19th March, 2009
The Day My Gallbladder Went ByeBye
This’ll be brief. It’s still agonisingly hard to sit for long periods no matter what position I adopt and in those last thirty minutes before my next batch of painkillers are due, even breathing hurts. Oh, didn’t I tell you why it hurts? My bad. I forget I haven’t been here. I know I’m a bad person but this time I DO have an excuse. No. Really! Read on!
On Monday 9th I went in to have my troublesome gallbladder removed. Following hospital admissions in November and December, I knew the operation was coming, but I ended up getting a cancellation appointment (the upside to living only three minutes away from our hospital – I get cancellation appts a lot) which meant I had only three days notice when it finally came to it – which hopefully explains why I didn’t give you a head’s up that this was coming! I was assured repeatedly that the scans threw up no complications, that it was likely to be a quick, straight-forward keyhole surgery. They were wrong. I came around five hours later to find an eight inch laceration across my upper abdomen. Gone are my bikini days.
My endometriosis? You know, the monthly cramps and cyst-making complication I have? Ah, man. Apparently I’m riddled with it. :( I knew that I had it, and I knew that I had it bad following my messy surgery two years ago, but I have adhesions/scarring everywhere – on my bowels, ovaries, tubes, stomach, bladder – you name it. My surgeon likened it to a jungle, and he said that even as they attempted to get the camera in there he knew that they couldn’t operate lapascopically. He said they would have perforated my bowel. I was devastated: I accepted that it was bad, you know, lower down, in my girly parts, but to know that it extends all the way up to my liver and lungs … well, that just wasn’t nice to hear. Nothing is where it’s supposed to be, everything’s stuck/glued together, and it was a real struggle to get the gallbladder out. Hence the lengthy surgery.
So my overnight stay turned into five days. On the fifth I essentially checked myself out – I’d had enough – and since then I’ve been at home. I lost five and a half pounds in five days (maybe the stones in my gallbladder were really heavy?!) but since then I’ve been struggling with pretty much everything. I have no appetite and no strength and am pretty much living out my days drowsing on the sofa, filling my time with daytime TV and whatever I Sky+ed the night before. (I’m usually asleep by 9.30pm, so I catch up on the night’s viewing the morning afterwards). I’m struggling to read or watch feature films and spend next to no time online: I just can’t concentrate for very long. I’m hoping that this will work itself out over the next few days and I start to feel like myself again … as it stands, I’m not having fun. :(
Thanks to a gazillion painkillers I’m not in pain as such, but I am in tremendous discomfort. I just can’t get comfortable. Each morning I wake with horrendous back pain as I can’t move at all at night, and throughout the day it’s next to impossible to adopt a position that doesn’t pull or squish the incision. This morning I had the 25 (25!!!) staples removed, so I’m hoping that that will help ease the pulling sensation.
There’s more to say and loads more to update, but my stomach says it’s time to quit – I can’t sit like this for much longer. I’ll finish on thanking Sharon, Claire and Scarlet for their lovely gifts and cards – it’s so touching to know that people are a) thinking of me and b) missing me. :) And finally, sorry if you’re waiting for an email from me; as I said, even with my laptop it’s incredibly hard to sit up and type so I’ve really not been online much at all and my usually painfully clear Inbox is cluttering up as a result. Bear with me – I’ll get back to you as soon as I can.
Bye for now. I’ll try not to leave it so long before I update again!
Posted: March 19, 2009 at 11:31 am | Comments (13)
13 Comments
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Vixx, goodness that is awful to hear. I am glad you’re home, and hope that it is the last operation for you. I have a friend who had her Gallbladder removed a couple of years ago (although with little complication) and she is quite well now. Rest and get better, we’ll be thinking pleasant thoughts for you.
Comment by Audrey — 19 March, 2009 @ 2:18 pm
I read this as: The day Liam Gallagher went byebye.
And I was like yes!! Then I re-read, and read the actual post, and my enthusiasm vanished.
Can’t say I know what you’re going through but it sounds pretty tough. If anyone can pull through this, you can. Get better soon. If you need some chocolate or anything, just message me and I’ll send some straight over :)
Comment by Teesee — 19 March, 2009 @ 5:43 pm
Ohh, that all sounds so awful!! I’m so sorry you’ve had such a rough and painful! time :(
I admire your strength and courage BTW. I’d be a weeping and disheartened wreck by now if I were you! I’ll remember you in my prayers and pray for a speedy recovery. <33
Comment by Ali — 19 March, 2009 @ 7:15 pm
Chocolate and as much rest as you can possibly get, that’s my prescription :)
I know you feel rotten now but it’s only temporary and in no time at all you’ll be feeling like your old self again (only without the constant pain and the general yukkyness), so rest up and get well soon xxx
Comment by sharon — 19 March, 2009 @ 9:24 pm
Poor thing!
I hope that especially now that your staples are out you recover the rest of the way very quickly!
Comment by valerie — 19 March, 2009 @ 10:39 pm
Wow, that sounds quite awful :( I’m sure it wasn’t great to hear the news but at least they were able to complete the gallbladder removal without having to go in again.
Get lots of rest and follow dr’s orders so you can get back to yourself as soon as you can – well unless you like having the time off :)
*hugs* for you and hope you get better soon!
Comment by J — 19 March, 2009 @ 11:40 pm
The fact that this post is without whining and ‘woe is me’ just proves what a badass bitch you are. *hugs* It really is not fair how some people get the short end of the healthy stick.
I hope you feel up to yourself soon. :(
Comment by Candi — 20 March, 2009 @ 3:11 am
So sorry to hear it went so badly dear. :(
*hugs* I hope you start feeling yourself again very soon.
Comment by Tanya — 20 March, 2009 @ 1:16 pm
As you know, I’ve just recently had yet another bout with hospitals and sickness, so I definitely sympathize! I hope you feel better very, very soon and remember that we’re all thinking of you and sending happy, healthy vibes your way. *hug*
Comment by Elea — 21 March, 2009 @ 1:42 am
Thanks so much, everyone. It’s sad how these comments make me feel better, but alas they really do. :p
Am getting better each day. It’s a slow process, but I’m getting there!
V xx
Comment by Vixx — 21 March, 2009 @ 11:08 am
Oh my god, that sounds really painful D:
My dad had gravel in his gallbladder and he was literally on the floor in agony and my mum had to call an ambulance, I can’t imagine what it’s like actually having it removed.
Get well soon.
Comment by Kristina — 21 March, 2009 @ 8:20 pm
Oh hun. Get well soon. Everything will be ok.
Hugs
Comment by Scarlet — 23 March, 2009 @ 7:38 pm
You poor sausage!
Glad to hear that you are getting gradually better each day – I’ve been thinking of you.
Sorry I haven’t been in touch: K is still signed-off – and in a twist of fate and after 5 years’ of IBS-related misdiagnosis, it also looks as if she might have endo probs too – she’s due to have a Laparoscopy at the end of April. *sigh*
We wish you lots of love and hugs Lambchop.
xxx
Comment by Claire — 24 March, 2009 @ 1:32 pm