The Gallbladder Story of 2011

I have struggled for the past week or so to write a blog updating everyone on my gallbladder, or lack of one.  I have started 3 or 4 blogs now and quit half way through…one I never even made it out of the first paragraph.  And I never finish them mainly because I just hate talking about myself. 

Want to talk about sports or Facebook or Alexis?  Sure…all day!  No problem!  Talking about me?  Not so much.

But a lot of you are still checking in with me so I figured I needed to update everyone and give you all “the scoop”.  So here we go...

Saturday 2am:  I woke up with what I thought was heartburn.  In full disclosure, it has happened before, but usually after a big meal, a late meal or a greasy meal.  This time was different…we had eaten early in the evening (like Senior Citizens discount early) and had something small and not greasy.  So automatically I knew this was different.

Because I couldn’t get comfortable I just came in the living room and watched tv.  By about 530 I realized that we were going to have to go to the ER.

6am:  Finally woke up Heather and Lex and we made our way to the hospital.  From the moment we got there, the lady at the check in desk with no medical degrees or college classes said it was my gallbladder.

7am:  They get me processed and triaged and back to a room.  First nurse comes in and says “pretty sure it is your gallbladder” followed by the doctor who says the same thing.  At this point they hook me up to an IV and give me some morphine to help with the pain I was still in 5 hours later.

Note:  Since they were pretty confident that it was my gallbladder and the only way to resolve the issue is to remove it, I was no longer allowed to eat or drink!  Keep in mind, we ate with the Senior Citizens the night before.

730am:  Finally started letting people know what was going on.  We waited to wake people up mainly because until now we still weren’t 100% sure what was wrong.  All though it was looking more and more like the lady behind the desk that checked us in had been brushing up on webMD and was right.

Another Note:  Poor Alexis had a skating birthday party at 1 and her best friend in the whole wide world was supposed to spend the night Saturday night.  To say that she was excited about this would be an understatement.  This day was like her Christmas morning!!  In the car on the way to the ER she even asked if it was time for the skating party yet!  We knew this might be an issue today!

830am:  My dad and step mom came up to keep us company (and entertain Lex) while we waited!  Because as we soon learned, since I wasn’t dying I was no longer an emergency.  If there were 20 rooms, I am pretty sure I was the 25^th  important person there.

10am:  They finally come in to do the blood work and take the sonogram.  For some reason the sonogram aggravated my gallbladder so they brought more morphine.  I was a happy camper at this point!

11am:  The doctor comes back in to tell me that I have “gallstones and sludge” and they would like to admit me and have it removed.  However, they didn’t have any rooms at the hospital since they are remodeling some floors so I had to wait in the ER room.

At this point since we didn’t have any idea when I would be moved or when surgery would be, Heather took Lex home and they got ready for the skating party and went to it.  Lex had a blast, but all week she wanted me to teach her how to skate, so I was pretty bummed I had to miss out.

Thankfully my Dad and Beth hung out with me and watched football until he had to go to work at 1.

Note 3:  I am beyond starving at this point and I have lost my voice since I cant drink either.  But I am higher than a kite.

2pm:  They come to move me into an actual hospital room.  As I mentioned above, they are remodeling and the floor they would have normally moved me to was part of the remodel!  So I got my own room downstairs!  So I get settled in and watch more football!  Thank goodness this was on a Saturday or I might have gone crazy!

430pm:  Surgeon finally comes to meet with me and lets me know that we do need to take the gallbladder out and they would try and get me scheduled and he would “be back in 30 minutes or so” to let me know if they could get me in Saturday night or Sunday some time.

He did mention that this surgery is the most common surgery that he does!  I really had no idea it was so common until after I had it.  Seems like everyone I talk to has had theirs taken out.  Crazy.

I texted Dad to let him know so he left work to come hang out with me some more and be there for the surgery.

Heather and Lex finally made it back to the hospital and I got to hear all about her party.  She had a really good time!

Since the sleepover was the major event for Lex this day, we were so very thankful that Mike and ReJana Krause offered to have the sleepover at their house.  This helped more than they will ever know.  We knew that if Lex couldn’t have her sleepover that her hanging out in the hospital was going to be really rough!!!

615pm:  (More than 30 minutes later, if you are keeping track) The nurse comes in to wheel me down to surgery.  So this answered a lot of our questions…lol.  Said the surgery would be about an hour long.  The last thing I remember is the gas man saying “take one more deep breath of oxygen” and I was out!  Guessing it wasn’t oxygen.  Lol. 

8ish (fuzzy):  Wake up in the recovery room and I ask for pizza and if I can keep my gallbladder.  Shockingly I was told “no” to both.  Heather did let me know that the Rangers had won and the Angels had lost and I remember being really happy!

930pm:  Finally back in my room.  Dad and Beth headed home for the night and Heather headed over to see our friends Chris and Nick, who happened to be passing through town (Nick was passing through town).  They were nice enough to feed her and give her a break while I was sleeping.

11pm:  Woke up and I was HUNGRY!  Been almost 30 hours since I had anything to eat or drink.  They brought me pudding and graham crackers.  In my eyes they looked like a 5 course meal from Al Biernet’s! 

Heather got back around this time as well and settled in to spend the night with me.

5am:  Since I had been sleeping for a while, I was ready to get up.  Still being hungry I asked for some ice cream and watched a movie on my iPad while Heather slept.

The rest of the morning was spent trying to get up and move around.  They brought me breakfast and I had lunch there.  We were able to head home about 4 or so.

The first few days at home were pretty rough.  I felt like I had done a million sit-ups.  Took a lot of naps (and pain pills) and took it easy!  They said it takes about a month to get back to normal. I can’t lift anything over 10lbs for 3 more weeks…which has made it tough.  I can’t even take out the trash or pick Lex up.

I am still kind of sore and have issue sleeping at night…mainly when I roll over.  I am off the pain meds during the day and just take them to help sleep at night.  So all in all, I am doing pretty well.

I do have to stay away from spicy or fried foods.  I guess the gallbladder is what processed those for your body.  To be clear, I can have them, but the results wont be pretty.

I know that this has gotten long, but it is my blog.  But I cant wrap it up with out thanking everyone for their support and concern.  We got calls, texts, emails and all kinds of messages from everyone checking in on me and offering their support.  It really did mean a lot and it was all greatly appreciated by myself and Heather.

Dad and Beth…thanks for staying with me and bringing us dinner when we got home.  It meant a lot and it was good to have someone to watch football with!!  Without you there, I know Heather wouldn’t have taken Lex to the skating party so Lex thanks you as well!

But I cant finish this without thanking my wonderful wife Heather.  Team Peery has been playing a “man down” for 10 days now, but we haven’t missed a beat and it is because of her.  I am so very thankful that she is my wife and my best friend.  I couldn’t imagine going through life with anyone else.  Love you babe.

So there you go.  The great Gallbladder Story of 2011.