# Kidney stone fear and anxiety Source: https://kidneystonediet.com/ep/kidney-stone-fear-and-anxiety/ Published: 2022-11-15 --- [![Kidney Stone Diet Podcast](https://kidneystonediet.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/Kidney-Stone-Diet-Podcast-1-1024x1024.jpg)](https://kidneystonediet.com/podcast/) [YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QEzOCB6Ewus)[Apple Podcasts](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/kidney-stone-fear-and-anxiety/id1528474326?i=1000586288251&uo=4)[Spotify](https://open.spotify.com/episode/2xBQGa03q00jr9juHvhSDr)[Amazon Music](https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/0868148d-adfd-411d-b3f2-71a0ad1461ec) November 15, 2022 --- ![Jeff Sarris](https://kidneystonediet.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Jeff-Sarris-150x150.jpg) Jeff Sarris Host ![Jill Harris](https://kidneystonediet.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Kidney-Stone-Diet-Jill-Harris-150x150.jpg) Jill Harris Host This week, Jill answers a listener question about kidney stone fear and anxiety. Have a question? Leave us a voicemail at (773) 789-8763.\  \  **= Stop your kidney stones once and for all =**\ • [Kidney Stone Prevention Course](https://kidneystonediet.com/kidney-stone-prevention)\ • [Kidney Stone Diet Meal Plans](https://kidneystonediet.com/mealplans/)\ • [24 Hour Urine Collection Analysis](https://kidneystonediet.com/24-hour-urine-analysis/)\ • [Private Coaching](https://kidneystonediet.com/coaching/) **= FREE Kidney Stone Resources =**\ • [Kidney Stone Diet](https://kidneystonediet.com/)\ • [Free Kidney Stone Diet Resources](https://kidneystonediet.com/resources/)\ • [Oxalate Food List](https://kidneystonediet.com/oxalate-list/)\ • [Kidney Stone Diet Recipes](https://kidneystonediet.com/recipes/) Find more episodes of the Kidney Stone Diet Podcast at [kidneystonediet.com/podcast](https://kidneystonediet.com/podcast) **= Who is Jill Harris? =**\ [youtube.com/TheKidneyStoneDiet](https://www.youtube.com/TheKidneyStoneDiet) Jill is a nurse and health coach that specializes in educating patients on kidney stone prevention. For more than 20 years she’s helped patients understand that kidney stones can be prevented with the right treatment plan. It’s one thing to be told to lower oxalate or drink more water, but HOW do you do it? That’s where she comes in. Through the educational resources at [kidneystonediet.com](https://kidneystonediet.com/), stone formers can learn everything they need to know to significantly lower new stone risk. **= Who is Jeff Sarris? =**\ [youtube.com/jeffsarris](https://youtube.com/jeffsarris) Jeff’s co-founder of [SPYR](https://spyr.me/), a branding agency based out of Chicago, where he and his business partner Dave help awesome people like Jill create online platforms that make an impact. He’s also a certified health coach, host of the [Starting Now podcast](http://spyr.fm/now), and developing NFTs and community at [Badfroot](https://badfroot.com/). Reach out on Twitter! [@jeffSARRIS](https://twitter.com/jeffSARRIS) ## Chapters - 00:00:00 New Snack Book for Kidney Stone Prevention - 00:03:58 Caller Question on Long-Term Sensation Fear - 00:06:14 Psychological Trauma and Anxiety After Kidney Stones - 00:09:14 Channeling Fear into Health and Prevention Motivation - 00:12:02 Medical Imaging and Urine Testing for Reassurance - 00:14:21 Pain Motivation and Community Mental Health Support ## Transcript ### New Snack Book for Kidney Stone Prevention 00:00:00 Jeff Sarris SPYR Welcome back to the Kidney Stone Diet podcast, the show about reducing your kidney stone risk and living your best life. I'm your host and fellow student, Jeff Sarris. 00:00:21 Jill Harris And I'm Jill Harris, your kidney stone prevention nurse. 00:00:25 Jeff Sarris We're back at it again. We got another color of the shirt. I love it. 00:00:30 Jill Harris That's it. We need more colors. 00:00:32 Jeff Sarris Definitely. And it is funny. No one sees it, but you're still pulling the tag off the shoulder because it's brand new. 00:00:39 Jill Harris Brand new. 00:00:40 Jeff Sarris But yeah, because we just did these, and it's fun to have all these different options now out there and stock up. I definitely need to stock up myself, so hopefully by the next episode I'll be wearing something. But wearing something, as though I'm not wearing a shirt right now. Wearing a Kidney Stone Diet shirt. 00:00:56 Jill Harris Yeah, we need one special for you. We need one just with the- well, there's one with just the- we need one just with the Kidney Stone logo. 00:01:03 Jeff Sarris That's what I'm thinking for me. 00:01:05 Jill Harris That's what you will get. 00:01:06 Jeff Sarris Yeah. Yeah, that's definitely my vibe. I love the simplicity. And I've always loved that logo. It's just fun. And the typography on the portion, not perfection, it's just all of it. I just I really like it. 00:01:14 Jill Harris Yeah. Dave Yeah, Dave is the third partner in Kidney Stone Diet, and he just He's freaking amazing, man. And we're We're So right now, people, it's not out yet, but it's a-coming. By the time this is aired, I would think it's going to be here, and it's a snack book. You know, we have the meal plan for kidney stone formers. A bunch of recipes, you get every Sunday in your inbox, all Kidney Stone Diet compliant, safe, simple, so good. And now, Mama's been working on a snack book for months. And so, I'm editing it right now, and it's going to be amazing. Kidney Stone Diet Safe Snacks, and they are delicious, and fun, and simple, and all the things. I'm really proud of it. 00:02:00 Jeff Sarris Definitely. Yeah, I like I love watching it come together. And it's funny because these things are always happening, but we don't always talk about them because they take a while. Like you said, it's been months in the making. 