He Has a Kidney Stone But Can't Afford to Get Medical Help
By StacyB
@Srbageldog (7716)
United States
January 17, 2018 10:51pm CST
My partner is having a run of bad luck lately. (In fact, he is one of the unluckiest people I've ever known, but it seems that the universe has been hating on him more than usual since the start of the new year.) Once again he is having car trouble, even though he just got his car out of the shop and the last issue was fixed. On top of that, he thinks he has a kidney stone, but he can't afford to go to the doctor. His "insurance" doesn't kick in until he's paid $5,000 out of pocket, and he simply can't afford it. I told him if it gets bad or if he gets a fever or starts urinating blood, he needs to go to the ER -- they HAVE to treat you whether you can pay or not. I hope he will listen to me and not be stubborn about it.
He has had kidney stones in the past and had to be hospitalized for one before. We are both hoping that this time, it will pass on its own. He has been drinking cranberry juice and I told him he needs to start drinking more water and less soda. Right now his pain has subsided, but I guess it was bad for several hours this morning, and he says it felt like when he had a kidney stone. I just worry that he'll wind up with a kidney infection.
Anyway, it sucks. I am worried about him and also frustrated with the way our healthcare system is set up. The way things are, those of us who have low enough income qualify for "government" insurance (which is crappy but allows us to go to the doctor.) But people who work hard every day and make just enough to get by don't qualify for that type of insurance and have to pay out of pocket, which they can't afford, before their insurance even kicks in to help cover anything. It's not right. Healthcare should be a basic human right. No one should stress over whether they should seek medical help or not because they can't afford it. When I was younger and really sick and didn't have insurance, I opted not to go to the ER or doctor because I didn't have the money for it, and I nearly died. Other western countries take care of all of their citizens' healthcare needs; I don't understand why the U.S. is so stubborn about implementing a universal healthcare system.
10 people like this
10 responses
@LadyDuck (502812)
• Italy
18 Jan 18
Cranberry juice is only good for infections, it does nothing for kidney stones. Tell him to drink plenty of water and to add lemon juice to the water (real, freshly squeezed). Also apple cider vinegar added to the water helps to "break" the stone. For the pain, Ibuprofen helps.
4 people like this
@GardenGerty (169585)
• United States
3 Feb 18
That is right, I should have read your post first @LadyDuck as it is somewhat the same as what I was saying. Hope it helps.
2 people like this
@LadyDuck (502812)
• Italy
3 Feb 18
@GardenGerty I am glad that you gave the same advice. I know that cranberry juice does nothing to help for kidney stones.
1 person likes this
@Ithink (10106)
• United States
18 Jan 18
Our healthcare does suck. I'm in the same boat with a health problem. I had gallbladder stones and they attacks were horrible.
I'm not sure if this will work for kidney stones but for my pain for the gallstones, this will sound weird BUT I took beet juice (from a can of beets) and added 2 to 3 Tablespoons of ACV (Apple Cider Vinegar) and sucked it down. My pain was gone in about 15 minutes. The AVC also helps break down stones. I also took Chanca Piedra also know as stone breaker, it is a herb. Just some ideas. Hope he starts feeling better.
3 people like this
@Ithink (10106)
• United States
19 Jan 18
@Srbageldog Yes research it, I used it more for pain control with the beet juice. You can also put it in Apple Juice. I used whatever I had on hand, I was in so much pain I would have probably drank it straight if I had too. But search about it, seeing there are nay sayers. I had the test when I went to the ER .. I had 3 of them. They wanted to do surgery, I looked up natural remedies found this and did it. Last test showed no stones.
2 people like this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
18 Jan 18
Thank you for those tips! I will research whether ACV helps with kidney stones or not. I am sorry you are in the same boat, too many are unfortunately. It's not right, and I wish we could change the way the system is.
2 people like this
@NJChicaa (127180)
• United States
18 Jan 18
@Srbageldog ACV does not break down either gallstones or kidney stones.
