No longer stoned in Seattle (Melodie)

Hi all,

Well, the stone removal turned about a bit more interesting than I thought it would be. Went in last Thursday expecting a 45 min. procedure but it took the doc nearly 2.5 hours...had bigger stones and more stones than expected...one in size was 20 mm which is like 3/4 of inch in diameter. He went in with laser catheter and blasted the stones into framents and then had to remove them one by one...that is what took time...I thought they would just suck them out but guess they can't do that.

Afterwards had to go home with Foley catheter because doc felt I needed to let the bladder and Rosebud (stoma) rest for a few days after the workout he gave the system. That was fun. For whatever reasons, hardly any urine would enter the bag so I ended up having to irrigate several times a day....I didn't seem lots of mucus so I think it was more fragments of stone that might have slipped by his view...and when I took the Foley out last night, guess what I found in the eye of it...a fragment of course. I wasn't surprised to learn I had stones as I saw very tiny fragments myself about 2 months after getting my new bladder.

I give the doctor credit...had no pain, saw no blood afterwards, and really did not have any real tenderness after removing the Foley. I am at work today. I did have to mention to my doc that I had some swelling in my feet and ankles and we have to watch that I guess to ensure there are no blood clots. As for diet...he suggested some real lemon juice daily but that is too acidic and my pouch rebels. I have always drank lots of water. I wonder if apple cider vineger would help. I have had lots of cranberry juice so that obviously isn't the fix. Thanks all for the input. Melodie

Dear Melodie,

I am happy to hear that the op went well to remove your stones...

Kind Regards
Leigh

Hi Melodie....hey maybe you need a glass of white wine every night to dissolve those stones?.........
Stones may form in the pouch as early as four to five months post-operative. The reported incidence of calculi in the Indiana pouch diversion is 2.9 to 12.9% [2],[6],[7]. Most of these stones are composed of struvite [magnesium ammonium phosphate] and are thought to be secondary to infection by urea splitting organisms. Small crystals and intestinal mucus that remain in the reservoir can act as the nidus for stone formation. Incidence of pouch calculi was noted to be higher in patients with lower 24- hour urine volume. Periodic urine culture and eradication of infection, proper emptying and irrigation of the pouch and a good water intake help prevent calculi formation in the pouch.
Did the doc recommend anything not to drink?
I know when my husband had kidney stones they told him one of the worst things he could drink was cranberry juice.......I Know...that contradicts everything we thought we knew......
I just wonder if they had any recommendations? And not the usual drink lots of water as that also takes the salt out of the body and upsets the electrolytes.......I want answers ....
Hugs......Pat

I was told (back when they thought my BC was kidney stones)to save the stone when it passed. They could then analyze it and let me know its component parts. Apparently if they know its consistency they can inform you what in your diet causes it. I don't know if it works the same for bladder stones, but it is worth asking.

Glad that all went well.

Webs

Melodie,
Glad to hear your stone free. Never heard of them myself. I have had kidney stones 3 times and they are painful, are bladder stones ??
Its good to hear it all went well... Ginger

At my last CTscan in late May, I was told by my doctor that I had a bladder stone(s) and they would have to go. I had never known bladder stones existed. He told me I could wait 2-3 months but no longer than that because they do grow. I decided I wanted to get it done and over with so last Thursday found me at the UW having stones removed.

Luckily I went ahead and got it scheduled and over with. My stones had grown and totaled greater than 2-3cm in size combined. My dear doctor thought it would take only 45 minutes but instead we were in OR almost 2.5 hours. He had to laser the stones into small fragments. Then, altho. I had been told that I wouldn't be going home with a catheter, he decided it was necessary so my dear Rosebud could get some rest...Rosebud and the tract were quite irritated by the doctor going back in and out.

The doctor and team working in day surgery were all terrific. I never felt any pain and altho. I was given some pain meds when I left, I did not have to use them. Also, there was no blood in my urine and I did not see any more mucus than normal. I went home with a leg bag and at night switched over to a big bag....only to wake in the middle of the night and learn that no urine was in the bag.... something plugged up. So since I was to keep this Foley catheter until Monday, I had to figure out what I needed to do. I was told to irrigate through the existing cateter and continue to do so...Dah! I should have thought of that...guess it was the drugs clouding my thinking...for some reason most of the urine just can't seem to make it out of the ole bod on it's own.

Just another learning experience but I truely hope that this is not going to be a yearly thing for me. The doctor was kind enough to give me samples of the stones (which I had asked for) and those stones are just like what I saw last Sept/Oct in my early days of cathing. The only difference is they were smaller then. Anyway, they are now out and I am no longer stoned. I just need to learn some way to alter my diet so I don't continue to have these. Anyone has any ideas, please share. Thanks.
BC warrior, Melodie