My Kidney Stones - By Scott Kelsey

Happy New Year!!

2011-01-03T13:40:00.003-05:00

Well, 2010 was pretty easy on me with only one stone (knock on wood). My dad on the other hand had a tough one. He passed 11 stones in December alone, we thought he was finished for awhile but to our suprise he text me this morning with a photo of his first 2011 baby.

It says it's his biggest yet, well biggest kidney stone that he has passed. Check it out!

1/4 inch long and the size of an eraser.

Talk about pain just imagine passing this one.

New Kidney Stone Photo

2010-12-14T13:03:00.003-05:00

Dad (the King of Kidney Stones) passed another kidney Stone today

Kidney Stones and Tea

2010-07-29T08:14:00.003-04:00

If you've suffered from kidney stones this summer it may be because you had too much iced tea.

The popular summertime beverage has high concentrations of oxalate -- a key chemical in the formation of kidney stones. Though hot tea also has oxalates, it's not as easily consumed in large quantities like its cold counterpart.
Kidney stones, a disorder of the urinary tract, affect about 10 percent of the United States population. Men are four times more likely to develop these painful crystals than women, and the risk increases for those aged 40 and older, as well as for postmenopausal women with low estrogen or those with their ovaries removed.
The crystals form from minerals and salt and can often be passed painlessly through the urine. But sometimes the stones can grow too large and lodge in the ureters, or the small tubes that drain urine from the kidney to the bladder.
A common cause of kidney stones is dehydration and combining this lack of fluids with an over-consumption of iced tea can raise the risk of developing the disorder.
"For many people, iced tea is potentially one of the worst things they can drink," Dr. John Milner, assistant professor in the Department of Urology at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine, said in a statement. "For people who have a tendency to form kidney stones, it's definitely one of the worst things you can drink."

Americans consume more than 2 billion gallons of iced tea each year, according to the Tea Association of the U.S.A. And its appeal might come from the belief that it's healthier than soda and beer.

But the best way to hydrate, Milner said, is to drink water or real lemonade (not the artificially-flavored kind). Lemons have large amounts of citrates, which help deflect the growth of kidney stones.

"People are told that in the summertime they should drink more fluids," Milner said. "A lot of people choose to drink more iced tea, thinking it's a tastier alternative. However, in terms of kidney stones, they're actually doing themselves a disservice."

Milner suggests that those prone to kidney stones stay away from other foods high in oxalates like spinach, chocolate, rhubarb and nuts, and instead consume foods and drinks high in calcium which can reduce the amount of oxalates the body absorbs.

Kidney Stones and Weight Gain

2010-05-25T13:20:00.005-04:00

Can being over weight cause kidneys stones... The answers is YES!

The results of the study appear in the Jan. 26 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association

• Men weighing more than 220 pounds had a 44% higher risk of kidney stones compared with
men who weighed less than 150 pounds. (I would have to cut my leg off to be under 150lbs)

• Women (aged 34-59) who weighed more than 220 pounds had an 89% higher risk of kidney stones compared with those weighing less than 150 pounds. Younger women in this
higher weight category had a 92% higher risk.

• Men who gained more than 35 pounds since age 21 had a 39% higher risk of kidney stones
compared with men whose weight did not change.

• Women who gained a similar amount since age 21 had a 70% higher risk of developing
kidney stones, and younger women had an 82% higher risk.

In addition, researchers found having a higher BMI or larger waist size was also associated with a higher risk of kidney stones.

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NOoooooo!

2010-02-11T16:25:00.002-05:00

Today I am feeling like I have a stone brewing inside me. I have been hitting the water pretty hard for the past few hours hoping to get rid of this thing pretty quick. It is just a sharp pain in my lower back that creeps around to my belly button; the normal pain I get when I have a kidney stone.

I hope it is nothing but I will keep you posted.

PS. Dad has already passed 3 stones this year and it is only the 2nd week of february.

Scott Kelsey

Doctors if you would like to run test on me for studies please let me know. I will be your case study. thanks

Kidney Stone Compitition - 2010

2010-01-04T13:07:00.004-05:00

Well I am sad to say that I lost this years battle of the kidney stones. My dad informed me this morning that he passed the first "Kelsey Kidney Stone of the year". I thought for sure I was going to win this year because dad passed a stone last week, leaving me to think that he done for a while... But NOooo the Kidney Stone King comes through again.

