How I spent my summer vacation

Disclaimer: This post was written under the influence of Oxycodone.
July 19, 2009

The Behind the Scenes Story

Because inquiring (and caring!) minds wanted to know, I’ll tell you all what happened behind the scenes of my surgery! It actually all started a couple of weeks ago. Remember the night my hubby and I went out to dinner and I was so pleased that we chose a date over working? Well, it was actually not a good idea. Had I stayed home to work, none of this might have happened.

Usually we eat quite healthfully, limit our meat, eat whole grains, plenty of organic fruits and vegetables and we avoid preservatives and anything artificial. We don’t eat much junk food and just generally try to keep healthy. But once in awhile we break free of all that and just have a fun night out, so the night in question we tried a new restaurant and had … ribs! Ribs, mashed potatoes, YUM. And we washed them down on the way home with, get ready for it … {ducks head in shame} a Dairy Queen Peanut Buster Parfait Sundae. Yes we did. Blissfully delicious and ridiculously fattening, non? Yes. I couldn’t even finish the sundae, I was so stuffed.

At about two that morning I woke up in horrible pain between my ribs. Yes, the irony of my pain and what I had for dinner was not lost on me, even in the pain. But, I told myself, who wouldn’t be in pain after that kind of overindulgence! Ha! But just in case, I went to the urgent care the next morning to check it out. They weren’t sure what it was but over the next couple of weeks I had some blood work and then an ultrasound. Much to my surprise, I was having gallbladder trouble. Guess that overindulgence was not a good idea after all. The date night was a good idea, the food was not. I am fairly healthy so it was so weird for me to hear I had anything wrong with me!

They scheduled me for a consultation with a doctor later this month and I went on my merry way. Apparently it wasn’t too serious because no one was concerned enough to let me know what could happen. They didn’t even meet with me to talk about what DID happen. It seemed pretty routine and not out of the ordinary. It was something they could put off for “later.” I was doing pretty well after that one attack, just going back to my normal diet and avoiding anything like Dairy Queen! I was sure my troubles were over.

Off to Portland

So last Sunday the kids and I drove down to Portland so my son could go to daycamp all week. My husband had to stay home t0 work and the girls and I were just going to stay at our old house and do a bunch of errands during the week (tax free shopping!). But Sunday night I started feeling awful again. That night I called the doctor and they said to call back the next day when the primary doctor was in. The next day I called back and they said take advil and tylenol and as long as I could tolerate the pain to just wait it out until my appointment. I continued to blog, but that was about it. I was really in pain. The next day I called back and they said they could call in vicodin for the pain.

Meanwhile, I was getting pretty concerned. Three days in a row of pain is tough on even with a high tolerance for pain. Something seemed wrong with that plan. I didn’t have a fever or jaundice or any of the other signs of infection, just the pain. I finally decided I needed to take matters into my own hands and go to the E.R. just in case. Afterall, our old house is in the neighborhood of OHSU which is a world renowned hospital so it wasn’t that far to go.

That morning I scheduled my Beautiful Life Friday post to go out just in case I didn’t get back in time. Before I left for the hospital, we had a real estate agent coming over to preview our house for a client. I was totally in pain but I still walked around and tried to sell all its best features. I bet he didn’t even know I thought I could pass out while talking to him.

Heading to the E.R.

It was weird, once I got to the ER I was the one in the waiting room who looked totally fine. I was in pain but I was the only one not rolling around groaning or crying. I even took a shower and put makeup on before I went and put on a cute outfit. The nurses kept stopping to say, “I know you are sick but your top is really cute!” I had to chuckle at myself. I’m not good at being or acting sick. Guess I should have gone in my jammies. I thought I was probably overreacting to the pain and didn’t need to be there. I thought surely they were going to send me home with more tylenol.

I thought it was so nice of them to personalize my lung expander. “Inspired”… so clever of them!
Watch for a whole line of “inspired” medical products for sale on my blog soon.

When it came time for my turn for a follow up ultrasound in the E.R., I walked up two levels to get to the room — no wheel chairs for me. My tech took one look and said my gallbladder looks ANGRY! Oh no. ANGRY? So long story short, I was scheduled for emergency surgery the next day and I couldn’t go home. They wanted to put me on antibiotics all night to hopefully clear up some of the infection for a safer surgery. I was so glad they had a laproscopic procedure which sounded quick, easy and I’d be on my way back home in no time.

Time for Surgery

The morning of the surgery the surgeon looked me in the eyes and said my gallbladder was quite infected — I had to be cut open, no laser surgery. He was concerned about the infection. The recovery was going to be painful. I was so taken aback by that news of needing the full surgery that for the first time since being in the hospital, tears started streaming down my face. My poor sensitive middle daughter saw my tears and she got all teary too. I felt so bad for her seeing me there ready for surgery with tubes in my arms being told I had a serious situation before me. My mom was there too, and I could see her fighting back tears. My poor husband hadn’t even made it back from Seattle and he was on the phone in unbelief at what was happening. I pulled myself together, reassured my daughter and said to get started.

Before I even knew what hit me, I was out.

After Surgery

I woke up and felt surprisingly good. I was SO relieved just to be alive! Guess the anesthesia was still working in the beginning, which was why I felt pretty good, because the next few days in recovery were pretty painful. I am figuring out the whole pain medicine thing now and learning to roll a certain way to get out of bed! Even though I am out of commission for the next couple of months, in all likelihood, I am grateful to have lived to tell the tale and be on the road to recovery. It could be worse. I am counting my blessings.

After returning home, I ended up being allergic to the prep salve they put on me prior to surgery so my whole abdomen is red, blotchy and itchy. I have 8 metal looking staples across my ribs. Thanks to that scar, I will never ever forget the night I decided to have ribs for dinner. Oh what a mistake that was!

I am still shocked that I had to have surgery. It all happened so fast! The only surgery I have ever had was having my tonsils out when I was five. I don’t even have dental work. This is unusual for me to be in pain or out of commission, but it is probably one of those good lessons in life to slow down. I have been running at full steam while under stress for a long time. It is just how my life has been for the last couple of years, one thing after another!  I’m not happy about the pain, but I will be forced to let go of a lot of the expectations I had put upon myself and just focus on resting and healing. That is good.