Music for Lithotripsy

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After two years of agony, the Royal Gwent have finally scheduled me for lithotripsy on my never ending kidney stones, which will be on Wednesday. The only problem is, I've just read the pamphlet with it and it says to bring along a CD or tape to listen to.

So here's the scene, I'm lying butt naked on this machine having my kidney stones blasted ("a sensation not unlike having rubber bands flicked at your stomach" it says here) for 45 minutes, with a nurse constantly checking my blood pressure etc, and a doc guiding the sound waves, I presume. Oh, and my mother-in-law, who's taking me there and back too. I want something easy going to listen to, something that'll soothe any pain I'm in. I feel like compiling a CD-R tonight so... I'm thinking mainly instrumentals, a bit of Eno here, Boards of Canada there, a bit of shoegazing....

Any recommendations gratefully received!

― Rob M (Rob M), Monday, 29 September 2003 12:05 (twenty-two years ago)

Christ. Muse, or something. Maybe Ministry...

― Nick Southall (Nick Southall), Monday, 29 September 2003 12:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Merzbow!

― King Kobra (King Kobra), Monday, 29 September 2003 15:19 (twenty-two years ago)

Yello: "Rubberbandman". Tee hee!

Sorry. That may not have been helpful.

― OleM (OleM), Monday, 29 September 2003 17:40 (twenty-two years ago)

good luck, sir. I get those too. you're on the right track, don't forget 1/1 and 2/2 from 'airports'

― (Jon L), Monday, 29 September 2003 17:55 (twenty-two years ago)

Slowdive's "Souvlaki"? Is it a bad idea to bring a comedy record? That might make the time go by faster... unless you start laughing and it fucks up the procedure. A Bill Hicks Cd might be nice. David Cross' "Shut Up You Fucking Baby!"?
Anyways, good luck with it, Rob... hope it goes well. Report back!

― Ben Boyer (Ben Boyer), Monday, 29 September 2003 20:06 (twenty-two years ago)

just be careful not to associate the music with the experience if anything goes wrong.

― Felcher (Felcher), Monday, 29 September 2003 20:17 (twenty-two years ago)

I so want to name an album after this thread!

― Mike Taylor (mjt), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 00:50 (twenty-two years ago)

the return of the durutti column

― the surface noise (electricsound), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 01:06 (twenty-two years ago)

Maybe somebody with a soothing voice who can send you to restful sleep...

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 01:58 (twenty-two years ago)

i've had this done (didn't know it was called this), but from what i remember, you're mostly out. total dreamland

but can i suggest Matmos "A Chance to Cut is a Chance to Cure"?

― JasonD (JasonD), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 05:20 (twenty-two years ago)

Thanks for the suggestions folks. I started compiling the CD this morning (before I looked at this) and oddly enough some of the suggestions have made their way onto the CD already - "2/2" from "Music for airports", a couple of Durutti Column tracks. Also included at the moment are some of those nice Felt piano instrumentals, some Penguin Cafe Orchestra, a Global Communications remix, Mojave 3, Yo La Tengo, Bark Psychosis and some Mozart. I'll be back in work on Thursday so I'll let you all know how it goes. Again, thanks for the suggestions.

― Rob M (Rob M), Tuesday, 30 September 2003 11:16 (twenty-two years ago)

Wire "Kidney Bingoes"
Robert Johnson "Stones in my Pathway"
Frank Zappa "Why Does It Hurt When I Pee?"
GG Allin "Needle Up My Cock"

― dave q, Tuesday, 30 September 2003 11:48 (twenty-two years ago)

As an update...

That wasn't quite what I was expecting from lithotripsy. Not so much someone firing a rubber band at you, rather someone sticking a cap gun at the base of your back and firing it repeatedly for 45 minutes, with the sound being pretty much the same as well. So my nice CD of chilled out instrumental music was a bit wasted because of the enormous "Crack" sound every second or less. Peeing blood for a day afterwards wasn't much fun either.

And do you know what? I've got to go through it all again in a fortnight, and then another fortnight after that. So next time I'm making a bloody jolly guitar pop CD-R to sing along to which will take my mind of it all.

Thanks for all the suggestions and the kind thoughts. I might end up putting "Kidney bingos" on the next CD-R now, to see if it raises a smile.

― Rob M (Rob M), Friday, 3 October 2003 07:22 (twenty-two years ago)

Man, I could have made a wicked mix for my colonoscopy.

― adaml (adaml), Friday, 3 October 2003 07:27 (twenty-two years ago)

Adam, that cdr reqired A WHOLE LOT of Coil!

― Mike Taylor (mjt), Friday, 3 October 2003 22:51 (twenty-two years ago)

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Music for Lithotripsy - help!