I woke up a few days ago with a pain that made me think that I had a kidney Stone brewing inside me but I haven't had any more pain since then. So either it was a false alarm or a ticking time bomb waiting to explode with pain. Either way I am not going to be the champ this year, but maybe just maybe I can still win the biggest one (I hope not).

If you ever want to buy a kidney stone give us a call we grow 'em dollar weeks.

Thanks for Reading

Scott Kelsey
aka The Prince of Kidney Stone

kidney stones case study

Grandmother just got her first Kidney Stone.

2009-08-02T22:40:00.002-04:00

Well my wife's grandmother "Mimi" turned 80 this year and just her luck she grew a kidney stone. So I spend the whole afternoon at the ER with her. She had the same signs of having a kidney stone, side pain or as the Dr. kept saying today "Flank Pain" and vomiting. She awoke this morning to a shooting pain in her left side and had to call a neighbor a few hours later to take her to the ER. My wife and I were on vacation and of course our cell phones were dead because we were Roaming all weekend. But as soon as we plugged them in and was able to turn them back on they started blowing up with messages.

We just got home and Mimi is doing fine, they gave here to much Liquid which made her lungs fill up with liquid so the had to admit her to the ICU. Tomorrow morning they plan on Retrieving the Kidney Stone with the basket (I have not had this procedure done to date, but I'm sure I will one day). I feel you all in tomorrow after the surgery.

Kidney Stone #23 - 2nd Post

2009-07-21T13:19:00.003-04:00

Well it's been a few hours since the pain has started, now the pain has backed off a bit so I am able to write a little more about it. I still feel like this one is on it's way out already... but who really knows.

I just got off the phone with the "The King of Kidney Stones" (my dad). He told me that he just passed a stone this morning, but feels like he still may have a kidney stone inside his right kidney. He told me about a cocktail his coworker told him about. We are going to call it a Kidney Stone Cocktail. I went online a did a search and sure enough there are many people that believe in it. Dad drank it last night before bed and passed a Kidney Stone this morning. So I'll be stopping by the grocery on my way home tonight to pick up a the ingredients. I'll let you know what the out come is.

Kidney Stone Cocktail
1 ounce of freshly Squeezed Lime Juice (not in the bottle)
1 ounce of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
8 ounces of COLD Water

Day One of Kidney Stone #23

2009-07-21T11:43:00.003-04:00

Today as I am working on passing Kidney Stone Number 23.

As I sit here at work with the wonderful pain of having a Kidney Stone I couldn't help but log onto my blog and tell you all about it. I am a lunch sitting in my cubicle wonder how much pain I can go though with out telling these people that I have a kidney stone. I have the pressure build up that I normally have when I am about to pass the stone, so I'm thinking that this one will not to long to pass. I am drinking my Green Tea and hoping not to experience too much pain.

I hope I do not jinx myself be writing about it. This is my first play-by-play battle with the blog. Hopefully I will be uploading a new photo of my new stone by the end of the day.

Strainer in hand as I slowly walk to the bathroom.

A Family that gets (kidney) stoned together...

2009-06-05T23:33:00.007-04:00

A Family that gets (kidney) stoned together; stays together.

It's funny how every time I tell someone that I "produce" kidney stones they seems to curl up in a ball and say "I've never had one but I hear they hurt". The I tell them the number of kidney stones that I have had and the FREAK OUT! Everyone knows someone who has passed a kidney stone but only our friends know a family that passes so many.

I love my dad and cannot wait to share some of his stories with all of you! In a sick way we have a bond that no one else has. We call each other in pain everytime we have one, sometimes gasping for air because the pain is so intense. Always laughing and joking with each other to get one another through the pain.

Kidney Stones are our life!

Scott Kelsey

If you have any questions or comments about Kidney Stones please feel free to leave me a comment I will get back to you.

Kidney Stone Photo Gallery

2009-06-05T23:27:00.005-04:00

Everyone has an uncle or a friends family member that had one and went to the ER to get morphine because of a kidney stone. Not many people know the knee buckling pain that will bring a grown man to tears. No one know the excitement and feeling of a kidney stone ripping the insides of your junk as it cuts its way out into the free world. We are a select few humans that needs to be rewarded by our pain and suffering. From here on out if you have a kidney stone please post a photo of it so we can compare and congratulate each other with our fine efforts. We will have Thompson Touch, LLC - a Fort Myers web design Company & Naples Web design Company design the site for us.

