Kidney Stone Perception

Perception is the function of contrast.

I have always believed this to be true. This past week this truth has applied directly to my health. As many of you know I have struggled with kidney stones for the past thirteen years. Kidney stones has been a ticking time bomb that I never knew when the pain would explode and disrupt my life. Ron and I have read everything to prevent them, gone to numerous doctors and prayed. The pain of a minuscule stone leaving my kidney is the only pain I have experienced that racks my body with nausea and vomiting. Dr. Ziomek calls that a true 10 on the pain scale. While I wish these jagged, little stones were not a part of my life, I realize it could be worse. Others follow all the dos and don'ts and get multiple stones like me but not every few years but every few weeks or months. My last visit Dr. F told me of a patient he has who gets 50-60 a year. No more complaining for me. 

Back to my perception and contrast. Before I have been hospitalized and had surgeries to help me pass or blast away stones too big to pass. Each of those times I arrived in that level 10 pain and was thankful for the relief doctors provided. This past week I had a surgery to remove a stone before it left its resting place in my kidney and caused all that pain. I am thankful for this new doc who agreed with me to take action not wait for a life interruption. However as Jenn pointed out, this time I went into surgery feeling great and came out not feeling great. What a different perception of exactly what I wanted. It seemed that this recovery was harder, lasted longer and disrupted my life. My perception was different even though intellectually I knew that this was such a benefit to me and perfectly timed to cause the least disruption in my daily routine. A week of rest. Why would I be whiney about that?

How often do I complain about my circumstances? When I contrast them with what others are going through who have chronic pain not for a week but for a lifetime how can I complain? When I think of those around the world who deal with level 10 pain without the medicines to relieve that pain I can't imagine how they endure it. When I recognize why I had a pity party but then decide to put away the streamers and put on my grateful face instead. Then I know I have the right perception/perspective. 

Who knows there may be a new answer out there that prevents me from making anymore annoyingly painful stones. But if not I am going to be thankful that kidney stones are not life threatening only life interrupting. 

                                             Perception is the function of contrast.

Contrasted with so much suffering around our world I will perceive these kidney stones as not so bad.

In Him,

Joyful

9-9-16