Sitting on the brick sidewalk on North Research Campus Drive, we excitedly watched the 20-minute fireworks show. It was amazing - and it gets better every year. I wish I had taken photos because right now would be a great place to post them.
After the show, we came home to clean up. That's when the night started going downhill for me. I had noticed my stomach hurting after we ate. I had previously experienced this pain - upper abdominal pain that was very dull, but numbing. It always came after a large, often greasy dinner. I previously drank Pepto-Bismol to ease this pain and in an hour or two, it subsided. I tried that, and after an hour, nothing was feeling good. The boy suggested I try milk because it was a base - and the food we were eating probably had a lot of acidity. At that point, I was willing to try anything.
We said our good nights to all of our guests and I immediately went to lay down. I probably drank two bottles of water and another 2 teaspoons of Pepto. Still nothing. Tossing and turning - and now moaning and crying from the pain - the boy came in and suggested we try a stronger med. We drove down to Walgreens where the pharmacist recommended Maalox. As soon as we left, I threw up outside of the store. I was so embarrassed as four others stopped to watch me. The boy quickly collected me into the car and we went home. Unfortunately, Maalox didn't help. I tossed and turned for another few hours - not really getting any sleep.
The next morning (now Sunday), we decided to go see a real doctor. After nearly two hours at UrgentCare, we were sent to the emergency room because my lab tests were showing an usually high rate of white blood cells. We waited what seemed like an hour or two to finally be seen in the ER. Over the next three hours, I would sleep, have an ultrasound, take medicines and have blood drawn. The conclusion - my gall bladder needed to be removed.
Fortunately, the doctor informed us that while I had some inflammation, I would need to take some antibiotics before surgery. With a lot of meds, we finally went home. It felt so good to finally be in my own bed, around the love of my life - Sebastian - and of course, with the boy. We watched a few hours of TV before bed - just a quiet evening and exactly what I had needed.
So what does having my gall bladder removed mean? Ugh - losing the ability to eat everything and anything that tastes good! Last night, I had a very light noodle soup. This morning, I've eaten plain toast. And it gets worst. Now, you have to understand how much I love spicy foods. I don't really care so much for greasy foods, but spicy foods - foods with lots of umph and life - they are my fave!
Here is a list of foods I cannot leading up to and after my surgery:
- Foods that are fried, like French fries and potato chips
- High-fat meats, such as bacon, bologna, sausage, ground beef, and ribs
- High-fat dairy products, such as cheese, ice cream, cream, whole milk, and sour cream
- Pizza
- Foods made with lard or butter
- Creamy soups or sauces
- Meat gravies
- Chocolate
- Oils, such as palm and coconut oil
- Skin of chicken or turkey
- Cereals
- Whole-grain breads
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Legumes
- Brussels sprouts
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Cabbage
- Spicy foods
For now, I need to stick to a low-calorie, low fat diet. Two things I wish I could eat right now are pizza and ice cream. So, to say the least, it's been an exciting weekend but with an unfortunate turn of events. The good news is that gallbladder surgery is not uncommon and the recovery should not take very long. The long term effect though - not being able to eat anything good! - is what I am going to dread the most.
Well, here's to starting the day! Happy July 4th folks!
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