Goodbye Gall Bladder

The surgery was Wednesday.  Let's see, perhaps that isn't where to story begins though.  When I was pregnant with Alice I had these bouts of illness.  They would start with feeling off which would turn into feeling intense upper abdominal pain which would turn into a barf fest which would end with two more days of being horizontal.  I knew it wasn't pregnancy related - or at least I knew it was something more than just being pregnant.  It took a while to figure out that there was a pattern, and me being really slow to look after things sometimes, kept forgetting to mention it to my ob.  When I finally did mention it - at the end of my pregnancy he said, oh, that sounds like your gall bladder.

After Alice was born I had an ultra-sound which confirmed that I did in fact have gall stones.  When I went for the follow up with my family doctor she said, would you like me to schedule surgery now?  I was so taken back by her question.  I talked to a few friends and did a little bit of online reading and it seemed that surgery was in fact the only option, but I had a new baby and had no desire to have my gall bladder out right away.  I figured I'd wait a year and have it out. 

So here I am more than a year later post surgery.  I'm not feeling too badly really.  The incision below my navel is the most annoying and twinges here and there.  The gas pain is as uncomfortable as they said it would be and is unfortunately lasting longer than they said it would.  Discomfort aside I am so grateful for our health care system.  I know it doesn't always work perfectly, and hospital experiences aren't always good, but I am grateful.  I am grateful for doctors and nurses who do their jobs well.  I am grateful for nurses that work so hard to make us feel good.  I am grateful for a caregiver who goes above and beyond, who loves my kids and my family.  I am grateful for a ward family that has brought us meals and meals and more meals.  I am grateful for phone calls and emails and facebook messages from concerned friends and family.  I am so grateful for a supportive husband who is stepping up and doing it all while I'm recovering.

I thought about looking for a picture of a diseased gall bladder, or gall stones, or maybe even a still from a laparoscopic surgery, but I didn't!