The pain is typical. It comes in bouts, coming and going like an Abiku child
It spreads from the loin to the groin, makes you sick, makes you want to puke
Your heart is racing, your back is hurting, your urine is bleeding!
It’s a stone, Mate! A nice little stone.
But you know what? This too shall pass, Just drink plenty water and you’re good 😀
Kidney stones need some demystifying. It’s like a death sentence to some people when you tell them they’ve got a kidney stone. Relax Sis, it’s just a stone and it will pass as most stones do.
The two kidneys are located just around the loins at the back. And they’ve got a tube each (the ureters) draining the urine from them into the bladder. Most often than not, the stone is actually in the ureter, forcing it’s way through the tiny lumen of the tube.
With every little move the stone makes, the body senses it as sharp excruciating pain. The stone pauses in its course and the pain subsides again. The stone moves a little forward and the pain is back. This is the nature of colicky pain. Annoyingly annoying 🤕.
You find yourself cringing in pain, wondering if you’re in labour or whether everyone on your family tree decided to donate all their pains and dash you everything. You even try to adopt several positions to see which would alleviate the pain.
And then the shocker comes. Some stones are large enough to irritate the urine tract and cause some bleeding. So you see blood in your urine and you go Gaga! Your village people have finally gotten you! Not true buddy, it’s just a stone – or is it not?
You’re wondering why your doctor is so calm despite the amount of pain you’re in. “It’s because he’s not the one in pain”, you think to yourself! Not really my friend. It’s because he knows you’d be fine. Plus, if your doctor is also panicking, then you should call 911 ASAP.
All in all, it’s going to be alright. See the doctor and get it treated. You’d be fine, it’s a stone, it’ll come and go 😀
By
Dr Osunlusi Olufemi
MBBS Lagos
EnGw 