Stoned?

Esther+Rochester+May=kidney stones. At least, that's been the case in the past. I woke this morning with definite pain in my left back and groin area, and immediately the sensation was familiar. One thing I have learned about kidney stones is that I can never pass them unassisted, and that means medical procedures.

I am sick of medical procedures. I just don't want to have anything more done to me if I can avoid it. I also know that moving around while keeping the muscles relaxed should help. So I gobble aspirin (which I am supposed to do anyway but haven't lately), apply a bit of heat, and climb in the car to drive carpool. I take a huge bottle of water with me, and pray like mad.

Throughout the course of the day I consume 4 mugs of steaming hot ginger tea, 4 tall glasses of ice water (you'd think my poor teeth would crack with the temperature changes!), a bottle of cranberry peach juice, a Coke, and 3 cups of ice tea, black, straight up. It had quite an effect on my kidneys! I spent the other half of the day running to the bathroom, which was good because I wasn't really going all that much.

The pain has subsided, and I am wondering if perhaps it was not a stone, but the effect of having consumed 2 fruit smoothies, one yesterday and one the day before. Perhaps the fiber was just too much. Yes, I'll hang onto that idea - much preferable to having a stone removed. Maybe I just overdid the healthy eating thing.

I can fix that. Where's the chocolate?