Over Thanksgiving I was diagnosed with gallstones. Yippee. These last (wow!) three months I have been eating a very very very low-fat diet to avoid more gallstone attacks. Attacks are the worst pain I've ever had, worse than labor, and mine last anywhere from 5 to 7 hours. Nothing helps the pain, over the counter medicine is a joke, and sleeping pills don't do a thing. I've had four attacks in all and NEVER EVER EVER want to experience that again.
In one week I am having my gall bladder removed. Gallstones do not "pass" like kidney stones. They just sit up there, accumulating and rolling around like little marbles, waiting for you to eat too much fat. When you are foolish they become inflamed and block the duct from your gall bladder to your digestive system. This is what causes the ridiculous pain. Thus, the need to just take the whole darn thing out. While it's normally outpatient surgery, I'm still a teeny bit scared. There is a slight chance they might have to cut open my entire belly and then I'll have to be in the hospital for a week. It would be like giving birth to my gall bladder via C-section. Ick.
So, in six more days I will be short one organ. Fortunately my liver can make up for the absence of the gall bladder, produce the extra bile, and I will then be able to eat hamburgers cooked on our new lovely grill, chocolate, and CHEESE (glorious cheese!) once again. I can't wait.
12 comments:
I will pray for you Jana. I don't know how you have been living without chocolate or cheese.
Jana, you can do it! It's really not bad at all. My surgery was 2 weeks ago today and I feel pretty much normal. Isn't it funny that cheese is actually the thing I missed most too? Weird! But it's just in pretty much everything and gives it so much flavor! Anyways, Will and I are praying for you, too. Good luck!
I hope that your first meal after you get home is PIZZA! Pizza is glorious and I can't believe that you haven't had any. Good luck! Let us know how it goes, I hope that there is no need for mom to make the trip down. And is that a real picture of a gall bladder? GROSS!
that picture is nasty.
Celebration dinner here we come!!! :) I am so excited for you!
Good luck Jana Banana! I'll be thinking about you.
Good luck girl! Can't wait for you to have a huge mexican meal! :) You remember we are watching Addie, right? Let me know if you need anything else!
Thanks to all for your well wishes. I'm curious, though, who is Sarah?
Jana, I meant to call you all day to wish you good luck for tomorrow, and now it is too late. Well, you'll be in my prayers tonight and tommorow. And I hope you enjoy the post-op cheese!
Hey Jana! I hope it went well today!
hey did you get them to put your gall bladder on a charger.
i still think that is a nasty picture.
They wouldn't do it, they said they didn't serve gall bladders on chargers just on stratus'
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