...Extra Corporeal...

This may be too much information but I thought you guys might want to know what’s going on with me...

I will be having a Extracorporeal (yes, that’s right – EXTRA CORPOREAL... Sounds all very SciFi) Shock Wave Lithotripsy (ESWL) to treat my kidney stone as it can not pass and is blocking (off and on) one of the tubes flowing out of the kidney. Sadly, there can be 3-5 days for the passage of all the pieces of stone (or longer) and the recovery from the procedure itself. The soonest I can have the procedure is next week and even then, I’m in the throws of preparing for my brother’s wedding. And, to be honest, don't want to be trying to get everything done and attend the wedding while 'recovering'!

I’ll be off work for Joel's wedding 05/13/09 - 05/18/09 and will be taking sick leave on 05/21 and 05/22 in order to get my labs done and have the procedure. I’ll have the long weekend (Monday is Memorial Day) to recover and hopefully be back at work on Tuesday, May 26th. The procedure is 85% successful and if it doesn’t work I will have to have surgery.

In the meantime, I am in pretty consistent back pain (the level of pain comes and goes) and may still develop an infection (yay!). The good news is though... Wait, I don’t have any right now. Well, actually, the good news is that I can do some work from home. I’m making some arrangements to do just that in the event this all goes wonky or I need more healing time.

*** Read more about being Extra Corporeal below ***

Extracorporeal Shock Wave Lithotripsy

Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) is the most frequently used procedure for the treatment of kidney stones. In ESWL, shock waves that are created outside the body travel through the skin and body tissues until they hit the denser stones. The stones break down into small particles and are easily passed through the urinary tract in the urine.

Several types of ESWL devices exist. Most devices use either x rays or ultrasound to help the surgeon pinpoint the stone during treatment. For most types of ESWL procedures, anesthesia is needed.

In many cases, ESWL may be done on an outpatient basis. Recovery time is relatively short, and most people can resume normal activities in a few days.

Complications may occur with ESWL. Some patients have blood in their urine for a few days after treatment. Bruising and minor discomfort in the back or abdomen from the shock waves can occur. To reduce the risk of complications, doctors usually tell patients to avoid taking aspirin and other medicines that affect blood clotting for several weeks before treatment.

Sometimes, the shattered stone particles cause minor blockage as they pass through the urinary tract and cause discomfort. In some cases, the doctor will insert a small tube called a stent through the bladder into the ureter to help the fragments pass. Sometimes the stone is not completely shattered with one treatment, and additional treatments may be needed. (UM, ugh!)

As with any interventional, surgical procedure, potential risks and complications should be discussed with the doctor before making a treatment decision.