If only a gall bladder weighed closer to 20 pounds. Wouldn't that be awesome? It would be if you were me and had your gall bladder removed! Everyone knows by now that I spent Mother's Day having emergency surgery.
What does a gall bladder attack feel like? I've been asked a few times so let me tell you. It feels like you're dying. It feels like you may be having a heart attack or a knife stabbing you in the gut. It's down right awful. I have a high pain tolerance; really high. But on Saturday night I was laying in bed reading peacefully and was suddenly struck by the most agonizing pain. It spread through my chest and abdomen and through my back. I jumped out of bed, extremely alarmed. I drank water, took Tums. It took me about 2 minutes to sweat it out and decide something was very wrong. I yelled for Nick to take me to the ER now and yelled for my mom to stay and listen for Connor (who, thank God, was asleep). Off we went; I didn't even think to grab my purse. Everyone on the road and at the hospital is lucky I ran out the door with clothes on.
Nick flew us to the hospital. Poor Nick; I know I scared him. I wasn't exactly screaming in pain, but thrashing all around in the car moaning. It was so awful, I actually started begging God to not let me die. It sounds embarrassingly over dramatic now, but at the time it was terrifying.
Thankfully, we got to an almost empty ER and I was seem immediately. I only had to endure about 10 more minutes of pain while they did an EKG. I was so, so relieved to hear my heart was perfectly fine. Then I was given a GI drink to numb my esophagus and everything else. That helped a LOT. I had blood drawn and an ultrasound done. As soon as I told the nurses I had gall stones, they zeroed in on my gallbladder. It wasn't until I was out of the severe pain that I could think clearly enough to suspect it was a gallbladder attack. Thank God I was spared any MRI, CT scan or other tests. The ultrasound was done and we waited.
I was in the ER for about 2 hours. I started feeling much better and Nick and I convinced ourselves I'd be given some medicine to get rid of the stones. My dad showed up, all disheveled and scared after my mom called him to go see if I was okay. This is when you really want to have a cell phone!
Anyway, sadly the doctor arrived and announced my gall bladder was infected, inflamed and coming out ASAP. They admitted me and got me into a hospital room of my own. I was really nervous, but overall the entire process went well. They took my gall bladder out on Mother's Day and I went home the following morning. Laproscopic surgery is such a miracle of modern medicine!
Have you heard of animals that can detect illness? Here is an interesting twist to my story. My gall bladder pain started shortly after Connor was born. I'd lean against something and it felt sore under my right rib cage. It concerned me, but not my PCP nor my chiropractor seemed concerned at all. I basically endured the occasional pains. The funny thing is, our cat Harvey started to lay on my stomach each night. He's never done this! Not ever. Nick thought it was the strangest thing. Sweet, but odd. Finally I thought maybe Harvey knows my gall bladder is hurting. Because he lays right on that spot! Weird right? Since I've been home, Harvey hasn't tried to lay on me.
Josie, my older and grouchier cat, rarely hangs out with us during the day. She has no tolerance for Connor. But the day I came home from the hospital, she charged into the living room where I was resting on the couch. She climbed up and literally shoved Connor out of her way so that she could lay on my lap. She stayed there for a good hour or so, purring and cuddling up to me. No amount of grabbing by Connor could get her to leave.
I sure do feel loved by my cats! :)
Since the gall bladder incident, I've actually felt better. It's hard to describe, but I do feel like my body was rid of something that had been infecting it. It scares me a bit to think of how long my gall bladder was in there, throbbing with infection. :( I have 4 new incisions on my belly, adding to the c-section scar and the other 2 scars from the laproscopic surgery I had 2 years ago. My belly button has been cut twice now. I think any possibility of a career as a bikini model has been ruined! :P
I seem to be healing well so far, but I go back to the doctor next week to get checked out and make sure everything looks good. The nice thing is that I weigh 6 pounds less now (not all gall bladder I am sure but still).
What drama. I plan on a Mother's Day do-over sometime in the few weeks! :)
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