THE TRAVAILS OF KIDNEY STONES

Tremoring from the abdomen into the left groin

Is it a blood vessel about to explode into a pool of blood?

Is it an earthquake being sensed by your body?

Have humans turned into seismographs or earthquake detectors?

None of the above but a kidney stone making its way to the bladder

Gets stuck at the junction between the bladder and ureter.

The tremoring was the stone forcing its way into the bladder

Sending shock waves down to the groin on the involved side.

CT scan reveal stones lined up in both renal pelvises and ureters

And a big one – rock – jammed at the junction of ureter and bladder

Others lined up like airplanes on a tarmac awaiting orders for takeoff

A long tarmac that stretches from the kidneys to the bladder.

Waiting for their turn to cause more tremors on their journeys

To their final destination – urinal via the bladder.

As they maneuver their way down the long tortuous journey

There is intense pain, likened by women victims to the pain of labor

At the choke points – narrow portions of the ureter

The pain intensifies and may induce nausea, fever, and vomiting

Fever, a sign of infection as bacteria love stagnant urine

Stagnation caused by the stones getting stuck at choke points.

With luck, pain killers, muscle relaxants, water, and a roller coaster ride, if available

Augmented by repeated imbibement of apple cider vinegar

The stones descend into the bladder and start banging on each other

As they await expulsion via the urethra into the urinal

Pain disappears when all stones are safely in the bladder.

Do not wish the travails of kidney stones on your enemies

The pain is better experienced than described.