Ralph Lawler has generally been known for being very enduring in the face of problematic disease, and even cancer wasn’t able to make him want to stop attending his broadcasts. However, recently, he had to go through surgery related to a kidney stone condition. Even though the procedure reportedly went well at first, it was followed by respiratory issues which required extensive post-care, and as a result, Lawler had to miss the game. And yet, according to him in an interview, he still has a strong spirit about his situation, and is looking forward to continuing his work.
Kidney stones are known to accompany a variety of other conditions, and predisposition often goes both ways. It’s not known if Lawler’s breathing problems during his operation were related to his kidney stones directly, or were a product of some other complication during the surgery, but it wouldn’t be unexpected if the first case is true.
Those who are at risk of kidney stones should limit certain activities and substances in their everyday lives, if they want to give themselves a better chance of fighting the condition more effectively. Smoking is a major culprit in people who suffer from kidney stones, and those who have successfully managed to quit it usually report a significant improvement in their condition shortly afterwards.
Most importantly, however, hydration must be kept at an appropriate level – this is among the most common problems for kidney stone sufferers. The “sufficient” level of water consumption seems to be difficult to gauge for many people, but there is no harm in increasing one’s uptake if the problem persists or is getting more prominent. It’s also worth noting that hydration should be spread out through the day in order to work most effectively, otherwise the problems might still persist.
Overall, a change in dieting habits might not be a bad idea as well, although it’s hard to say exactly what one could benefit from – it’s a highly individual situation. In any case, sugar should be cut down on, especially the refined kind, and salt/fats should be balanced as well.
If problems in those areas are successfully avoided, the risk of developing kidney stones decreases significantly. Of course, those aren’t changes that one can make once in their lives and forget about it afterwards – a life adjustment for combating kidney stones requires a permanent change in attitude, so it’s important to prepare for it adequately. Starting the process with sufficient research and reading up on different cases of kidney stone treatment is often a good idea, and reports lately have been pointing more and more towards successful control of kidney stones through an appropriate diet.