Surprise!

[Kittish]

Didn't think I'd ever have anything to post here.

Wednesday I got surprise gall bladder removal surgery.

Early Wednesday morning my back started hurting. I went to bed, thinking it would pass fairly soon. It got worse. Then it spread to my chest. Boyfriend took me to the ER at that point, because ya know, possible heart attack. Thankfully, it wasn't a heart attack.

What it was was my gall bladder imploding. Surgeon said I had the biggest gall stones he'd ever seen. And my gall bladder was... well, another day or maybe less and things might have gotten really very messy. Just over 12 hours after I first arrived at the ER I was in surgery having it removed.

Laparoscopic surgery, so I've got three little bitty incisions in my abdomen. They hurt a lot less than I'd have expected. I mean, to the point where I only asked for Tylenol once, the morning after the surgery. I'm fairly sure I amused and annoyed the nursing staff by turn. Almost as soon as I woke up, I started demanding FOOD, dammit! I was polite about it, but kind of insistent. Thursday night they finally gave me some solid food. Friday morning they sent me home.

One of the things that annoyed the ever living heck out of me was being asked every time I talked to one of them if I'd pooped yet. No, I haven't pooped yet! I don't have anything in me TO poop out! The last solid meal I had before the fun started I tossed in the ER, along with everything else above my toenails, and another day and a half of nothing but clear liquids.

I'm well on my way to mending. Kind of tender, but that's to be expected and I'm taking things very easy. And staying very close to a bathroom at all times for probably about the next week.

[Luna Baby]

Glad to hear you are on the mend.

I too went to the ER thinking I was having a heart attack. I was only 25 but you just never know. First ER told me it was just all in my head and was basically a panic attack and gave me some sort of anxiety medication (that did NOT work, btw). Second major attack occurred while we were away from home visiting with family. Off to another ER, this time to be seen by the best diagnostician that ever walked. He knew immediately what the problem was and referred me out for my GP to order further testing (no rush since mine wasn't about to rupture or cause any major issue). Ultrasound confirmed his diagnosis. However, I had 5 tiny incisions on my belly and my surgery was out patient. I went in that morning and was home shortly after lunch. I was eating food the same day much against my mother's wishes.

[csquared]

Hoping for a speedy recovery. However, it does take time. Don't push it too hard

[Kittish]

Thanks for the well wishes.

In the ER I had a full-fledged panic attack. I have a fairly severe phobia of hypodermic needles, and my subconscious flatly insists that an IV is just another damn needle. So when they put one in me, I flipped. It took a while, but the stuff they gave me to calm me down eventually worked at least well enough that I quit hyperventilating. Though honestly, I think I'd have been just as happy if they'd let me knock myself out, quite literally.

The plan is to take things very easy for at least two full weeks. No lifting anything over about 5 pounds, no extended standing, and monitoring myself like a hawk for any sort of complications or weirdness. I really, really don't want to wind up back in the hospital.