2 people like this
@sissy15 (12693)
• United States
20 Jan 18
It really sucks that he is dealing with all of that. Hopefully, he'll start feeling better and pass it on his own. It is really ridiculous that healthcare isn't considered a right here. I know Cory has passed several, usually, when he goes to the ER they don't do too much for them unless it looks like he can't pass it on his own. They might give him some pain meds but that's about it. As long as he isn't showing a lot of bad symptoms hopefully he'll be ok. I know how anxiety works though. Usually, if he passes one he'll know it though, although Cory passed one and didn't even realize it right away until he saw it when he looked down. It really depends. Hopefully, if he isn't having any more pain and is no longer passing any blood he may have passed it but as I said usually they know when that happens but not every time.
1 person likes this
@sissy15 (12693)
• United States
20 Jan 18
@Srbageldog Yeah, it's also possible he might have some sort of UTI or something too, which is where the cranberry juice will come in. As long as he seems fine otherwise he will probably be fine. I am not a doctor though. I just know that I've dealt with this sort of thing a lot with Cory. At one time Cory had to have a stint put in and then the doctor up and left his practice and it stayed in for over 7 years (it was placed before I got with him) when it's only supposed to be in for a year and they had to go in and remove it. That was a lot of what caused his kidney problems. I know Cory sometimes has bladder pain and stuff if he holds it too long too. That's why it's important for them to get regular bathroom breaks and drink a lot of water and I guess cranberry juice definitely wouldn't help either when it comes to infections.
1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
20 Jan 18
It does suck. And yeah, hopefully he's already passed it, although he did say that he gets some pain in his kidney when he holds his bladder for too long. That's what he said about going to the ER, they won't do anything but give him Vicodin (which he's probably wrong about, I think Norco is the opiate of choice nowadays.) He seems fine otherwise though. And yeah, I would think that he would know when he passes it, and hopefully he does pass it without any problems. Last time he had one, it was too big and he had to have an ultrasound to break it up. I think he also had an infection that time and his symptoms were much more severe.
1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
21 Jan 18
@sissy15 He seems fine, so hopefully he will be fine. That is horrible that Cory had a stint left in for that long! He could probably sue that doctor for malpractice, if he could track him down...but then maybe that's why the doctor left his practice to begin with.
I can't get Shawn to drink water. I keep telling him he needs to drink water along with the cranberry juice, but he just keeps chugging juice. Sigh. Men! 
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
27 Jan 18
Yep, insurance is a pain & doctors charge a leg & an arm! I hope everything will be okay.
1 person likes this
@infatuatedbby (94909)
• United States
27 Jan 18
@Srbageldog Good to hear that he's doing better. :)
1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
27 Jan 18
He seems to be alright now, thankfully. I guess he must have passed it.
1 person likes this
@moffittjc (128842)
• Gainesville, Florida
23 Jan 18
Ooh, sorry to hear about the possible kidney stones. I imagine that must be a pretty bad feeling to pass one of those things. As far as seeking medical treatment, there are several options. First, hospitals cannot refuse to treat patients; they must help you regardless of your ability to pay. Second, ask if they follow the Hill-Burton Act. Most people don't know about it, and hospitals don't exactly publicize it, but it can help for people who can't afford to pay. Third, you can also check out your county health department. Often, they have programs that can help people who can't afford to pay. Regardless of which option, please don't let ability to pay stop him from seeking treatment.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169585)
• United States
3 Feb 18
@Srbageldog For his kidney health he needs to do healthy things all the time to prevent the problems.
2 people like this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
23 Jan 18
Thanks for these tips. He seems to be alright now. I'm still slightly worried about him, but he claims he hasn't had any further pain and is not urinating blood (that happened once, the day he was in severe pain.) So maybe he passed it on his own already. I will remember these tips for future reference though, if the need for him to seek medical treatment ever arises.
