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dolariLong version.
The whole thing was really my fault. I went grocery shopping yesterday, and bought my normal food and anything and everything my little heart desired. Including some very tasty Tin Roof Ice Cream *my favorite."
I attempted to pay for my food, but HEB decided not to take my credit card. Or my ATM card. Or my checks. Or, heck, even my identity once I began to complain about it all. About an hour later, everything is settled. I am who I say I am, my check finally cleared, and I was very hungry.
I had planned to make some dinner from the groceries, but I was tired and decided to get come food instead. I bought a (small) bucket of chicken so I would have lunch for now and dinner for later. After putting my stuff up, I had lunch and drew a comic for Venus Envy ( http://www.dolari.net/pub/vefiller1.png ).
Dinner came around and I finished up the chicken, did some puttering around in Second Life and went to bed.
SATURDAY...
About 8AM I woke up in terrible pain. I'd had two other gallbladder attacks years ago, but they were so long ago I'd forgotten about them. I'd hoped this was just a bad stomach ache, but then came that sharp pain in the ribs - the gallstones were back.
I knew it would end in time so I wethered it out. They hurt like HELL and at one point I was just keeled over and crying. About 10AM, though, it got better a bit and subsided. One shower and few, well, heaves, later I felt I could go to work.
11AM and the pain was still there...not the terrible stab in the chest I had before, but more of that "punch to the stomach" feel, except it wasn't going away..and wouldn't go away.
At 11:40 I decided it was too painful to keep working, and ran off to the Emergency Room. They were actually pretty fast. I got there at 11:50, was in a room by noon and had an IV in me by 12:10. I had a urine sample, a blood test and then I was left alone. I fell asleep shortly afterwards.
I woke up some time later, and to be honest wasn't hurting near as much anymore. I was hoping it wouldn't go away before I was treated. I got pulled into the ultrasound room (I wasn't expecting the ultrasound jelly to be warm). The nurse looked around, and we talked a bit.
Me: "I actually feel kind of guilty...I'm not hurting near as much as when I first came in."
Nurse: "Well, that's a good thing, and...oh hey, what's this?" ::presses down on the sonogram stick thing::
Me: "Oh, there's that pain again!"
Turns out she found the gallstones. After about ten billion pictures later I was wheeled back into the ER.
Literally, by the time I was back someone was waiting for me there with the diagnosis. I had some serious gallstones, but not impacted or infected. They shot me up with something that took the pain away without being narcotic (turcocet?) so I could drive home (that pressing down during the ultrasound aggravated things), a prescription for Darvocet, advice to lay off the fatty foods. And "Oh, by the way, you really should get that gall bladder removed ASAP, set up an appointment with a surgeon."
I came home, and have been a bit shellshocked since. I'll have the surgery, assuming insurance will cover it. Do I go to Dr. Chase? He's a surgeon himself and could prolly do it. Do I go to Dr. Arcinega? She's still a bit of a wildcard. Will I have the laproscopy procedure? Or am I too fat for that and will have to undergo the actual Big Cut? What will work do if I'm out for a long time? Wincor would have straight up fired me. Pixel won't but it's another bump on the road for our department. What'll happen to the vacation Emily and I were planning for next month?
So much to do, so much to think about. I'll keep that Darvocet close.
The whole thing was really my fault. I went grocery shopping yesterday, and bought my normal food and anything and everything my little heart desired. Including some very tasty Tin Roof Ice Cream *my favorite."
I attempted to pay for my food, but HEB decided not to take my credit card. Or my ATM card. Or my checks. Or, heck, even my identity once I began to complain about it all. About an hour later, everything is settled. I am who I say I am, my check finally cleared, and I was very hungry.
I had planned to make some dinner from the groceries, but I was tired and decided to get come food instead. I bought a (small) bucket of chicken so I would have lunch for now and dinner for later. After putting my stuff up, I had lunch and drew a comic for Venus Envy ( http://www.dolari.net/pub/vefiller1.png ).
Dinner came around and I finished up the chicken, did some puttering around in Second Life and went to bed.
SATURDAY...
About 8AM I woke up in terrible pain. I'd had two other gallbladder attacks years ago, but they were so long ago I'd forgotten about them. I'd hoped this was just a bad stomach ache, but then came that sharp pain in the ribs - the gallstones were back.
