On the day after climbing Mount Fitzroy in Argentina, I noticed blood in my urine, never a good sign. It persisted for a few days and then everything returned to normal. When I got back to the US, I saw my GP and then a urologist who ordered a CAT scan which revealed a number of kidney stones (5mm, 3mm x 2, 2mm). I decided to give them 6 weeks to pass before considering more invasive remedies. The journey from the kidney to the bladder can be excruciatingly painful (renal colic) and totally debilitating. The pain comes in intense waves that last for 30-90 minutes. Once in the bladder, passage out of the body is not as painful. Starting last Thursday, I have been having 2 to 3 episodes per day. Yesterday on the way back from my soccer game (non-driver in a car pool), I had a particularly painful attack. This morning, I produced over a hundred tiny stones, mostly sub millimeter, several 1mm, and a couple of 2mm. I believe that the strenuous activity may have helped break down the 5mm stone into all the remnants pictured above. Time will tell.