Kidney Stones

Kidney stones are mainly Calcium Oxalate, Uric acid and Cystine.  My kidney stones was 100% Calcuim Oxalate.  High-oxalate foods include: black tea, potato chips, peanuts and chocolate.  My top 3 favorites food items.  I start my day with strong black tea with milk.  I buy loads of potato chips  and peanut and snack them all the time.  Now I have cut my peanuts consumption.  I love peanut soup and satay sauce. 

In order to reduce the chance of kidney stones recurring, I should cut these 3 items from my diet.  I love peanut butter.  I eat peanut butter with cream cracker if there is no bread and worse just peanut butter by itself if I ran out of cream cracker.  Every morning, I start my day with a cup of strong Ceylon tea with evaporated milk and sugar.  In the afternoon and evening, I may have an cup or two.
Many times, when I am travelling, I am too lazy to go and eat in a resturant, I will eat potato chips for my meal.  It is really stupid as the company would pay for my meals anyway.

The kidney stones I had is "staghorn" i.e. it is very spiky.  So there is no way it can come down the ureter.  So I need to drink a lot of water beside avoiding high oxalate food.

Double J Stent OUT!!

Yesterday, my DJ stent was removed.  It is a short procedure.  The surgeon just use a hook to pull out the stent.  The bleeding in the kidney stopped by end of the day.  So much better not to see bloody urine when I pee.

What a feeling!  I am finally painfree.  However, even though the procedure is quick, it is quite traumatic.  I slept the whole afternoon.  Took lots of painkillers.

This morning, I also do not feel top of the world.  I am getting back to normal. 

Thanks, BT.  You are a good friend.

The Painful Road to Recovery

Kidney Stones condition is one of the most painful medical conditions anyone can get!!  Just Google "kidney stones" and this statement consistently come up.  This is what I am having right now.  It is seems to be genetically predisposed and diet play an important part.

I had 3 stones removed two days ago.  In public hospitals, they will insert a Double J Stent.  This is a tube with 2 coils at the end.  One coil will go to the kidney and the other coil is at the bladder.  Hence double J.  The stent is to keep my ureter patent or open after the ureteroscope traumatize the ureter after it travel to the kidney with a basket to pull the stones out.

So every time I go to the washroom to relieve my full bladder, it is painful at the abdomen where the stent is residing.  The pain will travel all the way to the kidney.  On top of that, I had to drink plenty of water to clear the kidneys of any remnant of the stones.  Just imagine have to go to pass urine more frequently to keep the kidneys clear.  Every time it is painful.  So, more frequent than usual visits increase frequency of pain episode every day!

I am looking forward to the day the stent is removed.  I requested as early as possible.  The surgeon want to keep for 2 weeks.  I begged and begged and he decided 9 days instead even though I wanted to get it out in a week.

I am glad to remove the stones.  The largest stone is like a stag horn.  It blocked the ureter and cause ureter colic which is more painful than childbirth.

Right now, I am taking it easy and improving day by day.  I should back to normal maybe a week or two after my D J stent removed.  I am looking forward to this day!

Kidney Stones Removal

I will be checking into Seng Kang General Hospital for ureteroscopy at quarter past twelve.  Operations is schedule at quarter past 2.  It will be done under general anesthesia and it is day surgery.  So I can stay in the hospital up to 23 hours max.

I will be glad to have to offending stones out.  I will have to cut down on my black tea. and change to Chinese tea or green tea.  Cutdown on potato chips and drink plenty of lemon juice moving forward.

Fixing a Broken Fan

I feel so proud of myself.  The fan in my bedroom broke and on the internet there is a guy who use the used PE bottles and turned them in strings and show how strong and durable it is.  So I tried and it works! However, it is not good enough as the holder for the fan has split into two.  And I can only tie top half.  Bottom half is still shaky.  

So I decided to use glue.  Epoxy is a strong glue and my boy has a big bottle or rather 2 bottles, one for resin and other for hardener.  I seen these two bottles for a long time and wonder if my boy has forgotten.  He did not!  I asked him for epoxy and when he says it was upstairs immediately I know he meant these 2 bottles.

My first 2 attempts applying the epoxy was a failure.  Finally, I managed to fill up the cavity with epoxy.  I hope the epoxy is strong enough to hold the fan.

It is Kidney Stones!!

My pain came back.  This time no nausea and tummyache do not have the urge to pass motion.  This time I know it is not food poisoning.  The pain was very severe.  It is called Ureteric Colic.  One of the most painful if not the most painful medical issue.

I again go to emergency.  This time after I convince the ER doctor it is kidney stones, they send me for X-rays and found the stone.  It was 6mm.  They send a just qualified doctor from urology to see me and did some test e.g touching my testicles and poking into my anus.  Then she advise me on the options.  Basically, she want me to discharge and come back on Monday as outpatient for CT scan.  I asked to be warded even though it is Thursday evening and Friday is a public holiday.

No choice has to go C warded.  Wheel into the ward at about midnight.  The patient opposite me talking to himself the whole night through.  Beside him, another patient who keeps pressing the nurse call button and keeping us awake all night.

The next morning after the doctors round, I had my CT scan.  The kidney stone is actually 8mm and 2 other stones 3mm each.  I am in real trouble.

My son's girlfriend's father had kidney stones and took some Chinese herbs and it works.  I am take them now as well.  I am also drinking lemon juice.  It is supposed to reduce the size of the stones.

Food Poisoning Episode

Two days ago, I ate achar from unauthorised vendor.  I ate it at noon.  By 3pm, I was not feeling good.  I tried to vomit to no avail.  My tummy hurts and yet I cannot pass motion.  So I took 2 panadols and tramadol.  Still did not work.  At 7pm, I took 2 more panadols and wife decides to bring me to hospital.  There I went to A&E.  Doctor do a blood test and gave me an injection for pain.  Also drug to stop my nausea.  The nausea drug works but the pain did not subside.  So, he gave me a dose of morphine.  In 30 mins, my feet and hands which were very cold, warms up.  It is amazing change.  I wanted to die.  Now, I feel much better.

I was sent for x-ray and the doctor ultrasound my abdomen.  Cannot find any issue.  I was sent to the ward with my drip.  I am glad to get the treatment.  I had panadol drip at 2am.

I had to do x-ray of my abdomen at 3:50am.  5am is measurement of my vitals.  So it is not possible to sleep well at all.

6am is first round by 1 group of doctors.  8am by round 2.  Different doctors.  So it is a bit confusing who is in-charge. 

Anyway, I managed to get myself discharge by 4pm and out of the hospital by 5pm.

Yesterday, was recovery.  Still do not feel good and have cold sweats.  Today, feeling stronger but at time weak and breathless.  I am recovering.  It feels good!!!