My mother is in the hospital with kidney stones. I am too far to get to her. Is this life threatening?

Answer 1

No, Send Flowers.

Answer 2

No, they are not life threatening. They are quite painful though.
My prayers are with your mother that she gets over them quickly. Here is a website on them.
http://www.pbs.org/secondopinion/episodes/kidneystones/keypoint2/index.html
If a kidney stone does not pass on its own, it must be removed mechanically to avoid kidney damage.

A kidney stone may need to be removed if it:

Doesn't pass after a reasonable period of time
Is too large to pass on its own
Blocks the flow of urine
Causes ongoing urinary tract infection or bleeding
Is damaging the kidney or ureter
Kidney stones are usually not life-threatening, but they do increase the chance of urinary and kidney infection. In rare cases a urinary infection can lead to septicaemia (when germs spread into the bloodstream). Stones that block urine flow can reduce kidney function and even cause permanent kidney damage.

If a stone needs to be removed, the urologist has several choices depending on circumstances.

If the stone... The urologist will most likely:
Is near the bladder Insert a scope into the bladder and through the ureter to retrieve it (called Ureteroscopy)
Is near the kidney Use shock waves to break the stones into smaller fragments that can then be passed (called Extracorporeal Shockwave Lithotripsy)
Can't be removed with either of the two methods above Make a small incision in the back to insert a scope into the kidney (called Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy)


Ureteroscopy
The surgeon inserts a small, flexible, telescope-like instrument into the urethra, through the bladder and into the ureter to remove the stone. An advanced form of ureteroscopy uses a laser to vaporize the stone.

Extracorporeal Shockwave Lithotripsy
This is the most frequently used procedure for the treatment of kidney stones. A machine called a lithotripter creates sonic shock waves that travel through the body until they hit the stones and break them into small particles so they can be easily passed. Sometimes a stent (a small tube) is inserted through the bladder into the ureter to help the fragments pass.

Percutaneous Nephrolithotomy
This technique can be used if the stone is too large or located in an area not suitable for lithotripsy. It involves making a tiny cut in the back, then using a nephroscope (a small instrument used in minimally invasive surgery) to locate and remove the stone

Answer 3

Hi Dark I have kidney stones and as far as being life threat ing no, they cause sever sever pain while the stone is stuck, if she can not urinate, they can remove the stone by putting her in a bath and they explode the stones into smaller peices so that the flow will wash them out, the stones can be the size of a peice of pepper and when they move it is tearing the uretha tube and that causes pain, she will be fine if she drinks lots of water and try to flush them out, if she can't they can blast them in a bath or go in laposcpy, dont worry she will be fine, she is more likely to pass them, have her go to the bathroom in a cup with a coffee filter, if she see's something black or brown she passed it and needs to bring it to the doc for eval

Answer 4

Your mom is in good hands....it is painful but not life threatening.

I know how you feel..my mom is 1000 miles away from me and has heart disease.

Keep in touch with her and call the nurses station and ask them if you should come there. You would feel better talking to them.

Pray for your mom, hon, they will pass and she will be fine.

Kidney stones are like gout....they are caused by uric acid...cherries neutralize this acid...tell your mom to eat a few cherries every day.

She also needs to drink more water. Living a good life and eating red meat and fried foods and drinking wine makes stones. Encourage more fruits and veggies and roasted chicken and fish.

Answer 5

I will pray for you and your mom. We went through something similar with my Nanny a couple of years ago. Don't feel like crap for taking your parents for granted - it shows in a way that they were good parents for raising you and not asking for more. Make sure you tell her everything you are thinking now - make sure she knows how thankful you are for her and how much you love her. I hope you don't lose her now, but don't let this opportunity go by without expressing your feelings. If she makes it through this scary time, you will be that much closer. And if it's God's plan to take her back then you will have the peace of knowing that she heard what you needed to say (and if you don't tell her, trust me, she knows anyway). If you find out that the doctors have bad news, perhaps a semester or two off would be best for you - only you can decide that. Anyways, I may not be a religious person, but I certainly am very spiritual. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers and hope for only the best for you and your family. I have come to realize through the years that everything happens for a reason and we are never given more to handle than we are capable of. Now, go talk to your mom and be there for her in whatever way you can. Good luck and good health.

Answer 6

I've had them myself, and I've never heard of a life threatening case of them. they just cause you to hurt so bad that you think you're going to die.
you're mom is going to be just fine. I know you want to be with her right now, but the best think for her is going to be having them removed or passing them. when that's over with, she will feel like a new person! I promise! just call her regularly, and let her know that you're concerned about her, but don't worry. if you worry about her, she's just going to worry about you in return!
send her a card and some flowers or balloons, and that will let her know that you're there with her in your heart.
Best Wishes! and I hope your mom feels better soon.

Answer 7

Ask the doctors what kind of condition shes in. if she had mild pain or intense pain .. decide what you think would be okay. she'll understand but try and get there as soon as you can, but check with the hospital.

Answer 8

Not usually...at least not in the US. It is painful though. But I'm sure she will be sooo hopped up on pain pills she won't even know. Send her flowers and call regularly to see how she is.

Answer 9

Not usually. They pass most of the time within a day or so. But in some cases, they can be.

Answer 10

No not at all. It can be painful. My husband has them all the time and he is just in a lot of pain but after a few days she will pass it hopefully and be just fine.