2 people like this
@moffittjc (128842)
• Gainesville, Florida
3 Feb 18
@GardenGerty Well, truthfully, all of us need to be doing healthy things to prevent problems!
1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
18 Jan 18
My doctor told me that it's better to blend up frozen cranberries and drink them than to drink cranberry juice from concentrate. But that was to promote kidney health, I don't know if it helps kidney stones or not. I think he read online that it does, but you know how it is with info online...most of it isn't true.
That's what I told him, but I'm not sure which urgent care he can go to in our area since they are so weird about you having to be in their "network."
1 person likes this
@NJChicaa (127180)
• United States
18 Jan 18
@Srbageldog cranberry juice is supposed to help prevent urinary tract infections. It will do NOTHING for kidney stones. They are already there, exist, and are causing him pain. Now they just need to come out.
Lots of fluids and some good painkillers are what he needs.
2 people like this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
18 Jan 18
@NJChicaa At least he's not drinking soda. I guess cranberry juice is probably healthier than that? I've been trying to get him to drink water, but he's stubborn and wants his juice.
1 person likes this
@KrauseHome (36445)
• United States
24 Jan 18
I totally agree. Just because I am married they go by combined income to where it was cheaper for me to be on his Income instead of Medicare due to I being on disability and my husband working. Why they punish some people and not others is beyond me, and working people should have more help available. Will be Praying that he does start feeling better soon, and drinking Cranberry juice avoiding sodas and drinking water to help flush his system out some should help
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169585)
• United States
3 Feb 18
I will pass on what I know from taking my sister to urologists for kidney stones, and what she is told. She has medicare, medicaid and some "extra help" from a social service agency or something so she can afford better care that I would ever get. So, if he has had kidney stones in the past, he is prone to them now. My sister was told to seriously cut out the salt and sodium (like in pop). Also, she was told that cranberry does not help prevent kidney stones, although it is good to fight kidney and urinary tract infections. Her instructions, which she refuses to follow, are to drink lemonade, orange juice and other things with citric acid. If she eats foods high in oxalates, like spinach, etc. she should have dairy products with them to bind them so it does not turn into stones. I think the things with citric acid help to dissolve the stones. I sure hope he gets to feeling better.
1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
4 Feb 18
He is better now, but thank you for this information. He has cut back on soda. I will tell him to drink more citrus juices. He has been drinking a lot of cranberry juice (which I guess is better than the soda he was constantly chugging) but I wish he would drink water too.
@andriaperry (118793)
• Anniston, Alabama
18 Jan 18
I have no idea how to help him with nature and the cures. I can understand about the insurance, I cannot afford it at all. Even with my income its just to much for me to pay and even have money left to go to work, but at least Trump stopped the government from "forcing" is to buy it and not be able to eat, plus having to pay when tax time comes.
I would go to the e.r. at least you can pay that bill at $5 a month.
1 person likes this
@Srbageldog (7716)
• United States
19 Jan 18
That's what I told him, if it gets worse (if he starts vomiting or a fever develops, or he's in nonstop pain or is consistently urinating blood) then he needs to go to the ER and just pay the bill off a little at a time. Today he is feeling better, he hasn't had any pain or blood in his urine (knock wood) but I am still worried about him. He decided to tell me last night right before bed that he had blood in his urine yesterday, but it only happened once. If I had known that, I would have pushed him harder to go to the ER. But, it hasn't happened since then, so maybe he will just pass the stone on his own.
The insurance situation in this country is horrendous. I wish we could implement some kind of universal healthcare system here. No one should ever have to decide between getting necessary medical treatment and eating or keeping a roof over their head, and no one should be dying these days from conditions that are completely treatable. Even if it was just making "government hospitals" available that anyone and everyone could go to when they're sick, there has to be some solution. People shouldn't be punished by earning too much (but not enough to be able to afford medical bills) by not being able to go to the doctor when they need it.
1 person likes this
