RIDGE RUNNER CHRONICLES: “Rocking and Rolling with the Stones”
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When you saw the headline, you probably thought this column was going to be about rock and roll music and the Rolling Stones. No, this column is about kidney stones and if you have ever passed a slow-moving kidney stone, you know exactly what I mean by “rocking and rolling;” the pain can be relentless. I have passed three of these “little” dudes–roughly the size of a peppercorn–in my lifetime and suffice to say, with the first one, I immediately developed a healthy respect for any woman who gives birth to a nine pound baby.
About a month ago, I thought I might be passing another kidney stone. Once you have had one, there are warning signs that you never forget. So in anticipation of some “fun” times ahead, I researched what happens if the stone you are trying to pass gets stuck in the ureter–that “way too narrow” tube that runs from your kidneys to your bladder. After a CT scan, it was determined that I did not have a kidney stone. I thought I had wasted time researching this issue but then I realized that one out of every ten adults in the US will have a kidney stone at some point in their lives and that many of these people are men who work outside for a living–particularly farmers, including my own son, Joe–so I thought it best to share in this column what I learned about treating “uncooperative” kidney stones.
There are basically three methods to deal with a kidney stone that gets stuck or is likely to get stuck because it is too big. The least invasive method is “extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy”, or “ESWL.” which involves crushing the stone with blasts of shock waves rendered from outside the body. During this treatment, the patient is placed on his back on a padded table, sedated or anethesized, and shock waves are then directed from underneath the patient to the kidney stone, which is visualized by medical personnel during the process. This procedure takes about an hour to conclude and most patients can go home the same day. The second method, referred to as “ureteroscopy”, involves placing a laser at the head of a scope, moving the scope up the ureter to the stone and pulverizing the stone with laser blasts. The third method, referred to as “percutaneous nephrolithotomy” or “PCNL” involves surgically entering the body with a telescope through a small incision, getting direct (lateral) access to the stone and fragmenting the stone with laser blasts. PCNL obviously requires longer rehabilitation but is still regarded as the most reliable method of getting rid of the stone.
The process to be used on a particular patient will depend on many variables, including the size of the stone(s), the pre-existing medical conditions of the patient and whether the patient is willing to undergo the respective procedures despite the risks. (For example, the risks for the ESWL procedure, which would seem to be the least painful and the one I would probably pick, include the possibility of potential damage to nearby internal organs due to the shock waves. For what it is worth, I have a friend who has undergone the ESWL procedure three times without any obvious adverse side effects.)
Note: I am not a medical doctor. This commentary is submitted solely to help other “kidney stone rock and rollers” know what types of treatment are available when your kidney stone is demanding your immediate attention and you have no clue about your choices.
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■ Bill Hoagland has practiced law in Alton for more than 50 years, but he has spent more than 70 years hunting, fishing and generally being in the great outdoors. His wife, Annie, shares his love of the outdoor life. Much of their spare time is spent on their farm in Calhoun County. Bill can be reached at [email protected].
