My Gallbladder Eviction Journey
Hi, everyone, it's been a while ...
I'm here to share my story, about having Gallstones and undergoing surgery to remove my gallbladder.
Everything started in Nov 2019.
Nov 1, 2019, after having late lunch, I felt so bloated and my back aches a bit. I took a nap and when I woke up in the afternoon, I ate my usual 4pm meal. After I ate, my stomach starts to feel burning. I thought it was my acid reflux, which I often feel especially when I was a teenager. I use to keep a bottle of antacid but unfortunately, I ran out of it that day. I thought that the pain will eventually past. But it got worst and I start to feel nauseous, I can feel chest pain that radiates to my back. That is the time my husband decided to rush me to the ER. When we arrived at the emergency room, I was checked and was given a Prescription; Gaviscon 2 sachet and an instruction to go home and just go back if the pain doesn't go away. I took the prescribed Gaviscon and wait outside the ER to see if the pain subsides, but then decided to go home at 12 midnight to rest, I'm tired and I want to lay down on the bed. But when we got home, pain doesn't let me sleep even a bit, so I told my husband to bring me back to the ER. Its 4am Nov 2, 2019, when we again arrived at the emergency room. They gave me an IV and pain reliever and spent the whole day there.
When I was discharged from the ER, the doctor prescribed Omeprazole for 1 week, and after 1 week he advised me to get a Full abdomen Ultrasound because he suspects Gallstones. At first, I don't take it too seriously, but when I searched about gallstones, I realized that all the symptoms are present in me. I was having second thoughts about getting the ultrasound because I'm scared to know. But my husband convinced me that whatever it is, it is better that we know early to prevent it. Nov 12, 2019, I went back to the hospital for my ultrasound, And the results show I have Gallstones.
I'm here to share my story, about having Gallstones and undergoing surgery to remove my gallbladder.
Everything started in Nov 2019.
Nov 1, 2019, after having late lunch, I felt so bloated and my back aches a bit. I took a nap and when I woke up in the afternoon, I ate my usual 4pm meal. After I ate, my stomach starts to feel burning. I thought it was my acid reflux, which I often feel especially when I was a teenager. I use to keep a bottle of antacid but unfortunately, I ran out of it that day. I thought that the pain will eventually past. But it got worst and I start to feel nauseous, I can feel chest pain that radiates to my back. That is the time my husband decided to rush me to the ER. When we arrived at the emergency room, I was checked and was given a Prescription; Gaviscon 2 sachet and an instruction to go home and just go back if the pain doesn't go away. I took the prescribed Gaviscon and wait outside the ER to see if the pain subsides, but then decided to go home at 12 midnight to rest, I'm tired and I want to lay down on the bed. But when we got home, pain doesn't let me sleep even a bit, so I told my husband to bring me back to the ER. Its 4am Nov 2, 2019, when we again arrived at the emergency room. They gave me an IV and pain reliever and spent the whole day there.
When I was discharged from the ER, the doctor prescribed Omeprazole for 1 week, and after 1 week he advised me to get a Full abdomen Ultrasound because he suspects Gallstones. At first, I don't take it too seriously, but when I searched about gallstones, I realized that all the symptoms are present in me. I was having second thoughts about getting the ultrasound because I'm scared to know. But my husband convinced me that whatever it is, it is better that we know early to prevent it. Nov 12, 2019, I went back to the hospital for my ultrasound, And the results show I have Gallstones.
Hoping that this can be resolved by the medication, Nov 14, 2019, I went back to the hospital to see a Surgeon.
The Dr said it was confirmed gallstone and my gallbladder have to be removed through surgery. I ask him if it can be cured with medication but he said no. He said once gallbladder has stones, it has to be removed. Gallstone can't dissolve, unlike kidney stones. I was shocked, so I can't decide whether to move on to the surgery or not. So the dr said he can't force me to go under surgery if I am not willing, but once I decided I can go back to him anytime. He advised me to avoid all fatty foods, for it will trigger an attack and make my condition worse. But also reminded me that my gallbladder has to be out sooner or later. Scared and shocked, I don't know what to do. I still can't decide so in the meantime I follow the doctor's advice to avoid fatty foods. Nov 18, 2019, We want to make sure, so my mother brought me to PGH for the second opinion.
