Here is the truth about the pain. Buckle up - it's not pretty.

Here is my story:

I went out to eat with my wife and my son at nice restaurant.  My son had to go pee, and I felt like I had to as well.  We got stalls next to each other.  He's 9 and i'm 43.  Soon as I looked down, it was like I was peeing cherrry juice.  Ironically I was drinking cherry juice that day.  Organic - and a lot of it.  It was sweet and went down easy.  I convinced myself that I was peeing most of it out.  I was almost frantic at seeing what looked like a frothy cherry mixture come out of my body.   I went home and drank a lot of water, peed again, and again - full cherry juice.  I told my wife that I was concerned.  By the time I told her I was worried, the pain started in the back right flank....and it grew......and it grew.......until we were both in the car to the ER.

A quick urine test at the ER confirmed it obviously wasn't cherry juice and was in fact a lot of blood.   The urine sample looked like something out of a movie.  Man, I was freaked out.  The pain felt like someone was taking a bat to my flank area over and over.  Or, that it was squeezing my kidney into dust ever so slowly.  I faded in and out as they hit me with morphine.  I think it helped a little but not much.

Turns out my stone didnt move.  It was at the top of my uretur and lodged in the works.  They flooded me with fluids for 2 hours and it never budged.  I was at a small clinic so they took me via ambulance to a larger hospital.  A urologist told me that I needed a stent.  I said ok, and went under.  

The procedure only took about 30 minutes.  I woke up and not in pain, but probably due to the meds.  It wasn't long though before I felt like I had to pee.  This is where it gets really tough.  The blocked uretur had caused a kidney infection.  The dr. saw a 3mm stone and a smaller one in my kidney after pushing the 3mm stone back in with a stent.  Once he unblocked the uretur, all the bad infection started to flow out.  He put the stent in and told me that I'd need to deal with the stone later.  This was June 30 2016.  

I can tell you that stent pain with an infected kidney is NO JOKE.  I would spike from a 2,3 all the way to a 10-11.  Every time I had to pee it felt like my kidney was getting ripped out of my body.  I guess this is normal.  Tip - STAY ON YOUR PAIN MEDS even if you are feeling ok.  You can't chase pain.  You have to head it off and keep it contained.  You will be in lots of pain for about 3-4 days.  Every time you pee, you will want to scream...actually that helps a bit with the pain.  I tried hot, cold, laying, standing, etc.  nothing really helps.  The ONLY thing that helped me get through it was 1. Oxy (perks)  and 2. Advil.  You are not suppoed to take Advil, because it's a blood thinner and you will bleed more.  This was the only thing that actually reduced swelling enough to let me ureturs stay open to get the infection out.  I think I would have exploded without the Advil.  Just make sure you watch it.  The Oxy's helped a little, but they just make you tired so you can sleep which isn't all bad.

The stent pain subsided and only just became annoying after I would pee after about 1 week.  I then started walking around more.  i got ahead of myself after about 8 days, and lifted something heavy.  I peed, and there was more blood and it literally felt like the pain started over again at lvl 10.  Don't do that.  Move around a bit, but DO NOT PUSH IT.  You have to give your body about 1.5 weeks to get used to the stent.  Then, it will be managable.  Mine felt like something was poking my bladder a bit, and something was tugging on my kidney.  Pain only after I would void the bladder.  Blood in urine for about 4 days after procedure.

It's July 14th today, and i just had outpatient lithotripsy and stent removal.  That procedure went very well and I'm peeing in a strainer now.  I don't have any more pain when I pee, and the stent is gone.  I think i'm finally in the home stretch, but it's been a brutal ride.  

Key TIP: When you are taking Pain Medication like OXY - you WILL get constipated.  Start taking a mild laxitive the DAY you start taking the Oxy.  Tell your Dr. to put you on one if you are in the hospital.  If you are home already, start RIGHT NOW and take a laxitive.  You will get constipated.  I kept up on the laxitive and went #2 after 6 days.  Once you get the initial plug passed, the rest will come easy.  What you don't want is to have to sit on the toilet and push for a #2 while dealing with a stent and/or other abdominal pain.  It's no picnic.  I don't know why dr's just let people deal with constipation and not warn them.  

Good luck out there - manage your pain early, take a laxitive and try and get your body regular when you can, and take an advil if you feel like it helps the kidney pain.  It get's better, but buckle in for a tough road.  key is prevention.  I need to figure out how to prevent these things.  The 2 days in the hospital already showed up as 30k....good lord.

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