Why Having a Lodged Kidney Stone is Like Being Very Pregnant

You are so tired of carrying this thing around—the bloating, the pain, the nausea, the endless doctors’ appointments. You just want it out of you already!
It kicks at odd times with a ferocity that doubles you over and makes you wonder if everything is okay.
You can’t bend over very far because your stowaway will object.
You have to pee all the time, including at night.
Everyone is tired of hearing about it and how miserable you are.
You can’t go on any trips because the darn thing might suddenly decide today’s the day!
You’re sometimes (with increasing frequency) grumpy and unreasonable.
You don’t feel well enough to be very productive, but you’ve still gotta get stuff done, anyway.
Friends and family keep calling you up to ask, “Just how much longer are you going to wait?”
You’re pretty sure that if it doesn’t come out soon, the doctor is going to want to go in after it.
Your friends keep telling you horror stories you really don’t want to hear about what can go wrong.
People keep giving you well-intentioned, but entirely unhelpful, advice. “Drink a bunch of olive oil and it’ll slip right out!”