A world of hurt (kidney stones)
 

anybody have to deal with this one?

I recently passed a kidney stone, which I can honestly say was the most pain I have ever been through. But I fear the worst is not over. I have been told that I am grounded untill the FAA decides otherwise. Has anyone had to go through this process? What steps I need to take to be proactive? Any advice would be appreciated...

DD

If you're in a hurry to get your medical back, contact a third-party pilot medical consulting organization. AOPA provides this service, and there are a number of private outfits. I have used this one: http://www.aviationmedicine.com/

I have a friend at UAL who had kidney stones...he still works there.

Not a huge deal, you may get a special issuance for a year. Upon completion of a test and some paperwork, you may be issued a restriction-free medical.

Good Luck

Thanks guys....wish me luck...

DD

Would you mind explaining your situation a little further for some of us? Do you know what caused the stone to develop? Diet or excessive consumption of anything in particular? Can you remember any symptoms you had before you knew you had it? What did it feel like before it actually passed? What can the rest of us do to avoid having to endure that horrific pain?

Sorry to hear about what happened and I hope you get to feeling better!

A friend of mine described the feeling as that of a bowling ball covered with razor blades trying to get out of his....er....ah.....euretha! When it was all done he said it looked like a teeny tiny piece of sand.

IIRC from what my buddy said, dehydration can play a role.

My buddy describes it as "A Man giving birth" is what it felt like.

Yep, I agree.

I had one a couple of years back. Once you have one, you DON'T want another one so you drink ALOT of water. Not the Diet Cokes the F/A's bring you every ten minutes, but WATER. Sometimes I have to force myself to drink even though I'm not thirsty. My doctor said the goal in to..er ..pardon me.. "Pee Clear". It's a sign you kidneys/bladder are flushed.

No more makin' gravel for me after that experience.

SF

Sorry I havent posted in a while....been down for the count.

Passed one stone. 2mm and I thought I was gonna die....aparently I got a 7mm SOB still in there. I'm going in for some procedure that is supposed to blast it with sound waves tomorrow. I guess if that doesn't work then I get "the claw". (if you dont know...you dont wanna know)

Still waiting on the chemical analysis of the first stone so I dont know what caused it but probably dehydration. I have always kept myself dehydrated. I now drink so much water, I pee every 1/2 hour! No joke!

To answer earlier questions, It started out with just a slight discomfort in my lower back one night. The pain was an anoyance but I slept most of the night. In the morning I went to the bathroom and in about two minutes I was on the floor and my crash-pad mate was calling the hospital. It was a sharp throbbing pain that was pretty unbearable. On the ride over they gave me morphine and that took care of that. After the CT scan they confirmed what they already knew. They gave me a prescription for some pain meds and told me to pee through a strainer until it came out. The next four days were BAD, BAD, BAD. Between peeing blood, passing out, throwing up, and drinking more water than a camel getting a refill, I never want to experience that again. (turns out I may have to shortly)

Thanks for the help. It turns out I wont be flying for a bit. I have to deal with the stone, then the FAA. Hopefully by the end of Oct I can get airborne again.

I will post what the doc has to say about the keeping future stones from forming. I guess there are a few different types, but for now its water. lots and lots of water.

DD