Gallbladder-less!!

I cannot believe how fast this week has gone by and how quickly everything progressed with my gallbladder issues. Wednesday I got my blood work and ultrasound results ... several gallstones and my liver enzymes were still high. So, what next? Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy ... gallbladder surgery. Finally, a plan.


So Thursday, we had a consult with the surgeon (same guy the ER doctor recommended) and I felt 100 times better afterwards. He just totally put me at ease about the whole thing and was able to schedule my surgery for the very next day. What a relief. Some of the key things I learned about the gallbladder and the surgery are:

• Your liver produces bile which is used to help digest food. Your gallbladder is an extra storage place for bile so that when you eat extra fatty, greasy, fried, and spicy food, your liver and gallbladder can tag team your intestines to help digestion. A gallstone is a little rock (feels hard like a rock too) that blocks the opening of the gallbladder which makes the gallbladder irritated trying (with no luck) to release the bile. Once you get gallstones, you will always have gallstones and gallbladder issues. Since your gallbladder is just a storage place and doesn't actually produce bile, your liver naturally takes over and picks up the slack when the gallbladder isn't there anymore. Pretty cool how God made our bodies that way.
• Laparoscopic  surgery is the most common way to remove the gallbladder and involves 4 small incisions. The camera that uses gas to blow up the abdomen is inserted through the belly button and the other 3 incisions are on the right side and they use scopes and tools to remove the gallbladder.
• My surgeon, Dr. D (http://www.surgicalassociatesofnorthtexas.com), and his staff were awesome. So nice and helpful, and truly cared for me and my situation. Dr. D explained the functions of the gallbladder and the surgery. I highly recommend them. 
• Gallbladder surgery is one of the most common surgeries - Dr. D did 250 of them last year. One of the questions I had was how often they have to go from a laparoscopic procedure to a large incision of the abdomen, and he said the last one he did was 3 years ago and it was a very unique situation. That made me feel a lot more confident that my surgery would be just fine.

So I went back to work after my consultation on Thursday and wrapped up my work so that I could take Friday and Monday off for my surgery and recovery. I couldn't eat or drink anything after midnight including water, coffee, mints, or gum. Crazy. I slept late and took my time getting ready. Watched a little Celebrity Rehab on Netflix and before I knew it, it was time to leave for the hospital for my check-in at 1pm.


Check-in and prep went by pretty quickly. Jason was there and my mom came by before I headed into surgery. I changed into my gown and sticky socks, got my IV in (first time ever), and met with the anesthesiologist. She was very nice. Really ... everyone at the hospital was really nice.

I got into surgery pretty quickly, and then was put to sleep. When I woke up I was in recovery. The nurse was so nice, but I was kind of hyperventilating and very emotional, so she tried to calm me down and get me to breathe deep long breaths. For some reason, I kept crying. The anesthesiologist came by to check on me and I was so happy to see a familiar face and just started crying when I saw her. There was just a constant lump in my throat - I think I was truly just a little overwhelmed and relieved it was all over. The nurse gave me ice chips to suck on which helped since my throat was really sore from the anesthesia trache. I was also freezing and the hospital blankets aren't the best warm fuzzy thick blankets you hope for when you're cold. They are thin and stiff. One good thing was that they kept them in warmers so when they first get laid on you, they are very warm and cozy.

Apparently Dr. D went out to talk to my family and friends to let them know that the surgery went really well. He mentioned that my gallbladder was a little inflamed and that I wouldn't have made it another 2 weeks, which means I probably would have been in trouble had I gone to CA without having this surgery beforehand. Hearing that made me even more confident in my decision to hurry with scheduling the surgery.

So after that they made sure my pain wasn't too intense and wheeled me into the second stage of recovery where I could have visitors. Jason and my dad walked in first. Of course, I cried when I saw them and was so happy to see them. Then Kylee came in and I cried. Then my mom came in ... more tears. She instantly went into "mom" mode when she came in. I mentioned I was cold and she threw off her jacket and draped it on my shoulders and helped me drink Sprite from my straw. It was so cute.
Shortly after I got dressed, went to the bathroom, and headed out around 5pm. Chris and Kylee were with us for the rest of the evening. It was so nice to be with friends and they are just the best. We picked up my prescription for pain meds and headed back to our house. We watched a little BSG which was nice to just kick back and relax. 

Stella being lady-like...

I was so thirsty, and water just wasn't quenching my thirst. Plus everyone else was pretty hungry so we headed to Smoothie King and then to McAllister's for some food. I had potato soup, which was super tasty. After that we headed back home for more BSG and I was pretty tired by about 10:15pm (pain pill time!!). I slept great even though I had to wake up every 4 hours to take my pain pills. It was a very restful night's sleep and when I woke up this morning I felt so refreshed.


So I wanted to get out and so my mom and I headed to McKinney's Farmers Market at Chestnut Square. It was nice to get moving (and it's good for me to move around so I don't develop blood clots). I ended up buying a few things (Roasted Garlic Olive Oil, EVOO, Lavender lotion and body butter, and a necklace) and it was nice to be out in the fresh air. Next time we go I'm getting some produce and maybe some flowers.

We were only out and about for 2.5 hours or so, but I was ready for a nap when I got home. I slept for about 1.5 hours and then woke up to take my pain pill. Kylee headed over to watch a little Felicity with me. I heard a knock at the door and yelled "Come on in!" thinking it was Kylee. It was actually a flower delivery from Jason's parents. I was so touched!! It was so sweet and made me feel so special. I instantly wished they lived next door so I could run (hobble) over and give them big hugs. The flowers are beautiful and smell so wonderful.

So now we're gearing up for a quiet evening at home to rest and relax. Jason has been such a great helper for me and I'm so blessed to have him as a husband. Looking forward to 2 more full days of recovery before going back to work. Thank you to everyone who has been praying for me and checking in on me these last few days. It means more than you know. BIG HUGS!!