Last Wednesday I woke up in pain. But being the girl that I am, I blamed it on “female problems,” or something of the sort, and brushed it off. Bad idea.
That afternoon, sitting in my 3:30 class, I felt a sudden, agonizing pain in my back and I couldn’t help but wonder, “what the HECK is happening to me?” Because, let me just say, this was not your typical kind of pain. This was an excruciating, inexplicable, “I want my Mom” or “kill me now” type of pain. So, obviously, I got up and left right in the middle of my class. Fast-forward 3 hours and one flash flood later, and I’m hooked up to an IV in the ER.
That night I left with a verified CT scan, 4 prescriptions, and a two-word diagnosis: Kidney Stones. So, in order to prevent you from experiencing the confusion I encountered, here’s the 411 on Kidney Stones.
- Kidney stones can arise in various ways and can take weeks or months to form. – A kidney stone is a tiny mass of crystals that forms within your kidney, which can vary in size and type. The most common type of kidney stone is a calcium stone. Calcium stones are typically formed from too much oxalate, which is found in black tea, blueberries, spinach, Vitamin C supplements and much, much more. Of course it’s the healthy stuff, right? Because it’s only fair that people who eat well suffer from it.
- There are multiple symptoms of kidney stones. – The most prominent symptom will be horrible pain in the abdomen and back, which will come in waves for about 20-60 minutes. This will most likely be accompanied by chills, blood in the urine, fever, nausea, vomiting, and lots and lots of tears.
- Another common symptom for women is pain in the “female area.” – At first, this could be mistaken this for a bladder infection or UTI. If other symptoms start occurring, and the pain seems more severe, consider visiting the doctor in case of kidney stones.
- Kidney stones can also be hereditary. – If you wake up one morning experiencing these symptoms, call your parents! You may have a history of kidney stones in your family that you’re unaware of. And if you do, you can now blame all of the pain on them instead of your diet!
- The biggest risk factor for kidney stones is not drinking enough fluid. – Some nights I would go to bed realizing I hadn’t taken a sip of water the entire day. I know, I brought this upon myself. The point is, DRINK WATER. I promise, you do not want kidney stones! Go buy yourself a nice reusable water bottle and make it your new best friend. It’s worth it.
- If you do have a kidney stone, patience is key. – Kidney stones generally pass on their own time; it’s all a waiting game. My advice is to cuddle up with a heating pad, a huge bottle of water, anti-nausea medicine, and a good friend…and a dog if you can find one. Kidney stones are miserable while you’re going through them but unfortunately there’s nothing you can do but wait, and go to the bathroom as much as possible.
Kidney stones aren’t very fun to read about and they’re even more miserable to experience. Don’t freak out, you can get through it. Read up, and know what you’re dealing with. And the good news is, if you do experience them, now childbirth will be a breeze!