A few times in recent posts I've alluded to not feeling well, but I haven't gone into any detail because I didn't know for sure what was going on. For the past month, about once a week I've been waking up around 2 am with a sharp pain in my stomach, high up, just below the rib cage. The pain lasts for a couple-three hours, and then by 4:30 to 5 am it's diminished enough that I can get to sleep.
I thought it was an ulcer, so I've been trying to treat it with over the counter pills (Zantac and Tums). Which didn't help, so I finally broke down and went to the doctor. I had been putting it off because my old doctor had left the practice, and I didn't know who to go to, and didn't want to go to a random person. I got a recommendation from a friend of mine who goes to the same place, and my new doctor seems really good. Easy to talk to and receptive to my concerns, even the oddball questions. I never felt like she was blowing me off, which I did get sometimes from my old doctor. I feel very comfortable with the new person.
That's the good news. The bad news is I probably don't have an ulcer; I probably have gallstones. Gallstones, for crying out loud. What this means is, first of all, a lot more doctor's appointments: next week an ultrasound, and then a followup visit, and then (if the ultrasound shows that I do indeed have gallstones) surgery to remove my gallbladder.
In the short term it means I have to eliminate fat from my diet as much as possible. [gross medical details ahead:] The problem is probably a stone blocking the opening of the gallbladder. The gallbladder stores bile, and bile is needed to process fat. Less fat means less bile production, means less pain. After the surgery I'll be more or less normal, but will have to avoid extremely high-fat meals forever, simply because without the gallbladder there isn't enough bile to deal with all that fat.
Damn, I love fat. Fat makes everything taste better. On the bright side, after the surgery will I have less gall? I'll certainly have less bile. I guess a classical physician could tell me what this will do for my disposition. Will my four humours go out of whack? Does the gallbladder store black bile or yellow bile?
[ETA: I looked it up and according to Wikipedia, yellow bile is produced in the gallbladder, and there is no actual bodily fluid corresponding to black bile. Yellow bile it is! I wonder if that means I'm choleric, because I'm having a problem with yellow bile. Or maybe phlegmatic, because that's the opposite of choleric and my yellow bile is blocked. Why is there never a 17th century barber surgeon around when you need one?]
6 Comments
I had my gallbladder out a few years ago and haven't really changed my eating habits...if I feel like some pate or cheese, I'll have it and it doesn't bother me, at least, not outwardly!
That's a relief, thank you for telling me! How long did it take you to recover from the surgery, if you don't mind my asking? Was it laproscopic? Did you have any symptoms afterwards? If you don't want to say all this on a webpage, feel free to email me privately at sarah at funnystrange dot com, thanks!
my mom had the same surgery, too! it was microsurgery so the recovery was not too bad and there is almost no scar from what i understand. she was in the hospital for maybe one or two days and she wouldn't even let me be there during the surgery.
she is actually not that huge a fan of fatty things, especially fried things, so this probably didn't affect her too badly. but for example for my birthday this year she made mac & cheese, spinach casserole, ham, and cheesecake, and she ate everything on the menu. now, was she sick later? i don't know but i doubt she would have eaten all of that if it was going to make her sick!
anyway, i'm sorry you have this problem and i'm glad you've got a good new doc and a proper diagnosis.
So sorry to hear about this. If it's any consolation, Samuel Pepys was "cut for the stone" (a bladder stone, I think). He kept an annual day of thanks:
http://www.pepysdiary.com/archive/1660/03/26/index.php
They told me that if it's laproscopic, it will be outpatient surgery. Sometimes there are complications and they have to cut the patient open and remove the gallbladder the oldfashioned way. In that case I'd have to stay over at the hospital.
You know, my mom had her gallbladder out too. I feel like I'm joining a club or something. The Gallbladder-Free Club!
Is that last from Kevin? I very much like the idea of celebrating Cut for the Stone day.