KIDNEY STONE NIGHTMARE!

[lexiegram]

If anyone has any advice, input, etc-I am all ears!!
  In Dec. I experienced my first kidney stone attack. I prayed to God it was my last, but no such luck. I passed a small stone 2-3 days later, but the Cat Scan showed there was an 8mm stone in right kidney. The one I passed was app 3mm. Oh, dear God! I understood there were possible little ones on other kidney, but no such emphasis was put there. I decided it best to find a Urologist, since I still had this other stone. 2 Lithrotripsies-cysto's were done in attempt to break up the stone, but it didn't budge. It did get a little bigger over the months, but caused me no pain. Dr. decided it best to "leave it alone" and do another X-Ray in 6 mo. to check size, etc. IVP revealed it was in difficult place in kidney. Meanwhile..end of June-woke up with SEVERE pain on other side-yep, you got it,a good ole kidney stone attack from hell. Straight to ER-admitted. Dr. decided to place stent in, was released-after 2 1/2 wks-back to hospital to have stent removed and Dr. attempt to remove stone. No luck. He stated that "he had it, but it slipped away!!"
   I experienced, SEVERE pain, too after the stent was removed, particularly in post op. I thought, if I'd known it was this bad-I'd have just left the dang thing in! To complicate matters, I am on opioid pain medications for chronic pain due to spinal surgeries, and the Dr.s/hospital/nurses, were not knowledgable with managing acute pain with opioid dependent patients. Instead of giving me more pain medication to control my pain, they actually gave me less, thinking I didn't need as much since I was already taking "so much narcotics!" They did not give me my maintenence meds the whole time I was hospitalized, which put me into withdrawal. Major nightmare. I was sent home with nothing, absolutely nothing for pain. I'm not very happy, to say the least, especially knowing this isn't over. It angers me that my pain was not controlled basically because the health field was uninformed-misinformed-wrong-stupid. I'll stop there.
   If anyone has any kind of advice, or direction-I will appreciate every bit of it. Thanks-so very much!!

[lexiegram]

Thanks for your response. The doc I have now says that he would "never do surgery" on a stone that size. I was referring to the surgery through the back. I guess he thought an 8mm stone was nothing. Of coarse he did say that if the stone did try to pass through the ureter it would be a medical emergency, as there is no way it could fit. So, he's somewhat confusing to me. I have had the CT, IVP and 2 cysto's, also when he removed the stent, he tried to get the small stone on the left side with some kind of "basket" (?) and he said it slipped out of the basket, and got away! Sounds almost funny. So now I guess I'm just on stand-by waiting to see which side goes next...the right or the left...the big stone or the ittie bittie one. I may be joking now, but when it hits, I won't be!

[Dr. Kokil Mathur]

Hi
Thanks for writing to the forum!
I am sorry you have to suffer so much. If lithotripsy and stent failed, then the nephrologist can try  percutaneous nephrolithotomy through a small incision in the back. Since the stone is  causing so much discomfort, it should be removed. Also a CT scan may be ordered to look at the kidneys more closely.
Please discuss this with your doctor. Please let me know if there is any thing else and do keep me posted. Take care!