I had a major health challenge that I had to go through recently. In the previous years, I had gotten really sick. I went through several different tests to pinpoint the situation that I was dealing with. The result was that my body had created kidney stones. I had the largest kidney stone, which is a staghorn calculus. A staghorn calculus is a type of kidney stone with branches, which can occur in some cases because of repeated infections. The branches can block urine from leaving the kidney, causing kidney failure. I had to have two surgeries just to remove the stone, but during the process, it was two stubborn pieces that didn’t want to come out due to the placement inside my body. So, my doctor recommended and suggested that we leave them there, and if I had any issues, to return to him. This happened in 2017.
Fast forward to 2023, I started having complications in different areas of my body, i.e., fluid buildup and shortness of breath, lower back pain, nausea, and other things. The first diagnosis was congestive heart failure, then doctors began to look further. What was it? You guessed it, another kidney stone, the largest one, a staghorn calculus. Throughout the years, I didn’t have any issues, just minor back pain that I was able to keep moving on with life. Not knowing that all the long another kidney stone was growing in my body. Remember, it was two pieces that were left from the previous surgeries. They ask again, how I could stand carrying a thing like this in my body for so long. All I could say was the grace of GOD carried and kept me.
By now, the kidney stones had done so much damage to my left kidney that it was only operating at 20%, and I had a serious infection in my body. I was left with the decision to have my left kidney removed. Scared, nervous, and hesitant at the same time, I ask the LORD to direct and guide me in my decision-making. I agreed with the doctors and scheduled my surgery to remove my kidney. But before I could do that, I had other issues that needed to be cleared up.
I had to have a Thoracentesis done twice. Thoracentesis is a procedure used to obtain a sample of fluid from the space around the lungs, called the pleural space. This fluid is called pleural fluid and normally exists only as a thin layer in the area between the lungs and chest wall. However, some conditions can cause an increased amount of pleural fluid to collect, called a pleural effusion. Then, I had to have a nephrostomy placed in my back. A nephrostomy is a tube that lets urine drain from the kidney through an opening in the skin on the back. A thin, flexible tube goes through the opening and into the kidney. This is called a nephrostomy tube or catheter. Urine drains through the tube into a bag outside your body. The bag has a tap so you can empty it. You may still pass some urine in a normal way even when you have a nephrostomy. After all that had been done and my infection cleared, I was able to have my kidney surgery.
Life isn’t over because I have one kidney now. In reality, my life was in transition to a new life, a new way of living, and new beginnings. God had healed my body from all that was corrupting it.
So, if you find yourself going through a health challenge, be strong, don’t be weary, because chances are there is a brighter outcome if you keep the faith.
Until the next time,
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