Urine a Heap of Trouble, Missy!

I had my follow-up appointment in Spokane today regarding my famous kidneystones. I know this information won't apply to any of you who don't have the tendency like I do in creating stones, but it's fascinating information none the less. Here's what I found out:

My stones are high in oxalates. This means I have too much oxalate in my diet and in order to quit making stones, I need to cut high-oxalate foods out of my diet. Sounds easy, right? Take a look at this list of high-oxalate foods and tell me how easy this will be for me!

Foods to be eaten one serving at a time only ONCE A YEAR: (listed in order with highest oxalate content first)
beets, purslane, rhubarb, spinach, chard, endive, DRY COCOA, dandelion greens, okra, sweet potatoes, kale, peanuts, turnip greens, and DARK CHOCOLATE!!

Yes, I know what you're thinking. "Boy, I don't know how she'll stay off those dandelion greens or that purslane! Good luck to her!" Seriously. 1 oz. of dark chocolate once a year. boo hoo.

Foods to be eaten one serving at a time only ONCE A WEEK OR LESS: (he mentioned "only if you absolutely need these foods!")
parsnips, collard greens, pecans, tea, wheat germ, gooseberries, POTATOES!!, CARROTS, APPLES, brussel sprouts, STRAWBERRIES, CELERY, MILK CHOCOLATE, RASPBERRIES, ORANGES, GREEN BEANS, chives, leeks, BLACKBERRIES, GRAPES, BLUEBERRIES, currants, apricots, BROCCOLI, and cranberry juice.

I know. Poor me. The foods in capitals are some of my favorites. No wonder I have kidneystones, I eat those ALL THE TIME!!!

Foods to omit from recipes:
beans of all kinds, beets, blackberries, black pepper, blueberries, celery, chard, citrus peel, collards, dandelion greens, dried figs, eggplant, escarole, green peppers, grits, hominy, kale, leeks, mustard greens, okra, parsley, parsnips, rutabaga, sardines, sesame seeds, spelt, spinach, summer squash - yellow, sweet potatoes, turnip greens, watercress, wheat bran, wheat germ, whole wheat products, and yams.

Obviously some of these foods I have never heard of and will easily avoid. But anyone who knows me knows how hard it will be for me to avoid potatoes - love them so much! (McDonald's french fries!!), all that wonderful fruit, and some of my favorite vegetables. I'm glad I didn't invest in that wheat grinder in Relief Society! I can't have wheat!

I'm supposed to stick to this "No high-oxalate foods diet" for 4 months. At the end of the 4 months I'll go through all the tests again to determine if this diet was effective in lowering the amount of oxalate in my system. If it is effective, and the current stones haven't gotten any larger (remember I currently have 3 - 3mm stones in my left kidney) then I'll probably have to stick to this for life if I don't want to have kidneystones ever again. If it isn't effective, then he'll put me on medication that will dissolve any stone in my kidneys before they have any chance of forming. Is that permission to cheat or what?! Just put me on the medication and let me eat my potatoes! But the competitor in me wants to give this an honest try and see if it will work. I know I have the will-power to do this, I just don't know if I can stay off high-oxalate foods for life! Wish me luck, people!!