Getting Stoned

Warning: The following is fairly graphic. Proceed at your own risk, or just scroll down the page to get to the baby pictures.

I have a history of passing kidney stones. Mine are primarily calcium, which is the most common type, and I'm just keeping everything nice and diluted lately with lots and lots of water (still and sparkling) because it looks like another one is working its way through the pipes.

Work is the operative word. A kidney stone, for those who have not had the dubious accomplishment of passing one, is like a jagged little piece of sedimantary rock that forms when too much of a mineral builds up in yuour kidneys. It then starts moving through your internal ductwork to its inevitable exit, scraping its way merrily along. I won't bore you with the symptoms, but think about places you don't want to see blood coming out of, and then tell me what's at the top of the list.

That's what I thought.

I have been fortunate enough not to have been in pain lately, but it's relative. I deal with pain fairly well, because when I brought in the last stone I passed, it was large enough that the doctor was surprised it didn't send me to the emergency room.* To me though, passing them has been (to date) the easy part - it's much worse when they're on the move, and there are people out there with real problems. A little calcium is no big deal when there are all those suicide bombers running around, so don't worry about the rocks that I got. I just thought I'd share that I'm peeing in pastels right now.

*Email if you want a picture. It's super-jagged!