I'm full of gall, apparently...

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aka eraser

Re: Good luck!

Postive thoughts heading your way allion. Let us know how it goes.
 

rhymegirl

Re: Good luck!

Good luck to you, Allion. I hope I didn't say anything to worry you. I am glad I had my gall bladder removed. Yes, I agree that you should feel much, much better. I don't know about your surgery, but I went home the same day I had the surgery. I didn't have much pain, hardly even needed the pain pills. I had what they call "band-aid surgery" because the incisions are very small and I just had band-aids over my boo-boos. The first day home I could only drink clear liquids. (even though I really wanted something yummy) But I recovered very quickly.

They say that bad things that happen are really good things for writers. I wrote a true life, first-person story about my hospital visit and subsequent healing at home and sold the story to Woman's World!

So good luck to you, don't worry about anything, and remember we will all be sending positive thoughts your way!:)
 

allion

Re: Good luck!

Thank you for the kind wishes. I've decided not to worry about it, as there is so much not in my control. Which is part of the problem, me being a control freak...

I did get an idea for a short story about my hospital stay, as it is such a great place for observing people. I also have an idea about writing a nonfiction piece about gallbladder surgery, as it certainly seems to be popular to have one removed lately.

The crap thing about all this is the loss of income for the weeks I'm out of action. My job doesn't include benefits, so I have to make do until I get back. I can apply for unemployment sick benefits, but they make you wait for two weeks before they start paying, and that could be the entire time I'm off anyways.

But as the lady said on their info line, better to apply just in case I have to stay off longer than expected. That way, I will have done the waiting period and get that big pay right away (not! - I think it's only 55% of my earning or some thing - better than nuttin, as we say. This is in Canada, just FYI).

Right now, I'm scheduled for the bandaid, day surgery deal. The fact that they remove an organ and send me home later in the day is still difficult for me to comprehend.

However, my surgeon reminded me that if there is scar tissue inside or it looks odd, then I get the big scar. And the sick benefits will definitely come in handy.

Hey, I always wanted to be forced to sit in one place and read some of the hundreds of books I buy and never have time to get to. And of course, since I have to refrain from food and drink after midnight, I will become ravenously hungry and thirsty right around then.

As others have said, you guys are the best. Thank you for all the support and personal stories. And I will let you know in a few days how I'm doing.
 

allion

Back and feeling not too bad - and no longer full of gall!

Surgery went well yesterday. It seemed to be a lot of waiting - wait for the admit nurse, wait for the IV nurse, wait in the waiting room before I toddled off to surgery, IV pole in tow...

A whole lot of stewing in my head until I clambered up into the surgical bed and the good doctor gave me the happy stuff that made me pass out...nighty night...

I went in around 1:30 pm and I first recall waking up in recovery about 4:15 pm. Super dopey and surrounded by odd noises from the other inmates. Felt bad for the little girl across the way - I think she had her tonsils out and she whined for about 2 hours until they took her home. Wait a minute, I should say I felt sorry for me to have to listen to her in between waking up and falling asleep again from the dopey drugs.

When I realized I didn't have a big incision, only five little holes all over my tummy, I felt much better. Dodged the gall bladder bullet, I guess.

Ended up going home around 7 pm. First the nurse had to walk me around to make sure I could, and it felt odd to be vertical after being horizontal for most of the day.

So now, I have a belly button that hurts. I have no idea what a cesarean procedure would be like, but I don't think I ever want one. I have a small incision with one stitch in it, and I can barely get up or sit down. Once I am down or up, it isn't so bad, but it's the moving around part that is a pain (ha ha). I am a suck when it comes to pain, anyways.

So I'm done with hospitals for a long while, I hope. I have to say the nurses I saw were more than nice to me, and they made sure I had a script for painkillers before I left the hospital. Bless them. They really run the joint.

The worst part of all this was the no eating, no drinking thing. My tongue felt like a dry sponge and I had the worst taste in my mouth. Felt so good to have ginger ale after I woke up.

Happy to be off the gall bladder attack train now. Hopefully tomorrow I will feel better. Almost time for my Tylenol 3's so I'm looking forward to that.
 

tfdswift

Re: Back and feeling not too bad - and no longer full of gal

My gall bladder was removed in July of 1989. I have a huge scar. Starts from right under my right breast and ends below my belly button. When they removed it, it was turning gang green. I almost died. They gave me pain meds that turns out I was allergic to, and I did die. They called code blue and everything. Wish I could remember it.