00:02:10 Jill Harris Oh, my god, they take a lot. 00:02:11 Jeff Sarris Yeah. 00:02:12 Jill Harris They're so much work, yeah. 00:02:14 Jeff Sarris But, yeah, and that's And that's the beauty with something like the meal plans, too, as well. Like, sort of alongside it, it's growing constantly. It's not just a one-and-done because that is the only downside with a book, is it is a little more concrete. It's like It's in print, of sorts, even though it's digital and what not. But yeah, it's just going to be one more way for people to have the inspiration of different ideas and things that they're able to do to stay on track. 00:02:37 Jill Harris Well, everybody's always like, "Jill, I need a damn snack, girl. What am I supposed to eat like a nun the rest of my life?" No, of course not. I expect people to have snacks. And these snacks aren't here or- you know, people are like, "Oh, you have a sugar craving? Have an apple." Who the hell wants a freaking apple when you're craving Ben & Jerry's? Nobody's looking for a damn apple. That ain't hitting it. So, you're going to have the apple, and then you're still going to have the Ben & Jerry's, that's how that goes. So, these snacks, there are a couple, you know, veggie ones. But a lot of them, I'm telling you, Think like milkshakes, and all kinds of things. I mean, donuts, and you'll see what I mean when you see it. But, I mean, some mug cakes, all kinds of things. They're They're I love it. I love this snack book. 00:03:22 Jeff Sarris Definitely. 00:03:23 Jill Harris I love it. 00:03:24 Jeff Sarris Well, yeah, and just expanding the offering, too, to hopefully help as many people as possible, because, yeah, like $19 a month on the meal plans, it does add up. And we know that, but it's like we want to help keep you on track. So, hopefully, this is another entry point for someone where it's like, "Okay, now I can always refer to this book forever." And just know like, "Oh, I need something now. What can Let me look here. Let me find inspiration. Let me find a recipe. Let me find whatever. 00:03:45 Jill Harris Exactly. 00:03:46 Jeff Sarris Everything I need." 00:03:47 Jill Harris Exactly. 00:03:48 Jeff Sarris So, with that, what do you say we dive into this week's question? 00:03:51 Jill Harris Oh, okay. ### Caller Question on Long-Term Sensation Fear 00:03:58 Jeff Sarris Hi, my name is Alan. I live in Louisville, Indiana. My question is the last time I passed a kidney stone was about 12 or 13 years ago, and my body will not let go of those symptoms. I've been struggling with it for a while. So, my question is How do we get over the fear of having that sensation or that pain again? I've been following a very healthy diet, and then I ran into you guys on a internet search. So, any insights would be most helpful. So I appreciate what you guys are doing. So that is all. Thank you so much. 00:04:50 Jill Harris Alan from Indiana. Alan, so I this really resonates with me, and, you know, when people join the Kidney Stone Prevention Course, which is of course on sale, people, at the airing of this, could be off by the time you're looking at this, check the website at kidneystonediet.com. But right now, we have $40 off. And the reason I'm bringing the course up is Exactly what Alan said. You know, the course is a set of videos, and then it comes with these group calls, support calls. And I can't tell you how many people in those calls, what we're, we're not talking about cucumbers and oxalate all the time. What we're talking about is exactly what Alan said. It's been 12 years ago since he's had a kidney stone, and he wasn't specific. He said his body is holding on to that, so I'm going to, Alan, I'm going to insert what I interpret from that, but you can certainly call us back and talk more about exactly what you were feeling, but typically my kidney stone formers tell me this, "Jill, it's been years since I've had a kidney stone, but I swear to God, every time I get up and I feel a little bip, or a boop, or I'm like, 'Oh, holy bejeezus, here comes one.'" And the anxiety that comes with that ### Psychological Trauma and Anxiety After Kidney Stones 00:06:14 Jill Harris Keeps people from traveling, from taking vacations, from starting maybe a hobby that's going to keep them out of the house or away for long time. I'm just telling you what people tell me. And the fear and the trauma of going through a kidney stone, that pain that always seems to happen in the middle of the night to wake you up. It's just it's it's