…but I don’t want anyone thinking I have abandoned my blogs. 
All my good intentions about getting back into the swing of things after my early Sunday morning emergency room visit didn’t quite go as planned. I checked in (previous post) and felt pretty good Monday. But, it was only one day and I didn’t get all I wanted done. By Monday night my side was aching something fierce, but I decided to ignore it and put it up to soreness from Sunday’s incident.
About 2am Tuesday morning, I was back in the emergency room – almost exactly 48 hours after the previous visit. They got me into a bed straight away and had me knock back a few painkillers so I could talk to them without squealing and squirming. It didn’t take them long to let me know that I wouldn’t be going home the following afternoon like before – they were going to take out my gallbladder.
I was bound and determined not to have surgery, after I had a long, soul-searching conversation with my husband. Any natural treatment would get my looksee before I considered surgery.
To give them a heap of credit, the surgeon was very understanding of how I felt regarding the surgery and went to the head of surgery to check out my options.
As it turned out, surgery was the only way for me. According to the head surgeon – who came to see me personally a number of times – my stones were simply too big to pass and would likely only get bigger. The infection/inflammation was the final sign (for them) that it was time to take my gallbladder out.
My surgery didn’t happen until Thursday night, and I was pumped full of antibiotics and fluids in the mean time. It wasn’t a great time, but I slept a lot. Plus, I had three roommates – Lee, Steve and Terry – who were great for conversation (and not so great for putting the toilet seat back down – haha).
Going into surgery was a teary-eyed event, but my husband got to be by my side right up until they wheeled me into theatre. I wasn’t awake for more than five minutes after I left his company.
When I opened my eyes (and kept them open) his smiling face was the first thing I saw. When I saw him, I knew everything would be okay. I was quite out of it, but I managed to tell him repeatedly that I loved him – even though I was slurring a bit and trying to speak loud enough to be heard through the oxygen mask.
Waking up fully was a bit rude the next morning because it was only then that I learned I had a tube coming out of my stomach. I hadn’t moved much before that (thank goodness) so I had no idea. I managed to get to the loo carrying the attached bag and without looking at the tube in me (I couldn’t bear to), but it was a very painful process. I pestered them about getting the tube taken out, and a very gentle nurse was finally given the go-ahead later that morning.
Though the surgeon had told me before surgery that it wouldn’t be likely I would get out before Saturday morning, I didn’t want to hear it. I wanted to leave Friday night at the latest. Even after discovering the stomach tube, I didn’t change my mind.
My determination seemed to do the trick, though, because I was able to be discharged Friday afternoon. I was barely walking and incredibly sore, but I made it.
With the help of my amazing, supportive husband, of course.
It’s now Sunday and I’m feeling pretty good. My appetite isn’t great, but I eat little bit anyway to help with the healing. I’m still very store, but I can get out of bed by myself and do most things by myself now. Staying awake is easier, though I still take one or two naps a day.
I overdid it a smidge yesterday and have sore legs for it today, but I insist on getting exercise while I’m healing. Very gentle exercise, but still.
The space where my gallbladder used to be still feels a bit strange. I’m getting used to it now, but after spending so many weeks being hyper-aware of it, its absence is weird.
I could go into all the things this whole experience taught me – there are more things than you might think – but I’ll leave that for another time. I’m still sorting things out for myself.
And it might be time for another nap…
