I'm Home and here's the long involved story
Pam,
I just returned home from being out all day and the first place I came to was my computer to see exactly what might have been your situation.
I am thrilled that it is not an "obstruction" a word no one wants to hear, most especially us WLS folks! Anyway, I am sure that thrilled doesn't even describe how you, Brian and your family feels right now, but I am so grateful you are home resting and hopefully the test you need to undergo is not all that bad and lastly it's good to know, as most of us already know, that Dr. P stands by her patients, as does Barix.
Prayers and positive thoughts go a long way most times. . . hugs, prayers and positive thoughts, Laureen
PS Get some much needed rest!
My Mantra is that I do not determine my success by the number hanging in my closet, nor will I let the scale determine that success either. . . It is through trial and error I will continue to grow and succeed. . . Laureen
"Success is a journey, not a destination." Ben Sweetland
Thanks Laureen! Yep - us WLS patients definately don't like that word! The nurses at my hospital who were taking care of me were probably just as scared as me when they got the test results - no one ever expected that. At least there was "reason" for the pain to a degree - I know that sounds stupid - but when they didn't fine stones in the gallbladder I was kind of like "Well then what the heck..."
I did catch up on sleep yesterday and won't be pushing it to much over the next couple of days.
Love ya!
Pam
It was such an ordeal trying to get to Barix - I felt so bad for my staff - because I know what it's like trying to deal with a difficult transfer issue when you have so many other things you need to be doing. I was glad to be there - as long as they weren't cutting me open! LOL Thanks so much!
Pam
Hey Pam,
Very glad to hear you're home again and resting. I've been at Shauna's since Friday night and saw HG then. She's been great keeping us updated. Thanks HG! Shauna and her family wish you the best as do I. As much as I dislike hearing that obstruction word, we all realize it's possibility and the best we can do is act quickly. Shauna and I had lunch Saturday with Cheryl (she's been really busy with work and family and we were fortunate to find a hole in her schedule). We were all puzzled by your complication b/c you are so relatively early out at just over 8 months. There are more possibles than we care to think or talk about, but guessing is not fixing. I'd trust in Dr. P to find the answer and administer the right treatment. Don't blame yourself Pam, you're just trying to live life and make good decisions... and you are. Things will happen in our lives that challenge us and we can survive them by being ready, acting quickly and leaning on our friends and family. This was my lesson last summer. You know what to do and it is working. So don't beat yourself up about this, just keep living. Hope to see you Wednesday, BUT only if you're REALLY up to it.
Take care,
Dennis
I know it's not "my fault" per say - but the bypass probably had something to do with it. I'm still convinced it was mostly my gallbladder - and hopefully that will be proven with the hida scan whenever I get that done....I am calling on Monday to schedule. I do hope to make it to the meeting - although dinner will probably be out as I'm not eating much and am being cautious on what I do eat. Thanks for all the well wishes from everyone - I appreciate them.
Pam
Geez. Take it easy and pamper yourself the next few days, hope you have no further pain or problems!! Good Luck! 
Thanks!
Yea, the hyda scan sounds awful - but whatever it takes! Thanks for all the well wishes - I do appreciate it. So far I have been pain free since about 4p on Friday. Now - granted - I'm still "scared" about it returning - it's like something looming over my head - but I am getting through it and just trying to recover. Thanks again so much!
Pam
Ok...so it started with the 'pulling' sensation I had at work Thursday night. It did not stop me from eating, drinking, or doing my job. It felt like I had done some situps or what not.
Left work at 7:15. It's about a 20 min drive for me home. At 7:30 I pulled the car over - began to dry heave and had severe stabbing pain to my right abdomen.
Went home - tried to "walk it off" then took a shower then laid down for awhile....nothing helped.
Called Dr. P at about 9:15. She felt is was my gallbladder to and to get to the ER so off we went. Got bloodwork, ultrasound, and x ray (obstructive series) which is where they found a possible left sided obstruction (why I had pain in my right side we still don't know) The gallbladder looked fine but more on that later. Medicated with some heavy narcotics that made me pretty silly.
I was a mess - crying and what not - because I didn't expect an obstruction. They called Dr. P - she wanted me at Barix and I agreed. If I signed out of the hospital and went to barix myself, insurance wouldn't cover it because I was already in a medical facility. So Bayshore had to transfer me. By ambulance. But getting an ambulance crew to take a patient 1 1/2 hours is not an easy thing to do.
