My name is Irene and I’m 27 years-old. It all started with a dull ache in my back. I was very busy with work and I kept ignoring it, until it became unbearable. I scheduled an appointment with the doctor and was told I had kidney stones. The pain was unspeakable. My entire life changed after that.
I was constantly in agony, it was hard to focus on anything for more than a few minutes. The worst part about it was that it was a never ending cycle and the stones needed to come out to find relief. Every few weeks I would have to go to the hospital for treatment, but unfortunately I could never get the stones to completely pass.
My health deteriorated so much that I could barely function anymore. I paid countless visits to the emergency room only to be sent away with painkillers that didn’t do much. Nothing seemed to be able to help me, although my doctors were doing their best.
My life became a living nightmare. I had to quit my job, because I couldn’t stay focused long enough to complete a task. I felt like a burden to my family, my friends and everyone around me. The pain became too much and I was unable to function as a person anymore. I was in a perpetual state of misery.
This is the story of my life with kidney stones. A painful, never ending story that ended with my body giving up on me. I never found a cure, I just had to live with the pain.