Question: Hello, I have been having significant pain in my right flank for a couple of months. Recently it has increased dramatically and I pushed for my MD to run some tests. I have been having constant nausea, fatigue, and weight loss. They ran blood tests as well as an abdominal ultrasound, as I have a history of kidney stones. My test came back normal with the exception of the ultrasound. My right kidney has not only became smaller, by there is significant thinning of the renal cortex. Now just to give you some hx, I have permanent damage to my right uretur due to the amount of stones. It is stretched out and has scar tissue through out. Almost every ultrasound that I have had over the past 5 years has shown hydronephrosis even when there are no stones present. I am a little flustered because over the past few months my physician hasn't seemed to be concerned of the chronic nephrosis because he says there are no visible obstructions. Now that I'm being told that there is significant renal cortex thinning, I don't know what to think. I am in a very large amount of pain in my flank area. It is so intense that It has impacted my daily life. My gfr is perfect at 59, my creatinine is 1.0, and my BUN is also in the normal range, which is wonderful, but because of this my MD doesn't believe there is any cause for concern. Please tell me what to do because I am at a loss. I have lost 18 pounds in 2 months, I am in constant pain, and I can't even take a deep breath without wanting to cry. What is wrong with me?