I was working on the early stages of a site that required us to use plate and jumping-jack tampers extensively to prep the loose soil. Nasty work working in mud and dirt but a necessary part of the job. Everybody lends a hand when things got rough. Even the senior guys.

Anyway, one of the old hands had kidney stones and had been told to push the water. Hottest days of the year and everyone is humping and sweating. He is taking his pills and chugging the water. He takes a turn on one of the old jumping-jack compactors where the dampers are shot so it really rattles your teeth. After about twenty minutes he hops out of the hole and gets a drink. On the way back he stops off at the porta-jon.

At first it is just a few yips. Then a scream that would curl your hair followed by a minute of swearing, a few mixed prayers, more cussing, a few whimpers and another minute of screaming and crying like a woman.

Then silence.

After a few minutes we figured we had to check to see if he fell in and drown. A friend knocked on the door and he replied that he was fine.

After another couple of minutes he came out. He was still pale, his clothes were soaked in sweat and looked like he he had slept in them for a month but he had the biggest SEG I have ever seen.

The stone had passed.

To this day he credits drinking lots of water and the bone cracking vibrations from a worn out soil compactor.

There is lots of folklore about 'acidifying' your urine to dissolve any stones. I doubt that any of it makes much of a difference. Which explains why there are so many different, and contradictory, versions. If you push fluids, pretty much any fluids, most stones pass on their own. Consult your doctor.

I would just push water and if it got too painful I would get medical help. If a stone goes in sideways, sticks and stops up the works your going to need professional help. Failure to get help can cost you a kidney and, rarely, with complications, cost you your life. Lady down the way had one that backed up and it tore into a blood vessel. She almost bled to death internally and, after a week in the hospital, finally gave it up due to an infection. Not something I want to mess around with.