The surgeon I met there said the same as the first surgeon I met.
The Surgery list in that hospital is long, She just Advised me to avoid fatty foods and set me an appointment by January 2020 to get the surgery scheduled. Still Devastated, but I decided to wait, and promise my self to face this after the holidays. Christmas and New year is coming and I don't want to ruin my family's holiday. I try hard to stay on my low-fat diet to avoid attacks.
January 2020
Jan 14, 2020, My Husband's Boss Recommended a Surgeon. One of his sons is also a surgeon (Doc Jay), so he told us to meet Doc Jay so he can refer us to the surgeon he is recommending. So we went to the Hospital to meet Doc Jay and he told us to go to the Outpatient Department and look for Dr. Ejercito.
So we went there, went on with the OPD procedure and wait for Dr. Ejercito
at the hospital's OPD With my Husband
But after an hour, Dr. Ejercito's resident dr Dr. Mannuel call me, She said Dr. Ejercito will be late. So she did the checkup, ask me questions, and all the information needed. and then she said she was going to call me again when dr. Ejercito arrived. After a while, she called me again and told me that Dr. Ejercito is not coming, but she speaks with him on the phone and told me that dr. Ejercito is expecting me and he gave instructions for my admission.
It took me a while to do all the admission process, went back in forth to different windows and department but I had it done on that day.
They say they will give me a call once I got the schedule for my surgery, or I can call after one week for a follow-up.
After a week, Jan 21, 2020. Instead of calling their admission office, I decided to personally drop by the hospital to personally follow up on my schedule. But they say there are a lot of pending schedules from the month of December so they are going to put them on the schedule first.
from then, I followed up every week until one and a half months had past but still, I could not get my surgery scheduled.
But again, with the help of my Husband's Boss (employer) who is really pushing me to go for surgery because he knows that it is the right thing to do. I finally Get my Surgery Scheduled.
March 2, 2020, waiting at the Hospital's Director's office.
My Husband's Boss told me to go to the Hospital's Director's office to get some help regarding my schedule. After we talk he asks her secretary to help me get my Admission and surgery schedule.
The secretary called the admission office and she told me to go there, she mentions a name that I should look for to help me. I went there, they look for my records and they can't find it so she borrowed my personal copy and photocopy each of them and told me that they will give me a call as soon that there is an available room.
After waiting for a few weeks from the time that I submitted my papers to the admission, I never expect that this time I will finally be scheduled for surgery.
March 4, 2020, 3:49 pm I received a call from the Hospital Admission that I have my schedule and I have to be there before 5 pm that day. I'm not yet prepared so I hurriedly packed my bags and called my husband who is still at work at that time. We just decided to meet at the hospital so after packing my stuff I went my way to the hospital Praying for everything to be all right.
Admission Window
We've waited for two hours, they say that ward is the only available room but I don't really mind, all I wanted that time is to get through the surgery right away.
At 7pm an orderly came to wheel me up to the ward.
They gave us instructions and a list of what to buy. I went to a public hospital so everything that will be needed prior to the surgery will be on our shoulder. They also told me to take a bath and to eat before 12 midnight,
My husband went out to bought everything. He had a hard time to find everything on the list, he had to go to the different branches of drugstores to get everything.
Hubby bought dinner for both of us after we had dinner I took a bath.
Later on, an anesthesiologist came to explain everything to me. She told me that my Surgery will be tomorrow March 5, 2020, 8 in the morning. She told me that I will be taken to the OR at 7:30 am, they will put me under general anesthesia, that I will be sedated and everything I have to know about the surgery. She also told me that I can only eat and drink until 12 midnight. no food and water after 12. I'm nervous but I just keep in my mind that everything will be ok.
after a while, a nurse came to get my blood test. and then an orderly wheeled me to the Xray room.
and another nurse came to get my ECG.
at 12 midnight a nurse came to put me on IV, They started giving me medications.
