Yeah - that's me. I've been spending the last couple of weeks trying to self-diagnose my side pain and here is my official take on it: I am having gall bladder attacks. Today's was the worst by far.
The funny thing is when I went into the doctor with my laundry list of symptoms a few weeks back, he did casually inquire as to whether I still had my gall bladder. Of course, then the symptoms weren't textbook - I had a few things going on but my side pain was more of a "stitch" in my side. Since then, the pain grew steadily worse and comes and goes. A fever also comes and goes. Other things come and go but I blame them all on viruses. After all, Kelton was in day camp and whenever the kids are out in the world viruses have a way of coming home to roost.
I had g*ogled gall bladder symptoms a couple of times and they seemed to fit but since nothing really seems dire, I am opting to wait until my appointment next week (getting in to see *my* doc is a pain)and then pick his brain about "Could this be..." and "What should I be on the look out for...".
At least, this was the plan until this afternoon.
Today's attack is leaving no real questions in my mind about if this is gall bladder related. Holy freakin' moly! I was sicker than a dog for about three hours. And then things started to calm down (being sicker than a dog with two kids who couldn't care less than you can't get off the couch is not fun!). I g*ogled again to refresh my memory and lo' and behold - I'm all but a perfect textbook case now.
As long as things continue to calm down and then return to the way it has been for the past two weeks, I am going to wait it out. But if things progress - I'm going to go in.
Through all of this anxiety I am also filled with anxiety for the care for the kids should I need to have surgery. The old fashioned way is a 5 day hospital stay. A laproscopic procedure is an overnight stay (definitely the route I would want to go!). With Dakota in school, there is no one around to step up and help me out and if Dakota misses too much school at the onset, it's near impossible to catch up. Dakota would, of course, do all the she could and needed to. Her mom would probably help out where she could but the two kids are a lot for her. I would need to get back home quickly so that I could play ringmaster with people helping out here and there (meals, picking up Kelton from school, a bit of afternoon playtime, etc.) OY! Everything is so much more complicated when you have children. The worries are so much greater and for me, I do better when I am at home with my kids than stressing out being away from them.
I guess time will tell how this will all play out. Hopefully everything calms down and gives me time to get my ducks in a row though I guess the upside to an emergent-type situation (you know - this is bad pain and I have to go in right now and surgery is scheduled for this afternoon (which I've had happen with an ovarian cyst before) is there is no time for planning - just doing and it would be all out of my hands at that point.
Oh joy.
The question I have though is why do so many people think 2007 is a lucky year? This has been the suckiest year EVER for me.
And onward we go.......
At least I don't feel like I have to look into getting high risk life insurance at this point in time. That's a plus, don't you think? :) But it is *always* good to know that such a thing exist. (Sorry - I had to get it in there. LOL!)
9 comments:
Wow Casey! I hope you're feeling better. ((hugs))
Ugh. I hope you feel better soon.
It took the docs forever to diagnose my partner with a gallbladder issue, so by the time they did surgery, the gallbladder was pretty bad. Even with that, she spent minimal time in the hospital afterward and was up and moving a bit after just a few days. The laproscopic surgery is much better than the old school stuff.
Ugh I had my gallbladder out four years ago. I had the lap procedure and it is definitely the way to go. Hugs Honey.
I hope you feel better soon. I, too, had my gall bladder removed laproscopicly (not sure how to spell that; I'm sure this is wrong though) a few years ago. I had it done on a Thursday, was at a church picnic on Saturday and went back to work on Monday. Good Luck!!
Sorry to hear you aren't feeling well. I had mine out 2 years ago. The symptoms were an intense stabbing pain (like someone pushing a rod through me front to back) about dead center where the breast bone ends. I was getting attacks at almost 5 week intervals that would start at 3am and end after noon. If you think it is your gallbladder, PLEASE try to move up your appointment. You can USE ME for babysitting!!! I had the laproscopy ... in/out same day. Full recovery takes many weeks, but you're up and moving. There's no driving for a week and no lifting anything above 5-10(?)lbs.
Oh Casey I am so sorry that you are not feeling well. Please let me know if there is anything I can do for you.
I had the laproscopic surgery in 03 and it wasn't that bad. I was in the hospital overnight, sore for just a couple of days and tired for a week. I wasn't allowed to lift or carry kids for 6 weeks. I had mine done on a Thursay and felt good by Monday, I just tired easily for about a week more.
YankeeGirl: I'm feeling btter today - not great but so much better than yesterday. Thanks.
Chris: Good to know - thanks for sharing!
Patti_Cake: Thanks!
sjaynei: Speedy recovery! Just what I like to hear. Thanks!
Sheri: Thank you! I just may do that.
Caroline: Thank you. :)
Elizabeth: Wow - I'm amazed at the number of people who have had this done. Thanks for sharing!
Add me to the list of people who have GB issues. I never had mine removed but went thru a period of a month of almost daily attacks. I wanted to carve out my gallbladder with a toothpick. It can affect your liver enzyme levels depending on what type of attack it is. Mine was in the part (sorry - I forgot what it was called) that was next to/pressing against my liver so I felt liver pains too. That was about 3 years ago and I haven't had an attack since - I think the stone passed. But now I know what it feels like - and it ain't pleasant. I landed in the E.R.
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