The biggest drama (p3) and being vegan

My mala-House doctor asked for a CT Stonogram to see if I have kidney stones and yez, I have!!! At dahil overachiever ako mula bata, apat ang kidney stones ko! Yes, you read that right! Not one, not two, not three, but four!

I have a stone in my left kidney, two stones in my right kidney, and a stone in my ureter. I was so happy to learn of the stones because this was one of the the least scary of all possibilities. Sabi nga ng isang doctor friend ko, “Di ko alam kung iko-congratulate kita pero okay na yan! At least yan lang.” LOL!

I haven’t been back to the nephro since she wants me to undergo more tests before I go back to her. But since it’s elementary, I know that the goal now would be to remove the stones, especially the one in the ureter since it’s blocking the passage.

I have read up on it and stones half or less than half a centimeter are more likely to pass spontaneously with the help of water (and meds, I suppose). But of course, still being the overachiever that I am, my smallest stone is half a centimeter (the one in the left kidney). The two stones in my right kidney are 0.6 centimeters each, and the one in my ureter is 1.2 centimeters. Now, if you’re not familiar with the urinary tract (duh, sino ba naman ang familiar except those in the med field ), the ureter is just 0.3 to 0.4 centimeter. Imagine a stone three tmes its width lodged inside it! Haaaay!

I have realized that the pains I have been having the past four years are most probably related to the stones. Normal for me kasi while walking na may pain na magra-radiate from my thigh down to my leg and then I would start limpimg na or my lower back would be painful or my hand would feel ngawit. I attributed it to bad posture. And before Jia was born, I already consulted an ortho and they didn’t find anything wrong with me so ininda ko lang. Hay! Little have I known that all those pains were already symptoms of kidney stones. A couple of articles I have read said that pain from kidney stones is the most painful of all urologic disorders.

Based on my readings, the least invasive way to remove stones is ESWL (Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy). It uses sound pulses (very much like ultrasound) to break up the stones to pieces small enough to pass through the ureter so it can pass through the urine. I, however, have several problems with ESWL. (1) The patient has to be sedated or anesthesized. This means anesthesia which I soooo hate. I firmly believe that the anesthesia I have received during my deliveries with Jia and  Joya ruined my memory, really! So I refuse to be given anesthesia again unless I absolutely have no choice. (2) It has less success with stones in the ureter. And (3) it is not without risks. According to one article I found, it has as much as 20%  “failure” rate – failure since it can lead to side effects which may eventually lead to renal failure.  Naku naman, since bingo nga ako sa odds-odds na yan, baka naman mapasama pa ako sa 20%. Case in point, 80% of those with kidney st0nes are males plus if female, age is usually around 50. O di ba, defying the odds again in a not-so-good way.

Good thing my friend Velvet (the one who also counseled me during my early breastfeeding days with Joya) referred me to Cynthia Espinosa-Acuyong, a naturopathic doctor (yup, she’s a true blue ND – no that’s not a typo, it’s ND, not MD. LOL!). Actually Velvet talked to me before we learned of the stones. She told me that Cynthia cured her aunt of ovarian cancer and that Cynthia has so many “hopeless” clients who also got well. She offered to go with me to Cynthia. In the end, the schedule didn’t work out but I was able to set a meeting with Cynthia and Velvet called her to persuade her to prioritize me.

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After an initial consult with Cynthia, I enrolled in her ten day diet program. The idea is for her to “cure” me using all-natural food. Naturopathy believes that the body can heal itself given the right food – right means all-natural, all organic, no processed food. I go to her house first thing in the morning (have to be there at 6am) and I get to leave around 7pm at night. She just gives me baon for dinner and for before-sleep snack (soy milk with grains). At first it was such a challenge. Different mindset kasi eh. Imagine mag-gi-gisa ng bawang at sibuyas without oil?! But so far, tolerable naman for me and some dishes are actually very yummy! I am now in my Day 6 and so far, so good. Aside from making me eat, she’s also teaching me how to do the meal planning and the food by myself. So far, she has taught me how to make soya milk, tofu, gluten, bread (without oil), and ice cream (without cow’s milk and without refined sugar). I have already undergone flushing and right now we are waiting for my stones to be flushed. Sana, sana talaga maging effective ito.

As an aside, one of Cynthia’s earliest cases was her brother, Larry Espinosa (yup, the noted designer). He slipped and fractured his upper leg. He was told by four different doctors that he would not be able to walk again without bone surgery. Cynthia asserted that bones have self-healing capability but they were told that of all the bones, it’s the femur which can not heal by itself. Larry needed a metal rod inside which had to be changed every five years (thus, bone operation every five years). Cynthia and Larry didn’t heed the doctors’ advices. She took charge of his diet and after three months, he was able to walk again, normally! I have also met another client of hers who used to just curl up in a corner in pain every time her osteo-arthritis attacks. The same patient also had so many allergies – she couldn’t even hold an orange for her whole arm will be covered with rashes. After two sessions with Cynthia (each session is 10 days), she is now able to eat all the fruits she wants and her osteo-arthritis has stopped. Since Cynthia does not brag, I have learned of this through casual conversation with her. She also says that cancer really cannot be treated but only arrested (kaya nga siguro doctors call cancer survivors “in remission”) through proper diet.

Sana talaga ma-flush out yung stones. Sabi niya hintay lang daw ako. She has had so many clients with cases worse than mine and they have all flushed their stones. And while at it, I hope the diet can help repair my kidney if may problem nga. My nephro believes that aside from the stones, I also have a leak in my kidneys.

So there. I am now a vegetarian, at least for the past six days. Since my skin has improved and I feel more energized now and I have already lost 6 lbs (!), I super hope I can continue this even after my program.

Hay! I hope this drama ends soon.