Gallstones..Really?!
It’s been a crazy last few days. A little over a week ago I started having these episodes that I thought were really bad heartburn. I had at least one a day for about a week. Some were more painful than the others but again I passed it off as heartburn or something. I was taking OTC medicines, pepto, rolaids and no relief. This past Friday I had a sales appointment in Mandeville, LA in the morning then headed over to New Orleans around 2pm. About 3 pm I started feeling a little bad. Same thing I had felt earlier in the week. I headed back to Pensacola around 3:30 and the pain was still there. Almost 3 hours into the drive, the pain had not only continued but greatly increased to the point a couple of times I got dizzy and blurry. I called my husband and told him I have to pull off at the next exit and he was going to have to come get me. In the next hour we were in Pensacola at Sacred Heart ER.
After a few hours the verdict was I had gallstones and a couple were stuck in the bile duct going into my stomach. They had to be removed right away and my gallbladder too because I had signs of jaundice. So the problem we faced was not only was it a weekend but it was the weekend before Christmas so they had to find the specialist that was not on vacation. They admitted me and said it would be sometime Saturday morning before anything would be done.
Around 8am Saturday, doctor came in and said they would be removing the gallstones by ERCP, Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography. Yes it sounded very scary! During this procedure, an endoscope is inserted through the esophagus, through the stomach and into the duodenum. Then special tools are guided into the endoscope to allow the doctor to break up or remove the gallstones.
This is what they did!
If you remember, I had a couple of gallstones stuck in my bile duct. I was put to sleep and this was done. I woke up and felt pretty good. But then later I started running a little fever and they knew they had to go in for the gallbladder. So around 8pm I was taken for Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy where the gallbladder is removed through small cuts in the abdomen (tummy), using a surgical technique called keyhole surgery.
This is what the procedure looked like.
It was a good thing they did because the doctor said it was very inflamed and if we had waited any longer he would have had to cut me open, EEKKK!
What causes gallstones you ask??
Gallstones develop when cholesterol and other substances in the bile form crystals that become hard stones in the gallbladder. They can occur when your gallbladder does not empty properly or if you have too much cholesterol in your bile. Too much cholesterol in your bile is not caused by eating too much cholesterol or having high cholesterol (in the blood). This information is from WebMD.
Likely chances of getting gallstones: (I fell into the first two categories)
*Female
*Lose weight rapidly (my weight loss wasn’t necessarily rapid, over the past 2 years)
*Overweight
*Get very little or no exercise
*Family history
*Native American or Hispanic
So now I’m on the road to recovery, 4 WEEKS OF NO RUNNING. (Insert sad face) In the blink of an eye, many things changed. I can not do races I had planned for in January and February. January 13th, First Light Marathon Relay, 19th ZOOMA Half Marathon and February 17th Mercedes-Benz Full Marathon. Am I disappointed, sure, but I’m not going to let this get me down. There are so many more races and marathons I can train for. 2013 may not start off the way I had planned but I know it is going to be a FANTASTIC year!
If you have experienced anything like I did recently, please have it checked!
So crazy how things like this pop up at the worst time! I love how optimistic you are though! There are always hurdles in life and depending on how you handle them can really make a difference in how you feel
I know, it is crazy how things happen sometimes at the worst times, or so we think. I can’t let it get me down!
I’m glad you are doing better now, that sounds really scary! It is definitely a bummer that you have to miss races you had planned, but just remember that if you hadn’t had the surgery, you might be missing more than your races.
It’s great to hear that you are keeping your head up. Get well soon!
If I had not had surgery this past weekend, it could have definitely been worse! Thanks so much for the encouraging words!
Glad that you are feeling better but sorry that you had to have your gallbladder removed. I had the same issue a few years ago during Christmas but once I had the surgery things were much better for me.
Everyone I have talked to that also had theirs removed said the same, it made things better. So I am glad for that.
So sorry this happened to you Regina! But so glad you are ok and got it taken care of! And you are so right…there will be plenty more races in 2013! I know you will come back stronger and faster! Hope your recovery goes well!
Thanks you so much Mindy!
Oh, wow- how scary! I’m so glad you got it taken care of when you did. What a bummer about the races.
You have a great perspective, there will be more to run!
I’m glad that it was taken care of too! I have lots more running in me and there will be lots more races!
OH no I am so very sorry. Luckily I have not suffered them but have very good friends who used to get them all the time and it was scary I knew it hurt so bad. I didn’t realize you couldn’t run for 4 weeks though
Hope you recover well and glad you found it
Yes very scary! The doctor told me before the surgery that it would take 4 weeks to recover, but I don’t think that long. I find out for sure this Thursday!
1. That sucks. 2. Glad you are okay. 3. Really, no running? 4. See number 2.
I love this comment, lol! Thank you!
How scary!! I hope you are back and running soon! Take care of yourself, girlie!
Me too! Thanks!
That stinks that this had to happen over the holiday and when you had races planned but glad that you are recovering ok! I was diagnosed w/ gallstones when I was 6 and finally had the surgery when I was 23. It was an adjustment but thank goodness for laporoscopic procedures! Definitely stay away from fatty and high cholesterol foods in the beginning and make sure to walk and keep yourself moving as much as possible even though you can’t exercise, it will help the recovery be as speedy as possible!
Thanks for the info!!
Oh my goodness!!! I am so glad that you are okay now. What a scar for you and your family though. Sending you speedy recovery well wishes!
It wasn’t very pleasant for our wedding anniversary which was Sunday but thankfully I was home before Christmas. Thank you!