The Inconvenient Stones
Bladder stones, kidney stones, gall stones, gout—all can present quite a challenge if you happen to produce them. Imagine being scared to eat because you may end up writhing on the floor with gall stones. Or how about feeling a twinge in your lower back and having that fleeting thought, “Oh, no, I hope I don’t have another kidney stone!”
In my case, it was a bladder stone: a 1.5 cm bladder stone rolling around my bladder; the photo on the right shows what it looked like after my doctor blasted it into pieces and removed it. Without getting too graphic, attempting to urinate was always an unknown experience, depending on exactly where the stone was positioned at any given time and whether it was blocking the urethra. Painful? Not always. Inconvenient? If you can’t evacuate your bladder completely, you feel the need to go more often. So yes, you bet it was inconvenient.
Not anymore. I had the stone blasted and removed last Friday. It was not a comfortable 24 hours, but my body is working as it should again. Once you’ve had a stone, any type of stone, that’s the greatest risk factor for getting another one. Is it preventable? Most likely not, but I’ll happily take a few stone-free years. Are there things that we can do to reduce the risk? Yes, and I’ll cover those on Saturday.
Insider Conference Call
The next Insider Conference Call is tomorrow night. This call will include an Aging with a Vengeance topic related to muscle mass. Also, I’ll answer Insider questions. This year is dedicated to helping you become the best version of yourself, so it’s time to consider whether you’d benefit from an Insider membership. Sign up by 8 p.m. ET and you can participate.
What are you prepared to do today?
