It really has been. I started not feeling good in August, thought it was some stomach bug or food poisoning. But it lasted for about 5 weeks. Then the sharp pains set in (it seriously felt like I was having a heart attack) and I rushed to the ER. They sent me home (after waiting for 4.5 hours and being seen for 3 minutes) with a laxative! Pains kept on and I went to see my doctor. She thought I was having gallstones so off to an ultrasound, which found no gallstones, and labs, which found my liver function extremely elevated. In the meantime, I had a scare and needed mammogram and ultrasound, which thankfully came back clear (seriously, ladies - the mammograms are no big deal and SOOOOO worth the peace of mind - get them done!!). Back to the gallbladder, I was scheduled for a HIDA scan, where they injected some nuclear medicine into my veins while I laid in a machine kind of like a MRI machine and they watched how my gallbladder functioned.
So, I was referred to a surgeon who said:
a) I probably had a gallstone that passed before the ultrasound, which caused all the pain AND
b) My gallbladder was not functioning well AND
c) I have a polyp on my gallbladder which could potentially cause cancer.
Which all leads to being scheduled to have my gallbladder removed at the end of the month.
Which, is probably no big deal, but
a) I had never even had an IV before the HIDA scan and
b) My dad died in surgery, which adds a whole layer of emotional stress.
Sunny side:
a) I guess it is better that this all happens now then when I am student teaching in January.
b) I am bound to lose some weight - at least the weight of the gallbladder, right?
c) The surgeon was super nice, even when I started crying at the end. He spent almost 45 minutes with me, explaining all of my options and the surgery. I feel very fortunate to have him as the doctor who will remove an organ from my body.
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