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Pissing into a jar, installing Linux


The two activities are surprisingly compatible.


You can't leave the house. It takes the whole day. It is stinky and sometimes embarrassing. You feel inadequate.


I succeeded in installing void on my 'main' machine. I collected not quite 2L of piss.


Why am I collecting urine? I am long overdue for a 24-hour test to see what kind of stones my kidneys are making, and hopefully, return to a diet which contains spinach, beats, soy, and tea.


I may be better at installing Linux than collecting piss, as I already botched a test in December, by forgetting to toss a little container of terrible poison/preservative into the pissjug prior to collection.


Then I procrastinated, waiting for a good day to do nothing but piss into a jug. You can't really go out too far, unless you want to carry an orange jug labeled "Urine" on the side around.


Yeah, it was holidays, then a frozen spell that disrupted FedEx... So I am finally doing it!


Pissing 3.5L in 24 hours is hard work. It reminds you that you don't drink nearly enough water normally. Last time I hit the target; today I am not quite at 2L at 6PM. Will I make it?


🚀 stack

Jan 23 · 4 months ago · 👍 gamma · 🎉 1 😄 1


24 Comments ↓


👤 nikhotmsk · Jan 23 at 09:52:

What I learned is that Linux has Live USB mode. It is a bit tricky at the beginning, but it allows to skip installing altogether. As a bonus I get extra safety features.


Linux installer is an unnecessary complicated legacy mess, I agree. I wish it would be simplier someday.


😺 gemalaya · Jan 23 at 10:40:

@stack Good luck. Maybe you don't know this but cider vinegar is an excellent treatment for kidney stones. The acetic acid in cider vinegar helps to dissolve kidney stones.


✈️ coderwx · Jan 23 at 12:09:

I am backing up @gemalaya on the apple cider vinegar - one spoon in a glass of water. The other acid you may try is half a lemon in a glass of water. And these two are connected: improving night sleep will help with stones, getting rid of stones will help with the sleep :)


🚀 stack [OP] · Jan 23 at 17:44:

I think there are 7 different kinds of kidney stones, calcium/oxalate being about 70% likely, and hopefully this test will help determine which kind. As far as I know, there is no medically proven way to 'dissolve' kidney stones, and my best hope is to prevent the growth of more stones.


I've been drinking a lot of kombucha, which is pretty much vinegar, during the last few months leading to violently passing a stone, rupturing the duct in the process. Citrate in lemon does neutralize oxalic acid, but vitamin C does the opposite, so overall probably not that helpful with oxalic issues.


🚀 stack [OP] · Jan 23 at 18:00:

I think the best you can do is drink a lot of water. A big glass or two in the morning - with vinegar or lemon juice, why not. Then a few more throughout the day.


I was really dehydrating myself during the pandemic as drinking severely limited my travel range (avoiding public bathrooms). Combined with eating beets, spinach, soy and potatos, a lot of.


I only produced about 2.8L of urine this time over 24 hours, while drinking more than usual. So I think I am not rinsing my kidneys nearly enough...


✈️ coderwx · Jan 23 at 18:41:

I think you are doing great actually with 3L water, kombucha, other acids and the diet. The thing is that the stones pass soooo sloooow (I know from practice) and painfully :( and this worsens one's mood certainly :( so cheers! They will pass...


🚀 stack [OP] · Jan 23 at 18:52:

@codewrx: my stone came out of nowhere, and within an hour I was in the ER passing out from the worst pain I ever experienced. An MRI showed a ruptured ureter, and a couple of hours later I walked home as if nothing happened, with the stone in my bladder (it passed without me noticing from there). I've been feeling perfect since then, but apparently I have another 5mm stone sitting deep in the kidney...


✈️ coderwx · Jan 23 at 18:54:

...and this may be of interest also:

— https://www.reddit.com/r/KidneyStones/comments/pyb8en/my_guide_to_handling_kidney_stones_and_getting/?rdt=62562

> DISCLAMER: I have not tried anything of these, but I would test some ideas from here next time I have stones :)


✈️ coderwx · Jan 23 at 19:10:

> An MRI showed a ruptured ureter

This one should have been a big one!