a pain that takes your breath away. I haven't had a kidney stone, but from what I hear, Takes your breath away, worse than childbirth, vomiting, diarrhea. It's terrible, and it comes on so suddenly. And then, to not know what to do, you just are freaking out. You're like, "Oh, my god, I never want to go do deal with that again." So, you start Googling things, and then you get all this conflictual information. You don't know what to believe. You don't know who to believe. One oxalate site says something high here, the other one says it's low. People come to me, they've stopped eating, and they've lost a lot of weight because they have such a fear and an anxiety from the trauma of that experience and the lack of correct information. I mean, I don't know. Because I've been so sick in my life, and because I've heard so many stories for decades, I really my heart just always explodes when somebody tells me. I physically know what he means. I'm always, even though I'm healthy and all these things, and my cancer's in remission, there's not a day that doesn't go by where I'm not worried it's going to come back. So, I don't give a damn if it's cancer, or a kidney stone, or somebody suffers from asthma and they're like, "Oh, am I going to have an attack today?" Whenever you have had a health scare, the scare doesn't go away when your health is better. That stays in your brain and heart forever Because it's scary, and it threw you for a loop, and fill in the blank for what it cost you. So, when So, here's how I think about Alan. I think, "Wow, he's pretty freaking amazing that he's going to put himself out there here on the internet and say, 'Listen, I had a kidney stone 12 years ago, and I'm still scared about it every time I get a twinge. I'm afraid that I'm going to go through that again.'" It takes a lot of you know, it takes a lot to come and say that. It's not easy to say that. I know because it's not easy for me to say I get scared or I have anxiety thinking about if my medical condition is going to come back, you know? But that's how we feel. That's how people who have been sick feel. We are always worried about that. So, what I've learned in my health journey, what I'm going to bestow upon Alan, is take that fear ### Channeling Fear into Health and Prevention Motivation 00:09:14 Jill Harris And use it as a negative motivator. Something that when you wake up in the day and you have that feeling or if he wakes up and he feels that twinge in his back and he's worried about what that's going to be, use it as a reminder to do as good as you can for that day. Be your very best self. Manage your stress. Try to get enough sleep. Move your body because you can, not because you have to, Because you can. Eat well so you can move your body. Maintain your weight. Lose weight if you need it. Gain weight if you need it. Manage your stress, all the things. Wash your hands. Stay away from sick people. All the things that are going to keep you out of a hospital or doctor's office, do your very best. And typically, if you're doing your very best on most days, you won't ever have a kidney stone again. And if you are, and again, I'm being presumptuous assuming what you're saying, so you can correct me in another call, Alan, if it wasn't quite that. But if you are feeling things in your back and you're not quite sure, "Do I still have some remnants left of a stone? What's going on?" You should get some imaging done to assure yourself to help with that anxiety. If you do get some imaging done and you are in the clear, you still may have to live with that anxiety. And if you do, use it as, I use mine, As a negative motivator to keep me compliant for the long haul of trying to maintain my health, too. So, that's all we can do at the end of the day. But if we're doing what we can do, then if something God forbid does happen to us, at least we get some solace knowing we did all we can do because that's all we can do. So, I want you to understand that my heart totally feels what you're saying More than you can even understand. And I'm so grateful that you had enough wherewithal to come on here and share that not just with Jeff and me, but for everybody who's watching the show because when I tell you, Alan, that so many people, so many kidney stone sufferers suffer with anxiety, they do. So, I actually have an article on my website about fear and kidney stones because it's something that is brought up in my practice Every day, every day because that's how bad a kidney stone is. And I have devoted my career to this one section of medicine because there's just not enough good information here. I feel like kidney stone formers are the underdog, and so I always take to underdogs in life. So, you know, I'm I'll always be a kidney stone nurse. That's what I love and that's where I want to be because that's where I'm needed the most, for me anyway. ### Medical Imaging and Urine Testing for Reassurance 00:12:02 Jill Harris So, Alan, I can't thank you enough for calling and being brave enough to say, "Hey, look, old lady, it scares the shit out of me to be having these pains, okay?" So, number one, if that is what you're saying, I would like