You may know Billy Porter from his roles on television or his eye-catching red-carpet outfits. Recently, however, he was in the news because of his health. What was supposed to be a rudimentary surgery turned into an emergency that saw him battling for life. His recount of what happened is a testament to why it’s essential not to ignore your kidney stones.
When speaking about his experience, Porter noted that the ordeal started with a kidney stone that was trapped in his urethra. He was in so much pain that the plan was to perform a routine surgery to remove the stone. However, things didn’t go as planned. He checked into the hospital on Tuesday and finally woke up on Saturday to find that he had been on life support.
As he recovered, doctors explained that when they removed the kidney stone, they discovered a well of pus and bile–signs of an infection that had gone untreated. This infection led to urosepsis, a form of sepsis that begins in the urinary tract and can spread to the kidneys if left untreated.
To make the situation worse, he developed compartment syndrome in one of his legs. In compartment syndrome, pressure builds up around your muscles, restricting the flow of blood, oxygen, and nutrients. Typically, doctors treat an acute case of compartment syndrome by making an incision to relieve pressure. In Porter’s case, doctors had to cut open the area spanning from his hip to his knee on both sides to save his leg.
Fortunately, Porter is recovering well and considers himself a “walking miracle” after all he’s been through. Things may have gone in a completely different direction because people don’t usually expect to see these kinds of complications when it comes to kidney stones.
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Kidney stones are masses that can form in your kidneys from substances like minerals, acids, and salts. Although they can vary in size, some are so small that they painlessly pass into the urine without you knowing about it. It’s estimated that one in 10 people will have a kidney stone in their lifetime, but it’s most likely to affect non-Hispanic white men in their 30s and 40s.
If you have a kidney stone, the course of treatment can depend on different factors, such as its size. Your doctor may choose to monitor you for stones that are small enough to pass without surgery. For this route, you may be prescribed medication to relax the ureter to allow the stones to pass, as well as medications to manage pain, nausea, or vomiting.
For larger stones, your doctor may opt for procedures to break them up so they can pass as smaller pieces. Kidney stones that are too large for that route are typically surgically removed. Even with monitoring, though, doctors tend to give a deadline by which they need to pass. If they don’t, then they may suggest surgery.
While kidney stones can be painful, that’s not the only issue to bear in mind. Kidney stones can lead to health complications if you don’t deal with them quickly. They can cause a blockage that leads to your kidneys swelling from urine retention. You can also develop a kidney infection, acute kidney failure, or chronic urinary tract infections. Untreated kidney stones can also increase your risk of developing chronic kidney disease.
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When most people hear about kidney stones, they think about excruciating pain. While that’s true, there are other signs that you should know about. The pain from kidney stones can be severe, and you usually feel it in your groin, lower back, or stomach. This pain can be described as throbbing or stabbing and can last anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour. For some people, the pain is bad enough to cause nausea and vomiting. This kind of pain is always a sign that you need to go to the emergency room.
Kidney stones can also cause painful urination or cloudy and foul-smelling urine. Some people may feel they need to use the bathroom constantly.
Depending on the size and location of the kidney stone, you may have trouble urinating and see blood in your urine. Finally, unexplained fever and chills may indicate an infection. As in Billy Porter’s situation, kidney stones can cause blockages that allow microorganisms to grow unchecked. You must go to the emergency room if you’re having a fever, as your chances of having sepsis increase when the infection isn’t addressed.
Although some people are tempted to wait and see if the kidney stones pass on their own, it’s important to know when to call the doctor. Worsening pain or any of the signs above mean you need immediate attention. Even if your doctor is monitoring you, let them know if anything has changed.
Of course, preventing kidney stones in the first place is better than managing or treating them. Kidney stones are more likely to form if you have a buildup of the wastes that your urine usually gets rid of in your kidneys. Some of this waste can include minerals, acids, and other substances, like calcium, sodium, oxalate, and uric acid. When there isn’t enough liquid in your kidneys to dilute them, they’re more likely to clump together. That’s why one of the easiest ways to prevent kidney stones is to stay hydrated.
Your diet can also increase your risk of kidney stones. If you eat a lot of protein-rich, high-sugar, high-sodium foods, you may be in trouble. It’s better to eat balanced meals that have more fresh fruits, vegetables, natural sugars, healthy fats, and lean proteins. Processed foods aren’t doing you any favors either.
Certain supplements and medications can increase your risk of having kidney stones as well. Vitamin C supplements, diuretics, anti-seizure medications, and calcium-based antacids are the most likely culprits. If you take these, it’s best to talk to your doctor about how to manage your risk of kidney stones.
Having a family history of kidney stones is another risk factor to bear in mind. If you’ve had a gastric bypass or any form of stomach surgery, you’re also more likely to develop a kidney stone in the future. In this case, you should pay even more attention to being hydrated and having a healthy diet.
Certain medical conditions can also lead to kidney stones. If you’re living with diabetes, gout, high blood pressure, cystic fibrosis, high calcium levels in your urine, inflammatory bowel disease, kidney cysts, osteoporosis, obesity, and parathyroid disease, you need to talk to your doctor about how to manage your increased risk of developing kidney stones.
It’s also important to note that you’re more likely to develop another kidney stone if you’ve already had one, so you’re not necessarily done with them after getting rid of your first. Dealing with this usually means talking to your doctor about the type of kidney stone you had. Generally, there are four types of kidney stones, and prevention plans differ for each.
Stones that are comprised of calcium are the most common, and they occur when you eat too many foods that are high in oxalate and low in calcium, while not drinking enough water. Uric acid stones happen when you’re eating too much animal-based protein. Struvite stones, on the other hand, are formed from repeated bacterial infections. Cysteine stones are caused by an inherited, rare condition known as cystinuria. Treating this condition is the best way to prevent kidney stones.
Although Billy Porter’s experience with kidney stones isn’t common, it isn’t as far-fetched as you may think. If you have symptoms of kidney stones, see your doctor immediately so they can determine the best course of action. You should also do anything you can to prevent them from forming in the first place.
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