I'm ba-a-a-ck, (I hope!)
Well, hey, good people!
I wanted to take a few minutes and catch ya'll up on things...
Last Monday evening it all began w/ pain in the "bread-basket" area. Over the next few days, it would get worse, then better, then worse, then better. The pain was radiating into my back and I was concerned about my gallbladder. But couldn't help but wonder if it was just my pouch, so I'd baby it w/ fluids only for several hours. When i would eat, it would flare up again. I'd kick myself for not babying it like I thought I should, and would try again. But then, I was having the same sort of pain lower - around my belly button. Now, that couldn't be gallbladder... maybe gas, or constipation. So I'm drinking lots and lots and high-fibering it w/ 3 heaping tablespoons of Benefiber in every drink, and even a huge dose of Milk of Magnesia. Nothing.
On Thursday, after talking to Melinda , I called Dr. Spaw.
He said it sure sounded like my gallbladder. He said unfortunately he was headed out of the country - that he wished he could be here to walk me through this. He of course was comfortable with anyone from the Surgical Center doing the surgery if that's what I needed. He said to call my PCP, and get in on Friday for an ultrasound and get on some narcotics. I told him I didn't think I could wait until Friday. He told me to go ahead and to the ER soon then, because the longer I waited, the longer I would have to wait at the ER. So, I landed in the ER around 6pm. Cannot even describe the pain! 
Am so glad I went when I did - had I waited - oh, don't go there!
Cut to the chase - they did an ultrasound - I did have gallstones. They admitted me around 11:30pm. Friday, 7:25am, who walks in my room but Dr. Spaw!! (I love that man!) I asked him what he was doing and he said he just wanted to check on me and see what was going on. He asked about the pain. I said the Dilaudid? (dilaudin?) MEDS were working pretty well
, that I wasn't having the pain up high radiating in my back - that it was different. He was very curious! I told him it was lower - near the center of my belly. He said that is not typical of gallbladder, that there was obviously something else going on. He ordered a CT scan to check for a hernia. I told him I was concerned because the ER doctor said they would get my pain under control and SEND ME HOME to SCHEDULE my "gallbladder-ectomy"... that that isn't typically an emergency surgery. Dr Spaw assured me he was NOT going to send me home. I asked him who he was going to get to do the surgery, and he replied that as much as he didn't like to do surgery and immediately leave town (let alone the country!), that he'd feel much better doing this himself. Ahhhh, sweet relief! and Awwww, what a sweet man! 
The CT scan came back normal - nary a sign of a hernia - which just peaked Dr. Spaw's curiousity! So, Friday afternoon, into the OR we go.
He took out my gallbladder since there were stones in it and there was no sense leaving it there for another time. But he doesn't think it was even causing me problems... what he found was that I had an adhesion, about the size of my pinky, wrapped over my small intestine squeezing it almost in two. He actually had pictures (which just thrilled my DH!) of what the small intestine looked like kinked by the adhesion, and then how bulbous it was (and was supposed to be) when the adhesion had been removed. He also had a pic of the gallbladder and one of it being removed. So, THAT's what was going on in there!
Dr. Spaw came and checked on me Saturday morning and discharged me before he caught his plane. Can you believe this man?!
I came home around 11am Saturday, thinking, "Whew, glad that's over!"
Well, not quite!
The weekend was quiet, and I was recuperating just fine. Then came Monday afternoon. I won't go into near the graphic detail, here, but suffice it to say that I thought I was headed back to the ER for them to help me POOP!
I have never been impacted before...and hope to never be again-EVER!!! Apparently pain medication can cause you to be constipated and I guess the high doses of the really strong stuff, just tore me up! I would have thought that being on an IV the whole time would have flushed it through, but, NOT!!
So, anyway, 3 enemas and 24 hours later, I was breathing a little easier. I'm still having to strain some - the enemas never "flushed" me out - just got me through the impaction part, so I'm probably going to have to do one more to get the true "enema-effect". Ok, TMI, sorry.
Right now, my main concerns are 1) I'm running a low-grade fever. I hope this is associated w/the impaction and will "pass" too!
Also, I truly do not want to eat anything - or even drink anything thicker than water/tea. I'm almost scared of a protein drink 
- afraid of re-developing an elimination problem again. But I know in my head that I need them for my strength - to heal and get back to my ol' self. So ya'll just pray for me, K? 
