I haven't been feeling well off and on for a few months. I kept thinking I was getting a bout of the flu every week or so. What was strange is that it only affected me, not my family. I was so cautious not to spread it to them, washing my hands like crazy and being extra careful.
The day after Easter I felt really sick after lunch. I laid down the rest of that day and my belly was hurting pretty bad. Scott gave me a priesthood blessing after we put the kids in bed. After that, I threw up within a few minutes and felt at least a little better. I didn't stop throwing up for the rest of the week. I couldn't even keep Sprite or chicken broth down. What is sad is it was my kids' Spring Break from school. So we couldn't even do anything fun because I felt so lousy. :(
I was able to do little things and keep food down from Saturday on. I felt somewhat better, but I noticed my pee was getting really dark and my eyes were turning a shade of yellow. I thought I was dehydrated so I tried my best to drink lots of water and Gatorade. I wanted to stay hydrated. No matter how much I drank, my eyes were still yellow and my pee was only getting darker.
On Wednesday, I went to a neighborhood preschool group. I told one mom my jaundice symptoms and she suggested that I go buy some Vitamin D pills. The other mom told me that I looked "off" and that she could tell I wasn't feeling that well. Then she said something that haunted me. "You look just like my friend that had kidney failure. By the time she actually went in, she had to be hospitalized for several days. She was really sick and it was very serious. You should go get checked." That really hit me hard and I didn't want that to be my case too. So I went home and explained to Scott what my friends had said and I agreed to go to the Instacare right then.
I went to the Instacare on Wednesday afternoon and they did blood work and said they'd be in touch. I got a call on Thursday and they explained to me that my liver was really inflamed and that I should get to the emergency room immediately for further testing. The doctor also said it was likely a bile obstruction.
I googled "bile obstruction" and got some information. Basically, your bile is trapped by gall stones and so the bile isn't able to help break down your food for digestion. My body was slowly poisoning itself.
I went to the ER and was there from 2pm to 9pm, mostly waiting around. My mom came and joined me and was great company. At 9pm they moved me to the 10th floor and said I would have a surgery procedure the next morning to remove gall stones blocking my path. Normal paths from the gallbladder to the liver are 3 mm. Mine was 13 mm because it was stretched with clogged stones.
Scott and the kids came and visited me Thursday night and I was able to hug them and talk to them along with my mom, who was there with me all day. We decided that my mom would watch the kids the next day and we would let them skip school to play with her and get their minds off worrying about me. She came over at 7am the next day and whisked them away to the tulip festival at Thanksgiving Point. She ended up letting them sleepover too. She really was an angel helping us out so much!
My facing west room had the coolest view of the valley! I couldn't help but snap a few photos.
At 8am Friday April 17, they came and wheeled me down to surgery. They hooked me up to all sorts of monitors and wires. I climbed up a step ladder to the operating table. They told me to lay on my stomach and then they put rolled up towels to prop my right side up diagonally. So I was laying diagonally with my back up and my head to the right. They put a plastic mouth guard in to keep my mouth propped open for the tube. The black tube seemed to be 3/4" in diameter and would be shoved down my throat and through my stomach to my gallbladder / liver area. They strapped my arms to my sides. I felt pretty helpless and involuntary tears silently dropped down my face as I pleaded to Heavenly Father to please help this procedure go well and watch over me. At 8:15 they put medicine in my IV to put me to sleep. I woke up at 9:15, exactly one hour later, and the surgery was completed. I remember the surgeon, Dr. Price, saying how it went fantastic. I was really happy to hear that! I was glad there were no complications. They had to put a balloon down there and inflate it to pull the stones out.
I went back to my room and Scott and I hung out and watched a Steven King series,
Kingdom Hospital, and we both dozed off. At 1:30 the nurse asked me if I was hungry. I was famished as I had not eaten or drank anything for 25 hours now. I happily accepted the parmeson chicken plate she gave me. She asked if there was any other food I felt like. I mentioned mashed potatoes would be nice. She gave Scott a 5 dollar voucher to go me some and him some food in the cafeteria. He was able to get me a side of mashed potatoes and himself a sandwich, fries, and a drink for only 4 dollars after the voucher. I thought that nurse was nice for doing that. And those mashed potatoes were the best I have EVER eaten in my whole life. Probably because I was so hungry! They were delicious.
The staff waited to see if the food settled okay with me. 2 hours later, at 3:30, I was discharged from the hospital and on my way home, until next Tuesday, the gallbladder removal operation.