> 5mm stone sitting deep in the kidney...

5mm according to official medicine is passable. Official medicine thinks there is no way to 'dissolve' it, but from my own practice - exactly these acids help :)


🚀 stack [OP] · Jan 23 at 19:17:

@codewrx: the stone I passed was only 3mm, but ripped me a new one!


🚀 stack [OP] · Jan 23 at 19:18:

The ER doctor misspoke and told me I have a 5cm stone! I nearly passed out again!


✈️ coderwx · Jan 23 at 19:28:

> the stone I passed was only 3mm

so this is a surprise! I pass these frequently with no problem :) But maybe it depends on the different kinds of stones...

> told me I have a 5cm stone!

hehe :) yeah, a nice one (for an elephant maybe :)


🚀 stack [OP] · Jan 23 at 19:53:

@coderwx: the stone was small, but maybe really sharp! Of course I may have a very narrow ureter! Wasn't there a 'King of the Hill' episode with Hank's narrow ureter?


✈️ coderwx · Jan 24 at 07:48:

Yes, that is what I thought. I think acids one drinks do not 'dissolve' a stone completely, but maybe make it smaller and softer on the surface. The width of urether would also depend much on the muscle tension.


🚀 stack [OP] · Jan 24 at 16:38:

There are all kinds of acids! The most common stones are formed by oxalic acid. Citric acid counteracts it prior to stone formation.


🚀 stack [OP] · Jan 24 at 18:42:

Speaking of acids, I did abuse Vitamin C over the years. Thinking (incorrectly) that it was benign, I would take 5 and sometimes 10 grams when feeling under the weather. I would pop the chewable 500mg and 1000mg tablets like candy! I knew that my body would absorb what it needed, and I would pee out the rest -- without considering that first it would go through the kidneys.


VItamin C is known to be something to avoid when you have stones...


✈️ coderwx · Jan 25 at 06:36:

Ah, so now it is getting clearer even for me :) :

lemon counteracts oxalic acid

ACV counteracts "uric acid" (the second forming stones)

kombucha - I don't know, but it worked for you once, so...


✈️ coderwx · Jan 25 at 06:42:

I don't think you have been abusing vit.C. For a person with perfectly healthy kidneys up to 10g per day should be bearable and may save them from infections. Now people like us need to be careful with vit.C


✈️ coderwx · Jan 25 at 06:47:

On the other hand vit.C is absolutely necessary for the health. Personally I get 300mg per day, each day (actually I am putting it in my morning ACV, don't know if a good practice) and I hope it will be absorbed prior reaching the kidneys.


✈️ coderwx · Jan 25 at 06:59:

... and about relaxing the "smooth muscles" (which urethra consists of) I know 2 methods:

hot bathtub

drinking espom salts + fasting for one day

I am sure there are many more methods though


🚀 stack [OP] · Jan 25 at 17:11:

@coderwx, I wouldn't say kombucha 'worked', and maybe the opposite, only that I drank a lot of it, and then wound up at the ER. I still drink a lot of it, and it is likely not very relevant...


✈️ coderwx · Jan 25 at 20:13:

Maybe not relevant, maybe yes... In kombucha there is also some acid after the fermentation, I just do not know which type. My angle of view on ER is: you ended up there, but you managed to pop out the stone without medical intervention, so I count it as a success :) Anyway, the goal is next time not to end in ER...


🚀 stack [OP] · Jan 25 at 20:57:

Let's call it a success. If you missed my previous posts, I dehydrated myself for several years prior, have no kidney stone history before or after the ureter rupture.


There are many potential benefits of kombucha, but to be honest I drink copious amounts because I love the taste and it's low in sugar, so I don't feel too bad about drinking a lot of it. I think sugar is probably the biggest problem in modern diets.


✈️ coderwx · Jan 26 at 11:49:

Ah, sorry, eighter missed or forgot what I've been reading :) From too much work I am not focused on my leisure time :) But good thing you reminded me of kombucha! We have the kombucha culture at home, but it is now "parked" for few months (did U know it can be "parked" and sleeping? ) Now I am un-parking it and will start brewing some kombucha! Thanks! (about the sugar I agree with you also)

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