On the mend..

Warning: The following post is a detailed re-enactment of my recent gall bladder surgery, for journaling purposes, it is LONG..put I promise...more interesting posts are soon to come.

I'm happy to announce that I'm still alive! After almost 2 months, 3 doctors, an ultrasound, a hydascan (CT scan), and an upper GI scope, they decided that I need to have my gall bladder removed. I went in at 7 AM on Thursday. My mama came down and watched the kiddos for us. Let me paint a picture for you. As I walk into the surgical waiting room, it is full, with just a couple seats left. We end up sitting across from a woman. She was a rather large woman, who was quite talkative..and she was umm...how do you say this..she was....CRAZY! She was a HOOTIN' and HOLLERIN'...and kept asking the priest to pray with her. (It turns out that she is 70years old, and was there for a tummy tuck, because she wanted to find a man!) The receptionist calls me up, to fill out paperwork, and I KID YOU NOT, the Daniel Powder (I think that's his name)song "So you had a bad day" comes on the radio. I looked at the receptionist and said "Seriously....seriously...OF COURSE thats the song on the radio, the day I'm having my surgery" Seriously, shouldn't the hospital have their own radio station, with selectively catchy tunes like "Gall bladder surgery never killed anyone" or "My Achy Breaky Heart...is getting a valve replacement...ooooo" I just think they should consider it. Well anyway, the receptionist grabbed my hand, and said "Repeat after me, that song is not an omen". So needless to say I was a little nervous. But the nurses were great. The whole process was very effecient. I did get put next to the "Tummy Tuck" lady in the pre-op holding area, which at that point she was yelling to a cute doctor across the room, that she was taking down names for potential husbands, since she was going to be one SEXXXXY lady in a couple hours! At that point the drugs were kicking in, and it actually made me laugh a little. Well the next thing I remember, I was waking up, begging for pain medication. It turns out, that once they got inside and saw the gallbladder, it had abscessed. I know....GROSS!!! All I remember is the doctor using the word pus, and then I think I forced myself back under anesthesia, so I didn't have to listen to the rest. Now a little background about the procedure. They poke a hole in your belly button, and then move all of the other inside stuff to the side, in order to get to the gall bladder which is under the right ribcage. Well, obviously there is a lot of stuff in the abdomen, so to enlarge the stomach cavity, they pump your belly full of CO2. Then to get rid of the CO2 you simply breathe it out. Key word...simply. Now my dear friend, who is a scrub nurse warned me that the air pockets, hide in the shoulder and cause shoulder pain. So I should be prepared. I kind of just ignored it, because frankly I'm a pretty tough cookie. I made it to 8 cm with both my kids before I considered epidurals. I played in a tennis tournament the day after I had my wisdom teeth removed. I can handle a little bit of pain. I thought I was going to die!! For the first 2 days I was convinced that my shoulder was shattered. I would cry if I breathed. I would cry if I moved. I would cry if someone touched me. I was a pathetic ball of pathetic-ness. At one point, I thought Karl should take me back to the ER. He called one of our friends who is an ER doctor and he said it was completely normal. I'm not usually a pain medication type gal..I was taking my two Percocet as soon as 6 hours were up. After about 2 days, the pain in my shoulder really started decreasing, and I am left only with the pain at the surgical site. Someone asked me if I would do the surgery again....well of course. Did it hurt like a crazy monkey..YES...but its not really an elective surgery. I wasn't getting it removed because it made me look fat, or my gallbladder didn't match the colors of my eyes...it was abscessed, and I just didn't really have a choice. I'm sure in a couple more days it will all be an ancient memory :) I had a couple people mention that you have have a very restrictive diet after surgery. I didn't eat for the first 3 days, but over the last two, I have gone back to my normal diet, and haven't had any side effects. So I'm really glad about that. I do have to say that Karl has been amazing. He had 3 days off, which was great, since I really didn't move for 3 days. I'm really grateful for everything he did. He cooked every night. And not just frozen pizzas or hotdogs. He took the kids out. He cleaned, he vacuumed, he gave baths, and put kids down for naps, did a million loads of laundry, and the list goes on and on. There was one little moment on day two, where he may of been close to desperation. He was trying to type up something for the bishop on the computer, and Kyle just needed to be held. I couldn't hold him, and Karl knew that, so he just took Kyle into the computer room, and closed the door. A little while later, Kyle walks out and is COVERED in stamps! I asked Karl what happened. He said "I needed to get stuff done, and was trying to keep him entertained...and it wasn't working. And I saw your your ink pad, and box of stamps, out of the corner of my eye..at least it kept him entertained, right?" Now Kyle thinks that the computer room is a tattoo parlor..he walks in and instantly says "Stamp. Stamp". Karl even moved the recliner into the family room for me, so I could be with everyone, and watch TV, and the slept on the couch next to me each night. And he never ever, complained, not even for a second. I'm really really blessed. So now I'm post op 4 days. I'm feeling a lot better. I didn't call Karl to rescue me until 1 PM today. So not to bad. I am really grateful for everyone who showed their concern and love. My parents were great, being willing to stay as long as need, and drive back as frequently as I wanted (which is a 2 hour drive). Then a friend called me on Saturday, and asked if they could steal Kyra for a couple hours and take her to play at Peter Piper Pizza with their little girl. It really made Kyra's day! She loved it! Also, thank you to the friends who dropped of some sweet gifts, and those who called and emailed. And graciously offered to bring food, or babysit. I really, really appreciate it. Thank you a million times over!