In December 2002, while at home, I was suddenly overcome with agonizing pain and rushed to the emergency room at Booth Memorial Hospital (now New York Hospital) in Queens. The pain was so excruciating it felt like someone was sticking a knife in my back and in my side. The pain radiated to my abdomen and groin. Visible blood in the urine was the determining factor for the rush to the hospital’s emergency room.
After two CAT scans and an overnight stay in the hospital, doctors discovered the problem: A very large kidney stone was wedged in my one of my urethras, requiring almost prompt and immediate intervention.
Kidney stones I was told then, are chemical deposits in the urine that form into hard crystals. As you know, the urinary tract is comprised of two kidneys which filter the blood and produce urine as waste; two urethras, which are thin tubes that carry urine to the bladder, which stores urine; and the urethra, which carries urine out of the body.) It was further explained that stones can be as tiny as a grain of sand, which will most often begin to pass down the urethra; or they can remain in the kidney and grow.
My stone was large enough and was lodged in the urinary tract but could not fit through the urethra. The stone had blocked the urine flow. The backup pressure into the kidney caused it to swell and stretch, and when kidneys get stretched, the nerve fibers become irritated resulting in the pain. Given the fact that my stone was lodged in the urinary tract and could not pass on its own I was informed that there were two minimally invasive techniques available:
-- Extra corporeal shock wave lithotripsy, a device that transmits shock waves to break the stone.
-- Arthroscopy, a telescopic instrument that is inserted into the urethra, through the bladder and to the urethra, where the doctor can access and pull out the stone.
My urologist suggested the latter. The layman that I am, and giving the fact that this was my first ever experience with any major problems with my health, I agreed with the doctor. In a few days I was back in the hospital for the Arthroscopy. After the procedure I was told by an assistant of the urologist that the procedure did not work as the stone was too large to pass down the urethra. And, that we needed to do the lithotripsy procedure (To this day I still believe it was all an insurance scam).
A week later the lithography device to break up the stone was done and I was sent home. For the next three weeks or so I began passing many pieces of the stone, which appeared in my urine. I was given a couple of strainer-like devices to capture the stones to give to the doctor for analysis. According to the American Foundation for Urology Disease, about 80 percent of stones are made up of calcium oxalate in the urine. (Oxalate is a substance found in plant-based foods like spinach, beets, chocolate and tea.) Less common types of kidney stones are struvite, linked to urinary infection; uric acid, caused by too much uric acid in the urine, generally in people who have gout; and cystine, associated with a genetic defect.
The doctor diagnosed that my stones were calcium-based. The majority of stones are treated with diet modifications and some with medication. The doctor suggested that modifying and changing my diet should be a crucial part of my treatment. According to the National Kidney Foundation, typically one in seven men, in particular, will have a kidney stone at some point in their life, and once they have had one, about 50 percent of men will have another attack within seven years.
The urologist provided me with a diet chart for avoiding any future stone:
-- Drink about 12 full glasses of water a day. (Yeah, right!) Fluid dilutes the urine, preventing concentration of the chemicals.
-- Reduce animal protein consumption to 3 ounces each meal and fewer than 6 ounces for the day. Animal protein: meat, eggs, poultry and fish --increase acid, which makes urine more conducive to developing kidney stones.
-- Limit high-oxalate foods like spinach, rhubarb, tea, beets, chocolate, nuts, parsley and berries. Oxalate crystallizes with calcium to create stones.
-- Reduce salt. Sodium causes fluid retention and increases calcium in the urine.
-- Avoid eating late, but if you do, limit the amount of animal protein. This could lead to dehydration, which means the waste products from your biggest meal are presented to the kidney when your urine flow is the lowest.
-- Avoid too much sun. Stones are most common during hot weather. There is a risk of dehydration, and with sun exposure, vitamin D is increased in the body, which may lead to stone formation.
-- Keep hydrated, especially when active.
Despite my good intentions, for about a year, coupled with the fact that I never ever want to experience that pain again, (would not wish it on my worst enemy!); I must admit that I may have reverted to some of my old ways, especially with regard to some animal protein, tea, chocolate, and nuts. It has been five years, thank God and, plus, I have my fingers and toes crossed for good measure (smile)!
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