Scott Kelsey

If you have any questions or comments about Kidney Stones please feel free to leave me a comment I will get back to you.

Attention Doctors and Urologist

2009-06-05T23:14:00.003-04:00

Every so often when I go pee I feel as if I pass a kidney stone that I didn't know I had. My dad says the same thing, so who really knows how many stones we pass in a year. We are what I like to call "kidney stone farmers" except no one wants to buy our final product. If there was ever a study or if there ever there is every a study in the works, I'm sure my father and I would get the job.

**Attention Doctors and Urologist around the world. If you want to have two case studies I know the two specimens for the job.

Scott Kelsey

If you have any questions or comments about Kidney Stones please
feel free to leave me a comment I will get back to you.

My first Trip to the Urologist - WOW!!!

2009-05-18T21:35:00.004-04:00

My 1st trip to my Urologist wasn't really what I was expecting.

1st off my dad's Urologist was on vacation and he had a man hater, woman Urologist filling in for him. Well this really made me nervous, the tone of voice she used and the questions she was asking me really didn't make me feel like I had a kidney stone at all. She had me convinced that I had contracted an STD of some sort from some dirty hooker that I picked up along the way some where, I thought for sure that I must have slept walked down to the local hoe stroll and caught something. So instead of sending me to the X-ray room to take a shot of my kidneys she decided to run some STD test on me first. Oh what fun!!!

If you have ever had this mind numbing experience please bear with me if not hold on because here we go.

This devil of a Urologist thought it would be better for me if she laid me down on a cold ass doctor's table and run some "special" test on me and my junk. Now I have have no clue what is going on; she tells me to drop my pants, and she is checking everything out and then the unthinkable happens. She stuck a (what seemed to be) full size Q-tip up my pee hole... that is right straight up it no lube of any kind just dry cotton ripping through me. In my unprofessional opinion nothing I mean nothing should ever go up that hole... EVER!

Now picture a 18 year old male screaming like a 7 year old girl that just fell off her bike and cut her knee. You now have the visual of me laying on that table with tears in my eyes wonder how some evil Woman could do this such a thing to me and for no reason; no reason at all. Then she went on her marry little way all happy and in a good mood, not feeling like she just violated me or anything, just as happy as she could be.

She comes back into my room and tells me to got to the X-Ray room just in case there is a Kidney Stone... Low-and-behold; sure enough there is the first Kidney Stone of my collection.

Thanks for nothing Doc, that was the last time I have ever saw her but I will remember her name for the rest of my life.

Scott Kelsey

If you have any questions or comments about Kidney Stones please
feel free to leave me a comment I will get back to you.

The First Kidney stone is the worst Kidney Stone

2009-05-18T21:15:00.005-04:00

My first kidney stone was my worst Kidney Stone. You have NO clue what is going on in your body and what kind of Pain is going to come next...

I remember I was 18 years old and my parents came to visit me in college, we were all driving back from dinner and I felt like I had to pee, not like a normal feeling of a full bladder but like a burning / internal itching feeling, one that I have never experienced every before. (If you have had a Kidney Stone or have one right now, I'm sure you know what I mean). I remember I could not sit still the whole ride home then we I did get home the pain in my kidneys was so bad a laid on my bedroom floor curled up in the fetus position for a few hours. Luckily my dad "The King of Kidney Stones" was there to walk me though it. Laughing the whole time.

My first Kidney Stone was the must uncomfortable feeling that you could think of, I could never get comfortable nor could I sit still for most of the time I had it. I remember pacing up and down the Urologist waiting room because there is no way I could sit in one of the small thinly cushioned doctor's office chairs. I'm sure everyone in there thought I was on something the way I paced and grunted to myself every time a sharp pain would shoot through my lower back. Finally they called me in.

My Secerets to Passing a Kidney Stone

2009-05-07T08:51:00.004-04:00

Everyone has their own way of doing things;
I have my own way of Passing Kidney Stones.

Now I'm not saying this will work for you but, it works for me.

Once the unbearable pain begins to pierce it's way through my kidneys I know I have one of two choices to make, either run to the fridge and start pounding back some beers (which in fact has been recommended to me by my Urologist and is a wonderful idea) or Drive to the store and buy some Arizona Green Tea. Not the 99 cent tall boy I'm talking about 1 gallon jug; most of the time I buy two.