At 3:30 they told me they would pick me up at 7:30. Dr. P was notified - and was NOT happy. She started yelling about "get a helicopter and get her here NOW" So the ER doc complied - I was NOT happy about a helicopter ride.
Fast fwd to 4:30 - the flight crew calls - there is no landing pad at Barix. Where do they land me? (they hadn't picked me up yet thank goodness) Nurses call Barix - they don't know VP of Barix calls back - cancel the helicopter get the ambulance it doesn't matter what time. Recall the ambulance - pick up time is now 7:45
Ambulance doesn't get there till 8:15. I've been pain free since 4pm and at this point feeling ridiculous. I also haven't slept more than 15 minutes after working all night and I'm an emotional wreck. The inlaws showed up - and told me everything that could go wrong - thank you.
Got to Barix after 10p Much to my surprise, the OR team GREETED me at the door and said "take her upstairs, we'll see you down here" I freak out - you're not doing surgery if you don't need to. Go to room 205 - where lots of things are going on - Dr. P is examing me, lab tech drawing blood - xray tech telling me which xrays need to be repeated - nurses asking me OR questions. I look at Dr. P and say "You need to tell me why I'm going to the ER" She said "You might not - I need new xrays"
Get a boat load of more xrays including ones with contrast in which I needed to drink about 8 ounces of contrast in about 30 seconds. HA! Not fun (but I did it)
Dr. P looks at the xrays - I'm not obstructed. It must have fixed itself. Kind of sounds like Norm's issue which has me a little concerned. But I still am OR gunshy.
She wants to take me to the OR to do an exploratory lap procedure to look around. It's now 11pm. I don't want to - I haven't had any pain - the xrays are ok - I'm exhausted - my family is there - and why get cut for no reason? I tell her all this. She says it's not emergent, she is willing to agree with me - but if I have even one twinge of pain (which I promise to be truthful about) I'm in the OR no questions asked. Fine.
No pain all night. Try to sleep but woke up every hour doing laps in the halls for no apparant reason (the nurses were laughing at me) Talk to work - apparantly they have me covered already Sat, Sun, Mon, Tues and wed is my day off. Now I have to get Dr. P to approve it. I'm still nothing by mouth except ice chips - haven't had anything to drink since 5am Friday morning - and am miserable. also haven't slept.
Dr. P sees me in the morning - I'm doing more laps. Clears me for clear fluids. I get tea and broth and keep it down fine. Time for weighing in - Oh in good ol barix (and bayshore) fashion - guess who has gained 8 pounds in iv fluid in less than 24 hours. So its 8.6 now! LOL
PS: Meet Dr. Boe by chance. LOVELY LOVELY MAN
Get discharged. Dr. P doesn't know what's going on. If I have any pain I am to tell her immediately, get to an ER and insist on a cat scan immediately. Also get a script for a hyda scan from her.
Apparantly although my US was clear for my gallbladder, I could have something called "alithiasis cholecystitis" which means a horribly diseased gallbladder with no stones. This hyda scan will be a radioactive dye injected to me and then will basically cause a severe gallbladder attack if I have gallbladder disease and they time how long I am in severe pain as they "watch" my gallbladder fight to get rid of the dye. Sounds fun. If this test is positive, I need to get my gallbladder out.
I'm exhausted from everything and not sleeping. I am, however, no longer in pain or nauscious. I got to take a shower at Barix this morning. I am covered in black and blues from the multiple attempts at blood draws and ivs in both hospitals (my veins stink) But I am home, thankful I didn't need surgery, crying at all my wonderful comments on here from all of you wonderful people. I told you, I'm a bit emotional lately.
Hopefully will have the hyda scan done during my days off. Will also hopefully be at the barix meeting on Wednesday as I had previously planned.
Thanks again all so much - sorry for rambling on and on. Love you all!
Pam
Hey Pam,So glad you nightmare is over,I can sasy i have done the same last week!I have to have another catscan with the dye also,will know more on me on monday after my docappt!I am so sorry you had to deal with the pain and no sleep,(so did i and ya get goofy!)My prayers are sent to you and healing powers so you heal fast! Keep us posted on your progress,Hugs Trish
Trish,
I did notice one of your posts and meant to say something. Sorry about all your issues and the abscess (abscess, right? I'm not sure if I'm rembering things correctly) I too will probably end up with a cat scan with dye at some point - but right now I'm concentrating on the tests that they ordered for me. Best of luck to us both and thanks for thinking of me!
Pam
