Friday Favorites: Surgery

I would like to tell you about my favorite surgeries:

1. The C-Section: this is my favorite surgery mainly based on the outcome. I get a baby!!! Having had 2 C-sections already and knowing all future children will be delivered via C-section, I am a fan of this one.

2. Gallbladder Removal Surgery (aka Cholecystectomy): This is the actual reason for my Friday Favorites Post. For those that didn't know, I had my gallbladder removed on August 5th. Hallelujah. And, just so I remember it many years from now, I thought I'd post the details.

3 weeks after Grace was born, I sat down to dinner on the Friday night of Easter weekend with Vic, GG, Ana, and Charley and begin to feel what I thought must be heartburn. It was a terrible pain in my chest, but nothing that made me think "chest pains". I have never had heartburn, but assumed this was it. Over the next 4 hours, I went through bad pains, crouching over the toilet thinking I might have a stomach bug, walking around trying to ease the pain and taking every kind of heartburn medicine we could think of. It was terrible, but after about 4 hours, the pain subsided. It didn't help that I needed to nurse Grace every 2-3 hours and that I was exhausted anyways. It was terrible, but the next day I thought "whew, it's over!". That is-until it happened again. I believe it happened 3 times before I went to the doctor. He agreed it was probably severe heartburn and that I needed to just take Zantac, Naproxen and give my body time to rest, as it had just gone through a shock with pregnancy, delivering, C-section, etc.

Off I went glad to have a diagnosis and a pain relieving plan. However, over the next 2 months, I continued to have episodes of "heartburn". They ranged from 3-15 hours with pains moving from my chest to the top of my stomach. Pain would radiate terribly in my back. I couldn't pick up the kids and it was tough to nurse. I would walk; I would sit still; I could never lay down to sleep or get comfortable; I would take Pepcid AC, Tums, Alka-Seltzer, Zantac, drink milk (which I hate!), eat crackers, drink tons of water, eat nothing. After each episode, I would go over exactly what process I had completed between the time it began and ended and assume it was the new process to get through the pain. So, the next time I had an episode, I would do the same thing. However, it wouldn't work. I had in my head that my body just had to heal as the doctor said my stomach lining was inflamed and needed to heal. So, each and every time, I would hope that was the last time.

But, after those 2 months and a terrible episode the previous night, I went back to the doctor and asked him about a specialist who could scope me or do something more. But, first he wanted to move me to a stronger heartburn med (Protonix - generic brand). So, we did and for 3 weeks, I had nothing happen. Part of me was thrilled because it must working! The other part of me was not thrilled because I didn't want to be on medicine forever. Then, one night 3 weeks after I had a minor episode, I decided to go back to the doctor again and he finally ordered an ultrasound for me. At this point, my entire family and some friends had decided this could not be heartburn. I never got relief from heartburn meds. And, some thought it sounded like gallbladder. So, on appointment #3, I mentioned gallbladder and while I didn't have exact symptoms for it, he said we would know with the ultrasound.

Sure enough, a few days later they called with the results: gallstones. I was so glad! I was glad I wasn't crazy and a big wimp with heartburn and glad to have a final diagnosis with a probably solution: removal. I met with a surgeon, scheduled the surgery and finally had that thing removed.

The surgery took all of an hour and I was at the hospital for maybe 7 with pre-op, post-op and discharge. I had no problems with general anesthesia. The recovery was not bad. 4 small incisions meant that I was sore for about 10 days and fortunately, GG came to help take care of kids while I recovered. The worst area of soreness was my bellybutton; or when Grace would kick me while nursing. It turns out, after talking to the surgeon, and my extensive online reading, that women around 30 who have had a couple of kids fit the pattern for gallstones. And, actually I read that about 30% of women actually have gallstones form during pregnancy. Only about 5% actually have issues that cause pain and need it removed. I CAN. NOT. imagine having gallbladder stone attacks while pregnant. It was horrible.

So, while not a very exciting Friday Favorites post, I wanted to document this so I remember it one day. I hope these are the only two surgeries I ever have! Though I do not want to be done with C-sections anytime soon!