Wow - what a year. August - Trigeminal Neuralgia, with excruciating pain. November - Brain surgery with Micro Vascular Decompression of the Trigeminal Nerve. Three weeks off of work. Great recovery, no more pain. Then late January passed right kidney stone (I believe the stones were caused by the Rx I was taking for the Trigeminal Neuralgia - haven't had one for 25 years), with more excruciating pain. and x-rays showing another in the left kidney a growing. Scheduled last Friday for Lithotripsy, took day off, terrible laxative the day before. Got a call in the am that the Lithotripsy machine was broken, so rescheduled for today, more terrible laxative yesterday, and scheduled at noon today. Can't eat a thing since yesterday noon, no drinks since midnight.

They will knock me out, aim low frequency sound waves at the kidney stone and hopefully blast it to smithereens! Hope their aim is good.

Anyway, it has put a crimp in my riding. I hope to get this all done with and be WELL for a while!!

Thanks for listening!!

Hope someone has a good ride today. Right now we have ice, freezing and snow. Not exactly great riding weather.

Must be a pain in the neck...well, maybe not exactly the neck. Hope it goes well. Blasting the stone has to be better than passing it.

Denver, I feel for you. No one can understand how much a bum kidney really hurts until you have had one. Hang in there guy, and have a speedy recovery.

Dnvr I feel for you. I have been in the radiology equipment repair business for 25 years. Seems the lithotripsy machine is down more than anything.


Are you going to be in the "bath tub" (old style units)? If so I hope the water is warm.

Nope - no diapers!!

The reason why they could not use the older style unit (they have a new and older one) on me is that the stone is quite small - 2mm x 4mm, and the older machine (which also does not use the tub) could not see it.

Hey Denver - hope everything works out OK.

Well I guess that makes the locals happy. When I was visiting your neighborhood last week, my home in the east was getting 3 ft of snow. All the Denver-ites were saying "whish we had some of that" Hey - we still have most of that snow and it's selling reel cheap, so tell the locals they can come and get it.

I'm not surprised. The older units always had a crappy imaging system.

Good luck. Hope the pain is minimal.

Lithotripsy done (1:30 - 5:30 pm), back home, set the record for how quick to come out of the recovery room!!

All is well, no pain right now, stone destroyed, will see about pain tomorrow.

Should be back at work on Monday.

Thanks for all the support. Means a lot.

Hey Dnvr, glad everything went OK, just caught up with the posts.

Didn't have a good ride today, haven't been on the bike (except trainer), since November, but the skiing the last couple of days was great!

Hope YOU'RE back on the bike soon.

My Father had that done last year. (Twice) It was no problem at all for him and little or no pain. Just had to take it easy for a day or two. Hope your's goes as well Denver! Do they have you peeing through a strainer too? They had him do that the next day to catch all the pieces. Best of Luck!

It seems men get kidney stones more than women do. I wonder why?

Women get gallstones more than men do, often caused by pregnancy.

Dnvr, get well. Tell me, was the surgery as bad as taking that laxative? LOL. I remember having to take something called Phospho-soda (also called Fleet or Go-litely). It was before a laparascopy. The surgery was nothing compared to Phospho-soda, which was about the worst experience I have ever had. I would only wish it on someone I hate.

Thanks. Did a 15 mile ride today, along with a two mile walk. Guess I am feeling pretty good!!