Monday morning I woke up with a pinching and slightly cramping sensation in my groin area, specifically my ureter. If that's already too much information you might as well skip this post all together because it isn't going to get much better! My initial thought was one of two possibilities, the first being a UTI (urinary tract infection). I've had them before, and would pretty much describe the symptoms as what I was experiencing. The second possibility was a kidney stone, which I've also had, but which I'd put in an entirely different category to these piddly symptoms. Regardless, the discomforts were minimal so I carried on with my day, trying not to dwell.
By Tuesday things were getting worse. The pinching and cramping was now accompanied by inflammation and pressure on my bladder, which resulted in several more bathroom trips than usual. But it was when my braxton hicks became noticeably stronger and more frequent that I decided it was time to call my doctor. You never want to be the spaz patient who freaks out over every little thing, but this clearly needed attention! Per Dr. Baer's orders I headed over to his office for a urine test. Surprisingly the results were normal. No blood in my urine, and no sign of a UTI. Since he had nothing to treat me for, he told me to keep him posted and sent me on my way.
As the evening progressed, so did my symptoms. At midnight the pinching and pressure was getting so intense that I finally got up (from bed) to go to the bathroom. Upon sitting down I felt a sudden sharp pinch. It really was nothing more than that, and while I normally wouldn't have thought much of it, what I noticed next caught my attention! RELIEF! Every ounce of pain and discomfort vanished in that very instant! That's when I decided I needed to take a look in the toilet. So I did.
And what did I find?
A 4 MILLIMETER KIDNEY STONE!
First thing this morning I called my doctor to tell him my good news. This was VERY good news considering my last kidney stone experience, which plenty of you know about! When I took the ziploc bag containing the stone into his office, he and his nurse were shocked! He said that blood is virtually always detected in urine when a kidney stone is present. Aside from this, it's just amazing I was able to pass this thing with such ease (and minimal pain) considering the stone I was NOT able to pass during my pregnancy with Chloe (which I had to have surgically removed), was only 1 mm. larger! I am so so SO relieved! My only hope now is that nothing else is brewing in there!
13 comments:
Wow, I'm so glad you were able to pass this stone and that you didn't end up in the hospital again (and that you are feeling so much better)! What a relief. I also hope nothing new is brewing in there. Hang in there!
ME TOO - everything that Wendy said!!! Yes - what a huge relief! VERY happy (and grateful to Heavenly Father) about this...
Now what are you going to do with the stone? Maybe you can make a miniature rock garden outside :).
Love love love you all,
Mama/Gma Jill
holy crap! that's almost a whole centimeter! i can't believe that happened again. hope there are no more.
I was going to say just what Wendy said :) So glad you're feeling better!
Ditto to everyone! I'm so glad it wasn't worse and you are feeling better!
Having experienced two kidney stones myself, I know firsthand what a pain they are and what a relief it is to get rid of them! (I almost had surgery on my first one, but passed it just in the nick of time. It was so large that the doctor was really surprised when I was able to pass it.) I'm so glad things weren't any worse for you than they were, and that you are feeling fine now! I would definitely recommend that you drink plenty of cranberry juice for the rest of your pregnancy. I know that helped me both times.
Good luck!!
Love,
Aunt Carolyn
I am as equally glad that things worked out ok.... literally, hee hee. I know too well that those things are not fun! One birth down just one more to go:)
Not again! I remember how bad it was last time! Glad you're relieved!
That is so amazing, Valeri! I am so glad you were able to pass it and didn't end up having to have surgery again! It really was a miracle, wasn't it?
Love,
(Aunt) Pat
Awful, awful, awful!! But how great that it didn't hurt nearly as bad as the first time. I literally thought I was dying when I had a kidney stone. You know, you shouldn't make a habit of passing these every time you get pregnant :)
Britt
OH, that sucks. I am so glad that you were able to pass it will ease. We were with some friends this weekend and he was having a kidney stone but not passing it so he went in for surgery. He was just miserable. I am really glad it wasn't difficult this time.
I say "what a relief" is an understatement! I'm so glad you're ok. Good health is such a blessing and I know I take it for granted way too often. I pray that you'll continue to do well and not have anymore stones.
Oh man! You should put that in Baby's scrapbook for sure!
By the way, I was always the whiney patient who called the doctor over every little thing. :)
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