Post Gallbladder

Post Gallbladder, Day 1. (I think) Okay, so it's Friday at 10:15 PM and I had the little bugger out yesterday morning. So, been over 24 hours. Oy, what an ordeal! If you wanna see something funny, just look at the pictures on Don's facebook site. I pulled it up yesterday and looked at the picture he posted of my gallstone next to my dead gallbladder, and it like FILLED up my computer screen and I'm like "Whoa!" and I burst out laughing, which I paid for in pain! And then I saw Jory's comment, which went something like "Ew, Gross!" and laughed all over again! But ya know what? It IS gross!!! I have 4 pictures of the procedure... and they're all gross. But my liver is mighty pretty! I should figure out how to scan them and post them here... (note to self: learn to scan)

Okay, so got to the hospital before the sun came up. Had to wait for pre-registration to open up. Got all registered, slapped down some moolah, and off we went. Then the fun began. The nurse took me back to my "prep" room, and I had to get in a paper gown, of all things, well, they said that these gowns are especially designed for gallbladder surgeries. Whatev. It was paper. Not happy about that. I like fabric. Soft fabric. Anyway, the nurse went to try and put my IV in, and she kept blowing veins! I"m like, STOP THAT!!! It's ridiculous that they want me to stop drinking fluids the night before, and then come in for surgery and expect your body to be hydrated enough to put in IVs! Are they nuts??? So, this chick was trying so hard, moving the little needle all around, no blood, and then she was like SLAPPING my hand! I'm like STOP THAT!!! LOL I did have my big girl panties on, (only a figure of speech) and I bucked up. They finally decided to put the IV in on the underside of my wrist. Have you ever had that before? OMGosh, talk about PAINFUL! And then to boot, my hand got all swollen from the beating I took!

Finally, they allowed Don to come into the room, only in time to kiss me goodbye, and after I told him that it's been a fun ride, and I love him, off I went. I'm one of those patients who is always so full of questions. "What's that?" "Why are you doing that?" "Can I watch?" "What is that for?" yup, until he slapped the sleeping gas mask on my face, and I was out like a light. To their relief, I'm quite sure. Oh, and I was apologizing for weighing too much. They had to move me from the table back to the bed, andI'm like all over it with the "I'm so sorrys" and they were laughing and saying, "Honey, you don't KNOW what's big!!" LOL Made me feel a tad bit better, right before being gassed out.

Okay, recovery. Don't remember much. Except that I hurt. They took off my paper gown and put on a real, live, soft fabric gown. And I hurt. They gave me morphine. Oy... It hurt. I really don't remember much else until they took me to my first hospital room. And once I was there, it didn't take me long to realize that I couldn't tolerate my roommate. She was groaning, coughing, hacking, and I kept hearing "fever of 102..." and lots of laughing and talking... and "fever of 101.8". I"m like, "Get me outta here!" I asked my nurse who thought it was a good idea to put me, a healthy, non-sick person in the room with a sick person??? And because of the racket, which my nurse conceded was excessive, I got moved out. Pronto. Got put in my own room, and ahhhh it was so much nicer! Right next door, too! Wonder why they didn't do that in the FIRST place???

Slept alot, got nauseas (sp?), slept, no food, only ice chips, all because I didn't have any tummy rumblings. Finally, in the evening, I was able to have clear liquids, and a couple of pain pills, (vicoden, I think) and proceeded to vomit the entire stomach full of liquid right back up, along with the entire IV fluids. It just kept coming and coming. You know your husband loves ya when he holds the "throw up pan" for you, and then wipes your face off. Awww.... Got more morphine. Sent Don home after that.

I did NOT want to spend the night in the hospital, but because of my nausea and vomiting episodes, well, they kept me. And they woke me up every 2 hours or so. How can anyone be expected to get well with that???

Friday morning - felt much better. Dozed thru the morning until they finally released me. And I got to eat! Pancakes. MMMmmm. Came home, ate lunch, and slept alot of the afternoon away.

This weekend is a huge one for the life of my church. I have to be at the church tomorrow ready to ring my handbells by 2:30, for a practice, then sound check with the mics, and then we are in a concert at 5. I hope I do alright. I'm having problems getting to a standing position, but once I do, I'm okay.

Sunday morning, my choir sings. Gotta be there by 8:45. Hope I make it thru all of this. It's our churches Centennial Celebration! One hundred years, KC 1st Church has been around. Quite a big deal.

Tired.

And that's my life so far...