Well, the end of 2011 sure chewed me up and spit me out. I somehow managed to really overcommit myself in December even though I was SURE I hadn't. I felt frantic and really overwhelmed by all the things I "had" to do. Then it turns out it wasn't normal indigestion problems I'd been having over the past year, but actually gallbladder attacks. I found this out in the emergency room the day before Christmas Eve - after a morning of excrutiating pain. The doctor told me I could have the surgery right then or schedule it sometime in the next two weeks. I was feeling a little better and I really wanted to make it through Christmas day for Jack and Lu, so I went home on meds.
Christmas Eve and Christmas Day are a blur of drugs and pain. I went back to the emergency room Monday morning and had my gallbladder taken out. I had pain from the surgery, but it was such a relief to at least have pain in a different location. I came home Tuesday and then promptly screamed at my sister for cleaning my nasty basement. Something along the lines of "I feel so judged!" Ummmm.... did I mention drugs and pain??? My sister was here for all of last week and it was such a blessing. Someone to corral the kids and also make sure my house didn't look like something had exploded in it. Plus my sister and I laugh like morons when were together. Except laughing really hurt, so I had to try not to and instead would say, "laughing.....laughing....".
Basically I didn't get off the couch until Saturday. And, felt mentally better than I have in a long time. Jack and Lucy had almost a solid week at home, without me running around shouting orders like a lunatic. And they seem in a much better place, too. So, big lesson in this for me: choose to slow down on purpose rather than waiting for your body to need part of it removed. We'll see how long I can hold onto that for.
Now, for the public service announcement. Gallbladder surgery is one of the most common surgeries in the US. But, I had no idea what gallbladder attack symptoms were and either has anyone else I've come across in the past week. I think if I had known I was having gallbladder attacks sooner I may have been able to save my gallbladder. By the time mine was removed it was infected and had spots of gangrene (yuck!!!!). Here's a link with symptoms. My attacks felt like bad heartburn, except that instead of being by my heart the pain was in the center and just under my ribs. I also had gas and lots of bloating in my upper abdomen.
We aren't starting school until next week (nothing planned for it yet!!!) and this week is stretching about before me like a lovely in between time. Not much planned, not much expected. Just some time to be.