Anyway you are lucky to have that thing out of there. I have never had any phantom pain and have never regretted having the sickly thing removed.

Hope all is still going well for you.

~~Tammy
 

ChunkyC

Re: Back and feeling not too bad - and no longer full of gal

Glad to see all went well, Allion. They made you walk to surgery and climb up on the table yourself? And the gubbimint keeps trying to tell us the health care cuts have had no impact on the patient. I mean really. :p
 

peer54

Re: Back and feeling not too bad - and no longer full of gal

Glad to see that you made it through okay.

If your recovery goes anything like mine, you were wailing in pain yesterday and eating poutine today.
 

HConn

Re: Back and feeling not too bad - and no longer full of gal

Glad things went well for you, allion. Speedy recovery.
 

allion

Re: Back and feeling not too bad - and no longer full of gal

Yeah, I know!! I was expecting to get a ride in the bed like some sort of princess (hah!), already doped up and dreamy before I get into the room.

Not.

They made me wander the halls after the nurse, my IV trailing behind me like a lost puppy. I felt like a reject in my smock and nightgown, trying not to let too much of my behind show. Kind of like, "Hi! Can you tell I'm about to be cut open in some strange way? Is it really that obvious?"

When we got to the room, it really felt like I was going into a super-secret chamber of odd equipment and people wearing masks. And the room was freezing cold. They did give me a warmed blankey which felt really good, and then I was conked out anyways, so it didn't matter, I guess...

All is well now, or getting there. I could take the big bandaids off today, and the boo-boos are healing. I am watching myself in case I spike a fever, which would not be good, as I had one when I first got sick. Also, if the boo-boos start to look ugly, this is also not a good thing, as it means infection, which means I have to go back there, and I really don't want to...ever...

I still look forward to my Tylenol 3's, but I feel better today.

The important part of all this for me is that it put things in perspective. Yes, it is still important to get to work and earn money to pay for things, but if you aren't feeling well and you can't get around and it hurts all the time, not much else matters.
 

aka eraser

Re: Back and feeling not too bad - and no longer full of gal

Glad you're on the mend allion. :)
 

Gala

Way to go!

Thanks for sharing your saga. Glad it went well, and you're watching things.

That you're on codiene instead of morphine is a good sign.

Take good care of yourself, especially get lots of rest. In the long run you'll recover faster.

Your scars aren't that big but you might consider vitamin E oil when doc says okay; may already be fine. You can use it from a capsule, or buy pure in a jar. Heals scars quickly, stops itching and leaves less keloid.

I'm glad to hear the op was a success.

;)
 

allion

Thanks Gala!

I must be on the mend - the incisions are starting to itch. And the tapes they put over the stitches are starting to fall off. And I put my contacts in today for the first time in days. I am beginning to feel human again.

Yes, it is getting better all the time. Going to do a few errands today, nothing big, but I am starting to go nutso after being in the house for days on end. Also another sign of improvement, I think.

And any Christmas preparations I had on the burner can just wait their turn. This year, I get to come first, and the cards and decorations can patiently wait in the attic for me to get around to them.

Just had to add that rant in there - this year, Christmas seemed to start far too early, and I am officially sick of all the advertising and constant need for consumption.

Rant off, and thank you.
 

rhymegirl

Re: on the mend

Allion,

Glad to hear your surgery went well and that you are on the mend. Remember I mentioned I had pain in the gall bladder area even though I've had my gall bladder removed? Well, I saw my doctor and he thought it had more to do with my ribcage and back. He told me that if you have a problem with your back if can affect the organs in the front. Interesting. So he gave me some kind of manipulation of the muscles in my back and I actually feel better.

As for what you had done, you will feel better and better. I, too, was going nuts staying home and resting. I wanted to go places but at first I wasn't allowed to drive. Oh, and you mentioned trouble sitting up--I found that if you roll to your side first with your knees bent, it doesn't hurt as much to sit up.

I think it was Vicodin they gave me for a pain killer. I only took maybe 2 or 3.

Maybe you could Christmas shop through catalogs. You avoid the crowds that way.

Stay well!
 

Zazopolis

I just want to state for the record that I laughed hard upon reading the following:

"the most vile salty broth that pretended to be soup that I have ever eaten."

Thank you.
ZaZ
 
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