I have been not well for a few weeks. It all started with what we thought was my back. I went to the chiropractor, who adjusted me a couple of times. I did feel better...not 100% better, but you know...back pain takes time, and all that. So. About a week later, I was pretty sure I had the flu. I was throwing up, running a fever...all that fun junk. That was on Monday night. By Wednesday morning, I was feeling better, still not 100%, but at least I wasn't throwing up, and my back wasn't KILLING me, and I could sleep about an hour at a time at night. So...doing better. Then I got itchy. I thought it was because I had taken several baths the night before (back pain), and my skin was dry (?). So, I lathered up on lotion. But then my pee was orange. And not just like, dark, need to hydrate a bit, dark yellow. Like, the toilet paper was orange, too. So, that's not normal. I drank more water on Thursday, hoping it was a UTI, and I could flush it out a bit. Funny thing, I was in a meeting on Thursday morning for Rejoice, and Chantel commented that I looked tan. I am not tan by any length of the imagination, so we were just commenting on how the lighting must be making me yellow. Weird lights. So, Friday morning, after sleeping a little better on the couch, my pee was still super funky, and I am still itchy. I decided to pop into a quick care type place because I am sure that I have a kidney infection, and just need some antibiotics. So I go in, give a sample. The doctor comes into my room and tells me that I do not have a kidney infection, I have jaundice.
My first response to this is...I don't drink!! What could be wrong with my liver? I barely take pain medicine when I am dying of pain... so the doctor tells me that there is nothing wrong with my liver, that it is my gallbladder. That I probably have a gallstone obstructing my common bile duct, which would cause the jaundice. He told me that he would get me an appointment with an internal medicine doctor for that day, and that I HAD to go. He said if I couldn't get in to see someone that day, that I need to just go to the ER.
So I had an appointment, went home, Zach called my mother in law so she could come watch the kiddos for us. We went into the doctor, who was a PA. Now, there is nothing wrong with PA's, except this was was pretty...uninformed? Uninterested? I think he may have just been used to dealing with the elderly. So, he went and got a doctor who worked with him, the doctor came in, did the exam (OWWWWW) again, looked at my eyes (jaundice) and told him I needed to have an abdominal ultrasound and some blood work. Stat. (what do you think stat means, by the way? Zach and I were talking about this...)
So off we go to get the ultrasound. Across town, of course. Wait FOREVER...in an empty waiting room. Which is so frustrating, because I kept thinking...it's not like they are so super busy...
Anyways, we finally (about 45 minutes and several Royal Wedding Insider episodes later) back, the lady does the exam (OWWWWW) and tells us it is positive. Which to me, means good...but in medicine, it means bad, apparently. She told us that my gallbladder's sides were inflamed, there were things in it, the common bile duct was dilated (bad?), and I have upper right quadrant pain (duh). She said to stay by the phone because we were probably going to be going into the hospital that night.
So. I go and have blood drawn, and head home. The moment we walk in the door, my mother in law tells us that the radiologist had called and we need to go to the hospital. Then the doctor calls and tells us the same thing. So. Off to the hospital we had to go. I went to get diapers and formula for Cadence, since I clearly couldn't feed her, and wouldn't have time to explain how my cloth diapers work to my mother in law. So.
We get to the hospital...and wait...and wait...and tell the same story about 23 times...and wait some more. It really wasn't that bad. We got there around 5:30ish, and I went into surgery around 7. It was pretty interesting...
I no longer have a lip ring. We had to take it out for the oxygen mask...and I was too out of it afterwards to be concerned about putting it back in. We did have a hold up before I could go into the OR to see if I am pregnant...I am not (whew). So, they took me in, put me on the table, and as they are strapping me onto the table (they strap your arms out to the sides) the anesthesiologist comments on how this is a funny pose for me to be in on Good Friday. It is funnier when you consider that they then cut into my side (ahem). Anyways. I laughed about that, breathed in the oxygen like they told me to, and then I was waking up in recovery.
The surgery took about 4 hours, which is apparently a really long time. My gallbladder was all kinds of messed up. And they had to do a separate procedure where they sent a scope down my throat, through my stomach, into my large intestine, then into my common bile duct. They had to make a little cut in it in order to take out the stone. So my throat is all kinds of sore between the breathing tube and the scope being put down it. Ouch.
I have 4 little incision points on my abdomen, which a pretty sore and hurt to stretch. My right shoulder hurts, because apparently they put gas in your abdomen when they do this type of surgery. The air then travels to a high point (my shoulder). And it is actually more painful than the incisions are.
So I am doing and feeling better, am on the mend from the surgery, and am minus a gallbladder. I am currently eating a super low fat diet, as I no long have a gallbladder to help break down the fat in foods. By low fat, I mean that I have eaten oatmeal for breakfast, and homemade chicken soup for lunch and dinner the last several days. And before that, it was just broth and saltines. Someday, I should be able to eat fairly normally again...until then, sounds like soup for dinner!
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