Monday, March 30, 2009

No more Gallbladder...

I just found this post as a draft-so I thought I'd finally post it. Funny how I hardly remember any of this stuff now that it's been a few years since the surgery.
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Well, I finally had my gallbladder removed. After living in pain for 3 years...it's all gone. I tried everything to keep my gallbladder, however in the end, I wasn't able to keep it. At first, I felt like a failure for not being able to keep it, or make it better, but now I realize that it wasn't anything I did or didn't do. My gallbladder was simply sick, and had to be taken out.

For the last 6 weeks, I have felt horrible. It started with an attack that lasted all weekend, and I never really recovered from it. I went to my Doctor, who ran some blood tests to test my liver function and an ultrasound to see if I had a stone stuck. The blood tests came back with bad news. My liver function tests were all abnormal and my ultrasound results showed the gallbladder full of stones.

I finally went and saw a surgeon for a consult. After the consult, I felt better about making a decision to have it removed. I felt safe with the surgeon, Dr. O'toole, and felt good about getting it taken out. He explained the procedure to me, and any complications that could happen.

I realized that my stones weren't going away...I was actually making more.

My surgery was on Thursday 3-26 at noon. I had to be to swwmc Firstenburg tower at 10:30am for prep. The night before, my father game me a blessing, which helped calm my nerves and I was grateful for that. I didn't get nervous until they wheeled my bed into the O.R. room.

My anesthesiologist explain what he would be doing during the procedure, he was very comforting and joked around with me. I remember him saying in about 26 seconds you will be a sleep...the next thing I remember was him saying, that's it, you are all done. Then I asked him to go and tell my husband that I had woken up. After all, that was my only job according to Raj...just wake up.

I was in the recovery room for just a short while. I remember my eyes watering and my throat being sore and it being hard to talk. Probably because of the breathing tube. They then wheeled my bed down to the day surgery area where Raj met me. He stayed with me there until we decided that I was going to stay the night. I had tried to get up a few times to go to the bathroom, but got really dizzy. My blood pressure dropped and my lips turned blue. I was put on oxygen and the nurses watched my vitals all night. I was glad I decided to stay in the hospital...where else can you have someone wait on you! And they kept my pain very manageable with IV drugs!

All of the staff at the hospital were excellent, the nurses and CNA's, all of them went out of their way to make sure Raj and I were comfortable and happy. We left the hospital Friday around 3pm and went to Kaiser to pick up my prescriptions. I was exhausted by the time I got home.

My mom came over and saw me and brought me some flowers and jell-o. She stayed with me while Raj was at an appointment at Kaiser for himself. I don't know how I would of handled being at home that first night if I wasn't in the hospital. The vicodin they originally game me, didn't control the pain, it took a couple of changes in medicine,but they finally tried percoset, and that seemed to do the trick. Also, it was really hard to get in and out of bed. I'm grateful I had a hospital bed the first night!

On Saturday, my sister Angela stopped by with an electric heating pad and some graham crackers...as per my request! The heating pad has been my savior. It feels so good! Then Mandy stopped by in the afternoon with some homemade soup (Mandy thought it wasn't very good soup, but Raj helped doctor it up, and it was delicious!) and some flowers and some gossip magazines!

Raj's family stopped by on Saturday evening briefly to bring us some groceries, and take some of our laundry...yes, our washer decided to go out on us this week!

On Sunday, a co-worker of mine dropped by some dinner. It was so nice of her to bring it by.

I am recovering from surgery fairly well. I have to admit, I didn't expect it to hurt his much. I thought my incisions would hurt the most and would hurt for a few days...I had no idea I would hurt internally...duh...I just had an organ taken out! What was I thinking!

I am still having trouble with gas. During the surgery, they fill you up with gas so they can see everything, and the gas that is left in you is very painful. It's also hard to twist, bend, sit up, reach... I am frustrated because I am home, and would like to be working on projects, but can't because I can't even bend down to pick up anything! Oh well.

Raj is being wonderful. He's been taking good care of me, helping me to recoup slowly. He has been home on Spring Break this week, and has to go back tomorrow, so tomorrow I'll be all on my own.