My mom has truly been an angel through this. She was at our home with the kids from 7am Friday to 10am Saturday when I picked them up at her place. She took them to Thanksgiving Point to the Tulip Festival and to the Children's Curiosity Museum. We offered to pick up the kids that evening, but they were all so excited to sleep over anyway, that we just let them.
It was so relaxing to have an evening to ourselves. We were mostly tired, but I was cabin fevered too, so we ventured out and got an italian ice custard from Rita's. Yum! I got pina colada and Scott got cotton candy. They were delicious and felt good on my sore throat.
I actually felt pretty good on the weekend besides my throat was tender from the hose being down it. I was instructed to call Monday afternoon to get my time to go in Tuesday for the gallbladder removal surgery. Dr. Price says that once a gallbladder has acted up, it can't be trusted again. It will continue to spit stones out and be a lifetime problem. Removal is the best option. So I called and was surprised when the lady instructed 5:30 am! Wow, I was the first in line for surgery from Dr. Price that day. I called my mom and we both agreed it would make the best sense for her to sleep over rather than have to get up so early and be here.
We got up bright and early and were to the hospital by 5:32am. Then we checked in and I got prepped for surgery. It seemed like a lot of waiting around, but it really wasn't that bad. One of my fellow young women's leaders is a head nurse at IMC and I was really touched that she made a special effort to come say HI and chat with us. Around 7am they came and wheeled my bed down to the surgery hallway. Then it seemed like I waited there about a half hour before my Dr. came and got me.
The anesthesiologist gave me a very powerful drug to knock me out in the hallway and I really don't remember much except the surgery room was huge compared with the previous surgery procedure room. It was probably 4 times as big.
They made 3 holes in my stomach and then a 2 inch horizontal line right in the middle of it. The 3 holes are little, like 1/2 inch and smaller. Lapriscopic is what it's called and they sort of vacuum out your gallbladder. It is not like the olden days where they made a 6 inch gash and you were down for 2 weeks. I was able to go home the same day and heal at home.
Only the medicine they used to knock me out really affected my breathing. My lungs weren't getting enough oxygen and the machine kept beeping to let the nurse know. I was supposed to keep my breathing levels above 90% and they kept falling much lower, like 60s and 70s. I was assigned a respiratory therapist who gave me a machine to gauge how strong my lungs were at breathing.
If everything would have gone perfect, I could have realistically checked out around 11am. But since my breathing was struggling, it was after 1pm after they let me go.
Scott picked me up some more mashed potatoes at KFC on the way home. For some reason they just sounded good! Then we came home and I rested.
My mom stuck around for a few more hours to make sure I was okay. She also was able to take Lincoln to his library preschool program and greet the kids after school. She has been the best help! I am so blessed to have her in my life. She really was there when we needed her.
Everyone has been so kind to us. Maisy and Wendy gave me flowers. Also a friend from the ward, Annie, brought me flowers. We were given 3 different dinners from friends in the ward. My friends stepped in and drove extra for our carpools. And other friends helped drive Lincoln to his Tracy Aviary field trip, Makayla to achievement days and to a birthday party. I got phone calls from Aunt Joyce and a visit from Aunt Becky. Scott's parents chipped in some flower money for me that I could spend as I wish. I have really felt blessed during this challenge!
A huge tender mercy from our Heavenly Father is how we have health insurance this year. We didn't have insurance for 3 years because we are self employed and just couldn't find any insurance that made sense. Believe me, we researched and did our homework thoroughly. Finally this year, we bit the bullet, and just chose one in January. I am SO glad that Scott felt impressed to do this. I just can't even imagine coming up with all the money for this!
Dr. Price came and found Scott after the second surgery and told him what a rare patient I was. He said my gallbladder was pretty beat up and in very bad shape, lots of scarring, and it must have been going on for quite awhile. He was shocked that I didn't exhibit more symptoms and sooner symptoms from the looks of it. Most people are in agony and can't function when they have gallstones. Yes, I had flu-like symptoms, but I was still able to do some things and walk around.
I think it was a tender mercy and blessing from above that my gallbladder sat quietly until we signed up for insurance. I am thankful for a loving Heavenly Father who watches out for his children. He knows of our struggles and what we can handle. He is there for us to see us through our challenges. I know that the church is true, and I am very thankful to have my knowledge of it. I am thankful for my many blessings.
I am feeling so much better now. It's been one week. I hope to feel a little stronger every day.
