Mr Geithner reacts to the Resident's announcement that he is to demonstrate how medical costs can be cut by simplifying complex procedures.

Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner was diagnosed with a large kidney stone at a local hospital Friday but he was not admitted to the hospital as would normally be expected.

Treasury spokesman Steve Adamske said Geithner began experiencing pain from the  kidney stone Thursday night and went to George Washington University hospital emergency room Friday morning.

Adamske said that Geithner will have what he called a "alternative, non-surgical, low-cost, non-invasive procedure" performed over the weekend and he is expected to be back at work as early as Monday.

The procedure includes a heavy volume of fluid ingestion, does of pain and diuretic medications and periods of prolonged jogging around an athletic track.

The illness did force Geithner to cancel his Sunday appearances on three network news programs where he had been scheduled to promote the tax-cut deal that the administration reached with congressional Republicans this week.

Adamske said that when Geithner was asked Friday morning how much pain he was in, Geithner replied, "As between this and doing the Sunday shows, it's a close call."

Treasury did not immediately supply historical details of the unusual type of procedure Geithner will undergo. Typically kidney stones are dealt with by using either sound waves to dissolve the stone or minimally invasive surgery via a catheter. Geithner may be one of the first humans to undergo testing of the new jog-flush kidney stone procedure. Previously, CDC testing with rats had resulted in an unacceptably high number of fatal outcomes.

Get Well Soon Timmy.