you to call your doctor and say, "Look, I'd like some imaging to rule out anything and make sure you're okay." if it's just pure anxiety from having that experience, use that to motivate yourself to stay compliant as it sounds like you're already doing. And if you are, and you've done a urine collection And everything says you have a very low stone risk, continue on that path. So, I and I will remind you, Alan, too, you should get a urine collection because that would help ease your anxiety, too, if you never got one before. Although, it may be hard to order one if you don't have any need for it right now, meaning I don't know what they would put as a diagnosis code a doctor would need to say something in order to order the test, but you know what I'm saying. If you need one of those, get one, too, because that would help your anxiety. It would also double-check to make sure the diet is working for you and you don't need meds or anything extra along with diet. The diet always has to be in place, but some of you will also need meds to help you along, too. 00:13:14 Jeff Sarris Yeah, and I think that's so important, glad you brought it up because there are so many people who are feeling the same thing. And, I mean, if you're in the same boat, leave a comment below. Like, just share with one another how you're feeling, how things are, where you're at right now, whether you're experiencing kidney stones currently, or if you're in a similar place as Alan, and you've had them in the past, and it's just that They are so they're so impactful on our lives that it's not something you easily just put out of mind. 00:13:47 Jill Harris No, and it's, you know, it is always about for long-term stone formers, because they haven't got the help they needed yet, you know, they're familiar with the signs. They're kind of like, "Oh, been there, done that." But for other people who, you know, it just came out of the blue. So many stone formers, it just came out of the blue. They didn't know nothing about kidney stones, and all of a sudden they have this pain that they're making they just can't even stand up. I mean, that's just traumatizing is what it is. And that's why people feel that way about kidney stones, ### Pain Motivation and Community Mental Health Support 00:14:21 Jill Harris And they never want to experience that again. Kidney stones are known as the worst pain ever, right? The worst pain ever. So, yes, typically that motivates people to get something done. The people that have not had that intense pain, and there are many that don't, you don't hear about them because they got nothing to complain about, okay? So, you're not hearing from those people, but I know there's lots of people that don't have pain when they have kidney stones. They tend to seek help Later until the time comes where they are in intense pain. They're like, "Whoa, I never had pain and then I had this. Let's talk about diet, Jill!" You know, then they're motivated. Pain is a powerful motivator. Pain is a powerful motivator. Illness is a powerful motivator. So, you know, that's why Alan feels like he, so obviously he had a traumatic experience with it and so he's worried about it, and, you know, He needs to do whatever he can to manage that for sure because I that's not a good feeling to walk around with. 00:15:23 Jeff Sarris Yeah. And then, again, we have the Facebook group, the Kidney Stone Prevention Group on Facebook, that a lot of people there sharing their stories, sharing their experiences. So, maybe that could help as well to a to a degree, you know. Nothing's Nothing's a fix, but, yeah, hopefully it helps to a degree. So, yeah, thank you so much, Alan, for your question. I think that was a wonderful one. Just really just something to address that wouldn't always come up just Naturally because it's not a standard question, necessarily. 00:15:54 Jill Harris Right. And I don't want fe- people to feel alone because that's so common. But, like I said, a lot of people don't have the wherewithal to bring that up. "Oh, I don't want to tell them I'm anxious or I'm nervous." We need to talk about that. Life ain't always cheery, folks. We got to talk about the hard things, too, and that is another thing this podcast is about. Life is not about just having a great day because lots of days ain't. So, we need to be supportive of each other when times aren't that great or we are suffering from anxiety and stress. And, obviously, if you're really dealing with high levels of stress and anxiety, You should contact like, you know, you should have a therapist in your toolbelt as well. It's very helpful to get that support. 00:16:35 Jeff Sarris Yeah, definitely. Well, yeah, so thank you again for your question, and if you're out there 00:16:40 Jill Harris Great question, Alan. 00:16:41 Jeff Sarris If you're out there with a question that you would like answered on a future episode, the number is 773-789-8763, and we will feature your voice in the future. But yeah, I think with that, that's a good place to wrap. So, thank you again everyone for listening. Thank you, Alan, for the question, and we will see you next time. 00:16:58 Jill Harris Thank you, Alan.