For some strange reason if I drink this green tea at room temperature then I seem to pass my stone within a day or two, depending on the size of the stone. I sit down a my desk or on the couch with a glass and the bottle of Arizona Green Tea and start drinking. This is all I will drink for the rest of the day and into the next day. I try to finish the first gallon within a couple of hours, YES that is a lot of fluids but once you start peeing you will understand why. Once you break the seal... It's on! You will be going to the bathroom every 15-20 minutes, I always feel like I pee'd out 5 gallons... One gallon in 5 gallons out.

Basically what you are doing is flushing your system out completely, so if there is a stone that is small enough to pass chances are it will come out. And when that happens you will feel it!

Good Luck and happy passing!
Scott

Kidney Stone with NO Back Pain

2009-05-01T13:22:00.007-04:00

Sometimes my Kidneys NEVER hurt when I have a Kidney Stone...

I have passed a few stones where I didn't have any kidney pain at all... just pressure in my kahunas. I seam to pass this type of Kidney Stone fairly quickly... well within a day or two. It is a different kind of pain, you wake up in the middle of the night and you feel as if someone clamped a pair of vise grips to one of your Kahunas and you are unable to unclamp this torture devise(not the best feeling in the world).

The first time this happened to my I freaked out, thinking maybe I had cancer or something; my urine was stream of pure blood, one of my boys were swollen and tender to the touch, I knew it was the end of the road for me or at least for my... well you know.

I started to panic and decided to call my dad (the King of Kidney Stones) to see if it was a hernia or something along those lines. I know he has had them before as well and figured he would know what to do. He just laughed and said I think you got another kidney stone, apparently this was not an uncommon kidney stone symptom for the seasoned vet. By the end of our phone conversation the stress of having cancer was lifted and sure enough a few hours later here it comes the newest addition to my family of kidney stones.

"Into the jar you go!"

What a relief that was, mentally and physically.

Thanks for reading,
Scott
AKA - The Prince of Kidney Stones

Kidney Stone Pain - How Can I tell If I have a Kidney Stone

2009-05-01T11:26:00.005-04:00

How to tell if I have a Kidney Stone...

It all starts with an unbearable lower back pain, but only on one side.

The pain is a little bit higher than your hip and it feels like someone stabbed you with a rusty Buck knife and keeps twisting it inside your body. This pain will come and go in surges, it sends painful shock waves threw your lower torso for an hour for an hour or two before it goes away, I once had an episode last the whole night, so don't be alarmed if it doesn't go away for awhile. Once it is gone you feel so relieved but more than likely it WILL return, sometimes it's gone for a month or two before it shows it's evil face again; but most of the time it will return within the hour.

The pain is like no other, for some unknown reason the pain is never the same. Sometime it hurts so bad it drops me to my knees, where I will stay until I am able to get to my bottle of pain killers. A lady at my work had one about two years ago and she layed curled up under her desk for an hour. Other times I have to walk, this is when I like to revert back to my childhood when I would get hurt and my father would tell me to "get up and walk it off". So I pace back and forth until the pain is exhausted the whole time I keep saying to myself "walk it off, just walk it off" then the pain eases and you can relax for a minute or two.

Kidney Stones and the way I deal with them

2009-04-30T13:46:00.003-04:00

My Name is Scott and I am 31 years old, as of April 06, 2009 I passed my 22nd Kidney Stone. I have been growing kidney stones since I was 18 years old (thanks Dad). I have started this blog to help myself and other deal with their battle with kidney stones. I thought it would be pretty interesting to do my own studies on how many Kidney Stones my body produces in my life time.

I will be talking about my pain and my suffering and the joys of finally passing the stones to everyone that cares to read about them. I will post photos of the final stone just so everyone can see, if you have ever passed one you will understand why it is such a joy and a appolishment to finally get rid of your stone.

As of right now I am cleaned out "No Stones". Last year I had 3 lithotripsy and I also passed two on my own. So far this year I have only passed one.

Here it is #22 - 04/06/2009

Yes it is sad but true, I try to catch and keep everyone that I have passed. But sadly I misplaced my jar that I had for over 10 years so I had to start a new one this past year. I like to compare then to a pencil just so people can see just how large or small they really are.

Scott Kelsey | Fort Myers Wedding Photographer | Naples Wedding Photographer