I knew it would end in time so I wethered it out. They hurt like HELL and at one point I was just keeled over and crying. About 10AM, though, it got better a bit and subsided. One shower and few, well, heaves, later I felt I could go to work.
11AM and the pain was still there...not the terrible stab in the chest I had before, but more of that "punch to the stomach" feel, except it wasn't going away..and wouldn't go away.
At 11:40 I decided it was too painful to keep working, and ran off to the Emergency Room. They were actually pretty fast. I got there at 11:50, was in a room by noon and had an IV in me by 12:10. I had a urine sample, a blood test and then I was left alone. I fell asleep shortly afterwards.
I woke up some time later, and to be honest wasn't hurting near as much anymore. I was hoping it wouldn't go away before I was treated. I got pulled into the ultrasound room (I wasn't expecting the ultrasound jelly to be warm). The nurse looked around, and we talked a bit.
Me: "I actually feel kind of guilty...I'm not hurting near as much as when I first came in."
Nurse: "Well, that's a good thing, and...oh hey, what's this?" ::presses down on the sonogram stick thing::
Me: "Oh, there's that pain again!"
Turns out she found the gallstones. After about ten billion pictures later I was wheeled back into the ER.
Literally, by the time I was back someone was waiting for me there with the diagnosis. I had some serious gallstones, but not impacted or infected. They shot me up with something that took the pain away without being narcotic (turcocet?) so I could drive home (that pressing down during the ultrasound aggravated things), a prescription for Darvocet, advice to lay off the fatty foods. And "Oh, by the way, you really should get that gall bladder removed ASAP, set up an appointment with a surgeon."
I came home, and have been a bit shellshocked since. I'll have the surgery, assuming insurance will cover it. Do I go to Dr. Chase? He's a surgeon himself and could prolly do it. Do I go to Dr. Arcinega? She's still a bit of a wildcard. Will I have the laproscopy procedure? Or am I too fat for that and will have to undergo the actual Big Cut? What will work do if I'm out for a long time? Wincor would have straight up fired me. Pixel won't but it's another bump on the road for our department. What'll happen to the vacation Emily and I were planning for next month?
So much to do, so much to think about. I'll keep that Darvocet close.
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no subject
Date: 2007-01-21 05:21 am (UTC)Part of me says avoid using Chase, since he also does your hormone stuff. I'd hate to see them later deny the coverage, since it could've been related to that, even with a diagnosis saying you need the surgery.
Good luck.
no subject
Date: 2007-01-21 05:44 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-21 06:21 am (UTC)Take care of yourself Jenn honey. If you need anything, gimme a holler...
no subject
Date: 2007-01-21 03:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-21 04:33 pm (UTC)I've had a couple ultrasounds and the warm gel always shocks me. Prepare for cold and get hot. Really weird.
I would suggest calling Dr. Arnecilla for a surgeon recommendation. She's going to know which doctors are pricks and which ones will be a little better to be around. I'm sure she would help you over the phone: 377-AFFM
Charles was not optimistic about Darvocet relieving your pain. Has it helped at all?
I'm really glad you took care of yourself and went to the ER. It can be difficult to do sometimes.
no subject
Date: 2007-01-21 05:51 pm (UTC)As for the pain, my attacks are horrible, but once they're over, they're over. The last of the pain ended last night, and I'm fine for now. I'm leery about drugs, so I haven't taken any of the Darvocet...although it's sitting in a drawer in case I need it again.
no subject
Date: 2007-01-22 12:21 am (UTC)As for vacation... well, you can spend lots of time cuddling. :-)
no subject
Date: 2007-01-22 11:07 am (UTC)A friend of mine had laprostuff done a while ago, and she was OK with the short-term process as well as the long-term result, if that's any help to ye.
(And, at the risk of being indelicate but relevant, she's not the thinnest of my friends, either.)
Oh, I hope things pick up for you soon!
no subject
Date: 2007-01-22 04:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-01-22 08:26 pm (UTC)But I don't believe there's a "too fat" to warrant a cut open type procedure...
no subject
Date: 2007-01-22 11:20 pm (UTC)