Chapter 1: The Unexpected Wake-Up Call

For years, my friends joked that I might end up with scurvy due to my poor eating habits. I've always been petite, a mix of genetics, my daily activity, and my habit of portion control. This meant I never really monitored my diet. Cookies for lunch? Sure! Pizza multiple nights a week? Why not!

My annual blood tests consistently came back normal, and my weight fluctuated within a ten-pound range since I was nineteen—except during my two pregnancies. Deep down, I knew that my carefree approach to eating might catch up with me eventually, but I hoped it would take a while.

The turning point arrived on November 6, 2021. I woke up to excruciating pain on my right side, which radiated to the front. It was unlike anything I'd ever felt before. With my husband at work and my daughters at home, I didn’t have the luxury of time. I took some Tylenol, thinking I could just push through it.

When I was too incapacitated to even put on my running shorts, I realized I was in trouble. A quick search on Google suggested kidney stones (affec