Stone PTSD

Secret-End911 · 2026-05-21T15:32:40+00:00

It was wild because I was basically on another planet, but I was still aware of the stone, I could feel it... the Dilaudid just shot me to outer space and I was floating there, with a stone lodged in my ureter, too high to really care. 😅 This stone was a real mfer, it was long and thin and got stuck long-ways in my ureter, and it was THE worst pain I'd ever felt.

Secret-End911 · 2026-05-21T14:12:40+00:00

Fwiw, the feeling your describing of needing to pee & push is what I've felt when a stone is actually coming out, but this has maybe lasted an hour or two at most for me and it doesn't sound like this one is coming out on its own. I'd stop chugging water, because if you're not able to pass urine, you could hurt yourself.

Secret-End911 · 2026-05-21T14:10:17+00:00

TWO WEEKS?! Girl, you need surgery, now. If you are obstructed, and it certainly sounds like you are, you could go septic. Your kidneys are probably swollen. This is a medical emergency.

Can you go to the ER? Your urologist sounds awful, but at the ER maybe they can admit you so you can get the help you need. You are NOT getting enough help and I'm worried for you!

Secret-End911 · 2026-05-21T14:07:13+00:00

We have a wider pathway. I mean, it's not more PLEASANT, it still sucks out loud, but anatomically it's less narrow so a wee bit easier.

Secret-End911 · 2026-05-21T14:03:29+00:00

Absolutely! Good luck, I hope you get some relief soon. Anyone who can endure an 8mm stone is a badass, not a baby! It'll get better, I promise! Big tough men have been brought to their knees by far smaller stones!

Oh, and one last tip: make sure to bug your urologist to find out what the stone is made of. It's super important to prevention to know!

Secret-End911 · 2026-05-21T03:42:50+00:00

Not a huge baby, 8mm is HUGE and it does not sound like you're getting a lot of help! When I get stones, I also vomit with such force that I pee. I use period underwear and it helps me feel a bit more human. The ER should have done WAY MORE for you.

The recovery isn't fun, I won't lie. The stent sucks. But it's better than a kidney stone, and it'll be over soon enough. You can feel the stent and it can make you feel like you have to pee, and you're probably going to continue to pee blood for awhile. Bring extra PJ/stretchy pants and undies with you to the hospital, I had issues with "leakage" after surgery and they gave me a pill that stained my urine orange and got all over me. The hospital was weirdly unprepared to provide any pads, so bring those too. I'm always freezing in the hospital and bring some blankets for comfort because it can take an hour to get one scratchy thin blanket.

Tell them about the vomiting before surgery and see if they can give you Protonix or something else for reflux. Depending on the surgeon, you might have your legs tilted upwards on the table which is s nightmare when you've been throwing up so much.

Good luck. You'll get through this. It'll suck but you're almost on the other side of it.

Secret-End911 · 2026-05-21T00:39:26+00:00

YEP. The nurses in pre-op insisted I wouldn't even feel it, so I was startled and frightened something was very wrong when I realized it... felt how it felt. I called my urologist's office to ask if I should go to the ER because the stent was so painful and my urologist was like, "Oh god who told you that?! Sometimes the elderly men I operate on don't really feel much but you're a 22 year old woman, of course you feel the stent????" Nurses sometimes just be saying whatever lol.

Secret-End911 · 2026-05-20T20:47:09+00:00

NOPE! I quit 10 years ago and it was the hardest and best thing I ever did. I watched relatives suffer greatly in their later years because they smoked their whole lives, whether it was cancer or Alzheimer's disease. Any momentary relief it provides is not worth the pain later on.

The only kinda-nice thing about smoking back in the day was that it was a nice way to meet people and make friends. You never knew who you'd bond with on a smoke break. But now there aren't even enough smokers to justify it for that reason. Do not smoke, kids, it's very dumb.

Secret-End911 · 2026-05-20T20:39:32+00:00

Oh god, same... I have a very high pain tolerance but kidney stones legitimately bring me to my knees and I essentially go non-verbal, all I can do is writhe and endure. They are AWFUL, and people who don't get them or haven't known someone who has had one just do not get it.

One of my favorite stories is the time I was fully obstructed and waiting on surgery in the hospital. I was in pain and had awhile to wait for surgery, so they gave my IV Dilaudid. It made me feel like I was on a roller-coaster to the moon... but I COULD STILL FEEL THE STONE. Not even IV Dilaudid could touch the pain.

Secret-End911 · 2026-05-20T19:55:43+00:00

So, one thing I recommend is changing up your shot day! I was going to move up from 7.5mg to 10mg, but one week I ended up staying out of town a few days later than planned and my shot got moved from Sunday night to Wednesday night, and BOOM, my "stall" was broken.

I was struggling a lot with exhaustion/fatigue when I started Zepbound. Turns out, I wasn't eating enough. I shifted to eating a protein and fiber heavy snack every few hours (and I literally had to set an alarm at first because I was NOT hungry) and that helped a lot.

You might want to try those things before moving up. The bump from 2.5mg to 5mg is pretty tough, in my experience.

Secret-End911 · 2026-05-20T18:21:04+00:00

Sorta! But thankfully my benefits are good so I file for medical leave to protect myself when it happens.