I think I only had 4 hours of shallow sleep. at 6am I wore the hospital gown.
My mom is already on her way to the hospital. I know she is really worried.
Me and my husband before the surgery.
Mom came a few minutes before I was taken to the Operating Room
It is already a quarter to 8 am.
Surgery was a breeze, I just fell asleep and waken up at the recovery room at 12 pm.
when I arrived in the operating room, there is two scrub nurses who are preparing everything. They keep on talking to me so that I won't be nervous. They put ECG, BP, and a few medical things that I don't know what to call and what for. Until my surgeon came, He's nice and keeps on chatting with me. Then suddenly he told me that we are going to start the surgery. He put something in my IV, it hurts so I ask him if is it really a bit painful? he said yes and I fell asleep. Next thing I know someone is tapping my shoulder and calling my name saying were done and I'm already in the recovery room. I was still intubated when I woke up but I'm still groggy. When they removed the tube I ask the nurse what time it is and she says it is 12 in the afternoon. I'm still sleepy and not fully aware of everything when a man came and ask how I feel, he said once I'm fully awake I can eat anything and if possible I will be discharged the next day. I think I just nod and fell asleep again. And then a nurse came and told me that she will bring me back to the ward. The next thing I know I was already in the ward.
1pm at the ward, Still groggy
That night, I am fully awake. I woke up hungry and really thirsty. My throat is dried from being intubated. The Nurse said I can only sit once I manage to turn on the left and right side. But my stomach really hurts from the trapped air they pumped inside me during the surgery. It is very painful to the point that I find it hard to breathe given that my throat is very dry.
but slowly I managed to move and turn from side to side. I really want to sit down so I can eat and drink. Mom and hubby helped me to sit down even if it is so painful to move. But then I get used to the pain and manage to sit alone in the morning. I know I have to walk to release the trapped air that is giving me pain. So I tried walking little by little inside the ward. That day Doc Jay, My husband's Boss's Son dropped by the ward to check on me. (He is a Surgeon) He asks how I feel and told me I can eat anything, no restrictions and that my Surgeon said I will be Discharged that day. But it is Friday, weekend and my Discharge paper came out by the afternoon. There are some papers that we need to settle at the Municipal's Office to get assistance with my hospital bills so I needed to wait to and stay in the Hospital till Monday. Again My Husband's Boss helps us with the assistance we needed. Aside from my Phil Health Card, we got a 75% subsidy from the Hospital which make my bill Zero.
This is the stone they found in my Gallbladder. This is the culprit.
This is March 7, 2nd-day post-op. Mom helped me take a bath and she cleaned my Incisions.
March 09, 2020, Monday. After mom settled everything finally I'm going home. COVID cases here in the Philippines are starting to rise at that time.
Right now I am almost 2 months post-op. I haven't gotten a chance to see my surgeon again for my follow up checkup Because the day before my follow up checkup schedule is the day that our region has been placed for an " Enhanced Community Quarantine" Due to COVID-19
I'm doing good right now, Eating pretty much anything I want. I am having Constipation but other than that I have no other issues. Except for the itch and a bit of pain from my incisions which I think is normal.
If you are like me who have Gallstones, and scared of surgery. Don't! Surgery is really easy. All the things that I am worried about the surgery are just in my head. And I think surgery is the best option because it is not healthy to keep a sick Gallbladder. Once it started to make stone, there is no medicine to cure it or to melt the stone. It will just keep on making more stones and result in more problems in the future.
If you have Gallstones, Scared, have a lot of questions, please don't hesitate to message me. I'm willing to tell you more about my experience.
Thanks for reading about this long story. Til my next Blog!
>>>>> Spell Anne <<<<<
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