A real problem kidney stone

[Unclebuck257]

I am a 68 year old male and I have had kidney stones since my first one in 87. That first stone was a beaut and required me going into the hospital to have it removed by the surgeon going in and getting it. Since then I have had quite a number of kidney stones and so many in fact, that about 7 years ago I stopped counting at #30. Of course, I am very familiar with the pain these things cause, but every kidney stone since that first one has passed on its own without having additional medical care to retrieve/remove it. Usually I would go to the ER due to the severe pain, and once verified by the ER Doc that it was a stone, I'd get a shot of Demerol for pain (the only thing that relieves my pain) and after a few hours in the ER, I'd go home and the stone would have passed into my bladder during that time in the ER. I'd pass the stone in my urine the next day or so. I've never had a stone, with the exception of the first one, that lasted more than a day beyond the initial ER visit, before I passed it out. I've never had a stone cause me visible blood in my urine either. The last stone I had was about 3 years ago or so now.

Having said that, 4 weeks ago yesterday I was awakened at 4AM with the familiar pain of a stone. The pain was bad but not quite as bad as I was used to before. I took a hydrocodone tablet I had and toughed out the pain until it subsided at 11:20AM that morning. I thought the stone had passed since all pain was now gone.

Three days later, again I was awakened, but at 3AM this time. Same pain and again I took some hydrocodone tablets I had and toughed it out. The pain was bad but the hydro tabs helped. This time the pain subsided at 10:23AM.and went completely away.

Please note that up until this time, my urine appeared rather normal in color on both of these days.

I woke up two days later at my normal time and only had what I call the "kidney stone twinge". More like the starting pain of a stone. I went to urinate and then I really got concerned. My urine appeared to be mostly blood, a dark brown/reddish color and remained that way all morning as I repeatedly urinated from water intake. That ended about midday and returned to a more normal color.

I'm a VA patient so I called my primary care provider first thing the next morning since they were now in on a Monday.  I had been urinating dark brown/reddish blood all this morning too. They immediately had me come in and give them a urine sample. It too was very dark brownish/reddish blood. They immediately scheduled me for a Cat Scan early the next morning at the Ft Worth VA Medical Center.

I was awakened the next day at 2AM with strong kidney stone pain, so I got up and dressed as best I could. Ironically, my urine was now back to a more normal color. I started to try and drive the 50 miles to the Ft Worth VA Medical facility for the Cat Scan, but the pain became too severe and I couldn't drive any further after just 15 miles. I went to the ER of a local hospital  where they did the normal ER procedure, including a Cat Scan. It showed I had a 4.5mm stone that was about half way through my right kidney at that point. After two shots of Demoral, my pain was gone and they released me. My pain also subsided the rest of that day too  

Since that time, three weeks ago now, I have had about 10 more days, off and on, when I was urinating either a dark brownish-red, or like this morning, a more bright reddish/dark brown urine that lasts most of the morning each time. I  have the "kidney stone twinges" most of the time now too and they are now getting borderline intense.

I am waiting on an appointment with a VA Urologist at this point since the stone hasn't passed yet on its own. I have NEVER experienced this extremely bloody urine before, nor have I ever had a stone act like this before. The number of times with the bloody urine really concern me too. I'm drinking all the water I can handle on a daily basis  to try and pass this thing.  

Has anybody else ever experienced a stone like this, or this much bloody urine? Is that bloody urine an indication of something else, possibly more severe going on?  Since I'm a VA patient, I'm trying to wait on the VA Urologist appt., but if I have to I'll use my Medicare and go the civilian route. The VA medical system is great care and I'm trying to wait that appt. out though.

  

[Unclebuck257]

Thanks for your comment and concern. No I haven't passed that puppy yet but I haven't had any pain or blood since April 10th too, which is the good news. I've got an appt. at the VA with a Urologist this coming week so I guess we'll see then what's going on then. I know I haven't passed it too, because I strain everytime I urinate. I'll be very glad when it does finally pass and I will ask the VA doc to do whatever needed to get it out now.

[ChitChatNine]

I just happened upon your post today .. wow .. how are you now?  It's been about a week.  I've had stones that have taken up to 6 weeks to pass.  The blood usually is from movement .. they cut along their right of passage :(  But always speak to your doctor because it can be a UTI or other things, too.  You may have micro hematuria going on all the time and never know it (from a moving stone).

As you know, each stone is so different and not two exactly the same.

Hope maybe this is all history for you by now and/or you've had your appt at the VA hospital.

C~