Oh, yeah, and all I have to say is that after all this - I better end up 10-15 pounds lighter by the 11th! I made the mistake of stepping on the scale this weekend, wondering if over the course of the last few days I hadn't dropped a few pounds... I was actually UP 7 pounds!
Oh great! So there were enough fluids for me to gain , but I still got impacted?!
Of course, surely the loss of the impaction was a SOLID 5-7 pounds - pun intended! 
Well, I will end this saga. Thanks for the continued thoughts and prayers - I know I will need them over the next few days! But as much as I am so far, it's good to be back!
~Tara
I wanted to take a few minutes and catch ya'll up on things... Last Monday evening it all began w/ pain in the "bread-basket" area. Over the next few days, it would get worse, then better, then worse, then better. The pain was radiating into my back and I was concerned about my gallbladder. But couldn't help but wonder if it was just my pouch, so I'd baby it w/ fluids only for several hours. When i would eat, it would flare up again. I'd kick myself for not babying it like I thought I should, and would try again. But then, I was having the same sort of pain lower - around my belly button. Now, that couldn't be gallbladder... maybe gas, or constipation. So I'm drinking lots and lots and high-fibering it w/ 3 heaping tablespoons of Benefiber in every drink, and even a huge dose of Milk of Magnesia. Nothing.
On Thursday, after talking to Melinda , I called Dr. Spaw.
He said it sure sounded like my gallbladder. He said unfortunately he was headed out of the country - that he wished he could be here to walk me through this. He of course was comfortable with anyone from the Surgical Center doing the surgery if that's what I needed. He said to call my PCP, and get in on Friday for an ultrasound and get on some narcotics. I told him I didn't think I could wait until Friday. He told me to go ahead and to the ER soon then, because the longer I waited, the longer I would have to wait at the ER. So, I landed in the ER around 6pm. Cannot even describe the pain! Am so glad I went when I did - had I waited - oh, don't go there!Cut to the chase - they did an ultrasound - I did have gallstones. They admitted me around 11:30pm. Friday, 7:25am, who walks in my room but Dr. Spaw!! (I love that man!) I asked him what he was doing and he said he just wanted to check on me and see what was going on. He asked about the pain. I said the Dilaudid? (dilaudin?) MEDS were working pretty well
, that I wasn't having the pain up high radiating in my back - that it was different. He was very curious! I told him it was lower - near the center of my belly. He said that is not typical of gallbladder, that there was obviously something else going on. He ordered a CT scan to check for a hernia. I told him I was concerned because the ER doctor said they would get my pain under control and SEND ME HOME to SCHEDULE my "gallbladder-ectomy"... that that isn't typically an emergency surgery. Dr Spaw assured me he was NOT going to send me home. I asked him who he was going to get to do the surgery, and he replied that as much as he didn't like to do surgery and immediately leave town (let alone the country!), that he'd feel much better doing this himself. Ahhhh, sweet relief! and Awwww, what a sweet man! The CT scan came back normal - nary a sign of a hernia - which just peaked Dr. Spaw's curiousity! So, Friday afternoon, into the OR we go.
He took out my gallbladder since there were stones in it and there was no sense leaving it there for another time. But he doesn't think it was even causing me problems... what he found was that I had an adhesion, about the size of my pinky, wrapped over my small intestine squeezing it almost in two. He actually had pictures (which just thrilled my DH!) of what the small intestine looked like kinked by the adhesion, and then how bulbous it was (and was supposed to be) when the adhesion had been removed. He also had a pic of the gallbladder and one of it being removed. So, THAT's what was going on in there!
Dr. Spaw came and checked on me Saturday morning and discharged me before he caught his plane. Can you believe this man?!
I came home around 11am Saturday, thinking, "Whew, glad that's over!"
Well, not quite!
The weekend was quiet, and I was recuperating just fine. Then came Monday afternoon. I won't go into near the graphic detail, here, but suffice it to say that I thought I was headed back to the ER for them to help me POOP!
I have never been impacted before...and hope to never be again-EVER!!! Apparently pain medication can cause you to be constipated and I guess the high doses of the really strong stuff, just tore me up! I would have thought that being on an IV the whole time would have flushed it through, but, NOT!!
So, anyway, 3 enemas and 24 hours later, I was breathing a little easier. I'm still having to strain some - the enemas never "flushed" me out - just got me through the impaction part, so I'm probably going to have to do one more to get the true "enema-effect". Ok, TMI, sorry.
