Help My Brother Recover: Kidney Stones & Medical Bills

Hey everyone,

I gotta tell you about what my brother went through—seriously, it was a rough ride.

Back in December, he was in unbearable pain, could barely walk. He rushed to the hospital, and after a barrage of tests and loads of pain meds, they discovered he had two kidney stones. One was around 5 millimeters, the other a whopping 13 millimeters. Both had moved from his kidney and got stuck halfway to his bladder—causing excruciating pain and messing up his kidney.

They sent him home with pain meds, but within two days, he couldn’t handle it anymore. He ended up back at the hospital, waiting in the hallway from 10 am to 5 pm, hardly able to move because of the pain. Finally, they admitted him. The next day, he met with a doctor who confirmed the stones were still lodged, and he needed surgery.

Six days after the pain started, he underwent his first surgery to insert a stent to help flush out the stones. But things got worse—he developed an infection, and his kidney swelled to three to four times its normal size, filled with fluid. They couldn’t safely remove the stones because surgery could have spread the infection.

So, another surgery was needed to crush the stones, remove the stent, and get his kidney back on track. The kicker? No insurance and no pay for the 20 days he missed work. That second surgery got delayed because of the costs.

Living with the stent was awful—it hurt whenever he moved too much. His kidney wasn’t functioning properly, and his urine was filled with proteins and blood cells. Eventually, after four grueling months (instead of the three promised), he got the stent removed.

Here’s the silver lining—his kidney is back to normal, and he’s healthy again, able to train and exercise freely. But financially, it’s been a nightmare. The first hospital visit cost about $8,000, the initial surgery racked up $40,000, and a follow-up surgery added another $3,000. Total? Over $51,000. And he works at a cafe, while his partner’s a teacher. That’s a lot to carry.

He’s truly grateful for any help anyone can offer. Every bit of support brings him closer to getting back on his feet.