I hadn't been feeling well for a while. I decided since I had never been to the doctor for anything but birthin babies it was time to get a check up. Well the doctor said it was probably gall stones and sent me for an ultrasound. The ultrasound technician said there were definitely stones in there, but it didn't look inflamed or really problematic....but a scheduled gall bladder-ectomy (stop laughing Spencer) was better than having an attack and having to go to the e.r. in the middle of the night.
I agreed and we scheduled it for July 20th. The boys had talked about hiking the subway again in early August and I thought I would probably be fine by then and be able to go. (so so naive) By the time it came around to July 20th I felt fine, I wasn't even a little sick anymore (I thought). Everyone I talked to volunteered to bring food and help out and I just turned people away..."I am sure I will be fine." Well I wasn't. It was like have a c-section again, but with the ugliest baby ever delivered.
The doctor said my main incision would probably be sore for a long time because they had to stretch it so far to get the bag of rocks out of my belly (he probably used a little more technical terms). The recovery nurse showed me this picture as I was coming out of my stupor and asked if she could show it to the other nurses. That is when I knew I was pretty special! There were at least 22 stones. The largest ones were about the size of dice cut in half. Spencer asked me if I was going to make a necklace out of them..... they do kind of look like tiger's eye, or fool's gold. I should have made it into jewelry, it would be the most expensive piece I own! The hospital bill came today and 72 minutes on the operating table cost almost $3000! That wasn't even half of what the hospital found to charge us for......amazing. Had this sickly looking bag of rocks not come out of me I would be really mad that I spent that money. The doctor explained to Kyle (while I was still in my stupor), that a healthy gall bladder looks like a robin's egg. Mine was twice as big and NOT a pretty pale blue.
Gross I know- sorry.
The doctor also said that I would probably feel a lot better than I have in months or years. "She hasn't really known what FINE feels like." and he was right. It might partly be because of the no fat diet I have to be on, but I do feel much better than I have in a long time. It took a long time to get there though, today is almost a whole month since the the day of the surgery (unbelievable) and swimming still wipes me out, especially my core muscles that got so abused with cameras and surgical equipment burrowing through them. It was a long hard row.....but I am glad I did it, and I am glad it is over!
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