Right now, my main concerns are 1) I'm running a low-grade fever. I hope this is associated w/the impaction and will "pass" too!
Also, I truly do not want to eat anything - or even drink anything thicker than water/tea. I'm almost scared of a protein drink - afraid of re-developing an elimination problem again. But I know in my head that I need them for my strength - to heal and get back to my ol' self. So ya'll just pray for me, K? Oh, yeah, and all I have to say is that after all this - I better end up 10-15 pounds lighter by the 11th! I made the mistake of stepping on the scale this weekend, wondering if over the course of the last few days I hadn't dropped a few pounds... I was actually UP 7 pounds!
Oh great! So there were enough fluids for me to gain , but I still got impacted?! Of course, surely the loss of the impaction was a SOLID 5-7 pounds - pun intended! Well, I will end this saga. Thanks for the continued thoughts and prayers - I know I will need them over the next few days! But as much as I am so far, it's good to be back!
~Tara
SW: 246 CW: 133 Christmas goal: 130
Oh Tara Honey, so sorry for all your health issues last week, but thrilled you are on the mend. I too have been having "gall bladdery" issues and Dr. McDowell said the next one I had I needed to get in and see him so they could see exactly what is going on. The issue with your small intestine is kind of scary, but glad he was able to get that all taken care of. Hang in there girlfriend, you will be back to your beautiful self in no time and will put this behind you quickly.
Let me know if there is anything you need or anything I can do for you.
Hugs,
Wendy
Let me know if there is anything you need or anything I can do for you.
Hugs,
Wendy
lghthsewtchr AKA Wendy Siebert
Tara
I am glad to hear that you are on the mend. Wow those gallbladder surgeries! Argh! I don't know if they told you or not, but you will want to stay away from certain foods that could produce dumping like symptoms. My doc didn't tell me and I had some eating problems. Nuts, peanut butter, salad, jalapenos, anything with seeds such as broccolli, strawberries, cucumbers, etc. even the tiniest of seeds... I hope you have no eating problems at all but just be cautious.
You won't feel like eating for quite some time because of anesthesia. Every surgery I had, afterwards I just could not eat! I could hardly drink too. I hated protein drinks and as a result, to this day I can't hardly stomach AchievOne. I sold 4 cases right after my gallbladder surgery because I just couldn't drink it. I have 4 cases at home right now but that's cause I'm a protein horemonger and hopefully one day my tastes will change again, causing me to like it. Anyway, my point is, try to keep finding protein that you do like and make sure to get it in.
Let me know if you need some samples.
Melinda ~
Thanks for everything! And I mean, EVERYTHING!! From the chat before I called the doc, to the info about diet/seeds, etc. No I hadn't heard any of that before.
It's interesting that (one of) your favorite protein drinks - you could no longer stand. As you know, I have had my faithful and true concoction twice a day for oh, at least 9 months now. It has been "it" for me! I absolutely cannot drink them now. I guess I must now branch out and find something new - maybe even a couple different ones (ha ha). I'm headed to Vitamin Shoppe today - wish me luck - oh, and heads up ---- I may be calling you! ha ha
~ Tara
Thanks for everything! And I mean, EVERYTHING!! From the chat before I called the doc, to the info about diet/seeds, etc. No I hadn't heard any of that before.
It's interesting that (one of) your favorite protein drinks - you could no longer stand. As you know, I have had my faithful and true concoction twice a day for oh, at least 9 months now. It has been "it" for me! I absolutely cannot drink them now. I guess I must now branch out and find something new - maybe even a couple different ones (ha ha). I'm headed to Vitamin Shoppe today - wish me luck - oh, and heads up ---- I may be calling you! ha ha
~ Tara
SW: 246 CW: 133 Christmas goal: 130
Hey Tara, Glad you got through that ok. Yes, narcotics slow digestion & elimination. You are doing well to get fluids in, but you also need to be active. Even if it's only short walks several times a day. That helps the bowels to wake up. Take care and hope complete recovery is around the corner! ~~Elena
~~Elena WLS date: May 8, 2007
272/195(pre-preggo)/211(at delivery)/188(current)/140
***Mommy to beautiful baby boy***
Gabriel Skye Dench, 4/30/08, 6lb 6.4oz, 19.5in
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