now past hurricane irene..
my mind was scattered....

as for treatment...i suppose if
there were something in my
right kidney...they may suggest
lithotripsy...can't do it on left
because of the encapsulated
aneurysm or cyst..which btw my
internist said is *not going anywhere*
because it is encapsulated and she
herself was a surgeon for a good many
years..

i would not opt for that at this time...

the uro's office called back and said
*if* my insurance covered it they could
do an ultrasound instead of the kub xray...

i have opted for the moment to put all
this on hold and continue with my
homeopathic meds and my good health
practices and take a wait and see approach...

i asked if the uro would kindly call the
pharmacy to give the okay to get the
refill of the pain meds that i neglected
to order in time as i didn't need them..
answer..*no*..have to come see doctor...

i understand all too well that in this
day and age pain meds are being
totally abused by many..age notwithstanding...
however...this is the refill to MY script from
april 2010 that i never filled...oh well...

i have always had trouble trusting my gut..
i inevitably go against it and then end up
kicking myself in the a*# because of that
ignoring....this time i am going to go with it...

meanwhile *loretta* is doing okayish with
my ww posture practices...on the days i practice
anyways...life has been *so* upsetting around
here lately that i sometimes forget...

i cannot tell you all how much i appreciate
your love concern knowledge and input...

love hugs and light.....susan/fannierose

Salvage

March 12, 2015 - 5:02pm

A diet high in purines will cause stone formation. 20 years ago, I used to drink double and triple strength black tea and developed stones. The same thing occurred in a co-worker. The stones never returned after correcting the tea consumption habit.