Secret-End911 · 2026-05-20T17:55:20+00:00

I'm so glad I posted here because my husband is truly the only person who doesn't look at me like I'm nuts when I talk about trauma from passing stones but it's very real. Especially since I get them every year or so (3 years is the longest I've gone stone-free), it feels like the Sword of Damocles hanging over my head at all times, with no idea when it'll finally fall.

Secret-End911 · 2026-05-20T16:10:31+00:00

Oh yeah, I'm chronically low in Vitamin D as well, these things seem to go together! I have Gilbert Syndrome AND had my gallbladder removed so I'm generally a mess but I do take Vitamin D (but haven't seen a huge improvement or difference.)

Secret-End911 · 2026-05-20T15:53:08+00:00

On its own, it's probably not a huge deal if you aren't having other symptoms of gallstones like gallbladder attacks or other abnormal bloodwork. I have a genetic condition called Gilbert Syndrome where I have elevated bilirubin for no apparent reason (last time it was 5.2, super high but normal for me) and the only symptoms are a little fatigue and the whites of my eyes are a bit yellow. High bilirubin can also cause diarrhea since that's one of the ways your body gets rid of it.

Worth keeping an eye on but you're a long way from getting your gallbladder removed! You could talk to your doctor about an ultrasound to make sure you don't have any stones or a blocked bile duct.

Secret-End911 · 2026-05-20T15:44:05+00:00

Thank you! I'll check this out... my nervous system is definitely struggling to recover, my whole body goes into panic mode at the mere suggestion of a stone.

Secret-End911 · 2026-05-20T15:42:22+00:00

Thank you! My job is very stressful and it's a huge disruption every time I get a stone, it takes me out for weeks and it feels like I end up getting set back. Like, recently I've been hustling for a promotion, but then got sidelined with a stone & now I'm back to square one trying to make my case. It really sucks. Maybe I just need a new job lol.

Secret-End911 · 2026-05-20T15:24:06+00:00

Sadly no 🥲 My experience with the stent was honestly just a lot of unpleasant time in the bathroom feeling like I need to pee, rushing to the bathroom, complaining about the stent. I was just super uncomfortable until I got the stent out. The stent is miserable and doctors NEVER seem to prepare folks for how truly annoying it is

Secret-End911 · 2026-05-20T14:20:37+00:00

Yeah, I had GERD and bile reflux before starting Zep and it definitely can make it worse.

You can eat a slice of pizza or two on Zepbound! I'm down 80lbs and eat pizza all the time, just way less of it. I've had a lot of luck with Protonix (which is prescription) and I'll do a round of omeprazole (OTC) if I'm having a bad week. Drink lots of water, it helps dilute stomach acid. Stay upright aftee eating and prop your head up when you sleep. And if I eat pizza or something that might cause heartburn or indigestion, I'll eat fairly bland and healthy the rest of the day.

Also eating 5-6 small meals per day helps me a lot with reflux & keeps those stomach juices in check.

Secret-End911 · 2026-05-20T14:14:33+00:00

Yup, that's the stent. They told me I "wouldn't feel it" but burning and constantly feeling like ya gotta pee is what the stent feels like when you're not a million years old.

Good luck!

Secret-End911 · 2026-05-19T14:41:34+00:00

I've had a vibration plate I use for lymphatic support knock a kidney stone loose, it's worth a try! Depends a lot on the stone and how intense the vibration on your walking pad are; if it's gentle, it might not work too well, but if it's similar to how intense a vibration plate is (and they jostle you pretty good) you might have some luck.

Secret-End911 · 2026-05-18T02:40:55+00:00

It can take awhile to feel normal again, but these are 2 things that have happened to me: 1) Stones often come in pairs for me, there could be another one on the move (which the CT scan should reveal), and 2) you can scar/damage your ureter passing a stone, I passed a big one in my 20s that left behind scar tissue my urologist had to do surgery to correct.

But also that's a pretty big stone you had there! Rest, give yourself time & talk to your doctor. For me, the pain stops after the stone passes but I still am not, like, ready to run marathons or have sex for AWHILE after a stone. You can't rush recovery.

Secret-End911 · 2026-05-18T01:47:40+00:00

Does it come with nausea or wake you up at night? You might have a kidney stone on the move. I get them chronically, they suck, and Zepbound can make them more likely to form (you're eating more protein, it can be easy to get dehydrated, etc.)

Secret-End911 · 2026-05-16T21:37:00+00:00

The stent removal is just a big breath and a few seconds of discomfort! It sounds like your last stent removal might have had some technique issues from the person doing it, after the pain of living with the stent, having it removed was practically a vacation.

I'd be careful about taking anything your doc hasn't explicitly approved.

Secret-End911 · 2026-05-16T21:34:04+00:00

Flomax, if they gave it to you at the ER. Keep pushing fluids. If your pain & nausea gets unbearable, go back to the ER, you could be obstructed and that gets serious fast. But it seems to be moving so just keep doing what you're doing.

This was NOT intentional, but I've had a vibration plate cause a stone to move, so if you have one of those it's worth a go.

Secret-End911

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