My intentions were good

[mellytu74]

I had planned to be at the Duke-Temple basketball game at the Wachovia Center last night. The Boyfriend was going to be there with me.

And we did see the game. Just not from where we thought we would.

No, we saw it from ER Bay 510 at Abington Hosptal outside Philadelphia.

I was feeling poorly after lunch at work yesterday. Then I got chest pains. And radiating back pains. And I started to sweat. And a co-worker said that my lips were kind a lovely shade of pale blue.

I asked for an aspirin while I was waiting for the ambulance that a co-worker called.

My tests were fine.

My EKG was splendid, my blood gases -- tested several times, apparently -- are exceptional.

When the tests were all negative, the resident and PA decided to push on my innards.

When they touched my gall bladder, I triggered my inner Annie Camaro and yelped.

I thought back over the past six weeks; digestive reactions I had attributed to stress probably were not wholly stress-related.

So, off we went to the ultrasound room.

While we waited for the results of the ultrasound, we watched the little TV that was in ER Bay 510. We were not the trauma wing of the ER, obviously.

So I watched the agita-inducing Owlets induce agita against Duke.

I was released when the game just finished.

There are no gall stones but TLAF has gallstones and two of her sisters ahd their gall bladders removed.

I have started my little food diary. I need to write down everything I eat and my reaction to it. Of course, today I have eaten nothing but a piece of unbuttered toast, several spoonfuls of broth and sipped herbal tea.

I came to work this afternoon. I feel OK so I will probably do a three-quarter day tomorrow.

I have to check back with my doctor. Coincidentially, I also have an upcoming appointment with my gastro doc. I'll have lots to tell him.

I am thrilled, of course, that it's something that I can control with diet/exercise.

But, in that ambulance on the way to the hospital, I was petrified.

[Vails]

Hopefully, the GI will have plenty to tell you too, all of it encouraging. I hope you continue to feel better, and sorry about your tickets. It's an unfortunate truth of life that good intentions often end up undone by unmitigated gall.

[ghostjmf]

Congrats on being still amongst us.

[Beebs52]

Goodness, take care of yourself. My sis had her gall bladder out and exhibited almost identical symptoms as you. She was quite frightened, too.

[Bob Juch]

I'm glad you're feeling better.

When my gallbladder attacked me, the ER docs said I had just the flu. I knew better so went to my GP the next day. He said he didn't think it was my gallbladder, but ordered an upper and lower GI. I said, "That's not going to tell you a thing about my gallbladder!" He said, OK, we'll do an ultrasound of your gallbladder too." I replied, "Fine, schedule that first so we can cancel the GI exams afterwards." Of course it was my gallbladder. Not stones but polyps. I had the gallbladder removed a few weeks later. If I hadn't insisted on all that, I'd be dead from cancer of the gallbladder by now.

It's possible that you have just inflamed bile ducts, but you need to keep on top of it.

[silvercamaro]

Oh, Melly! I'm sorry you were feeling so awful, I'm sorry you were so scared (although that seems perfectly reasonable under those circumstances,) and I'm sorry that those devils from Duke were unkind to your team. I am glad that Boonie was with you while everything got sorted out at the hospital, that you got to see the game after all, and that the diagnosis was not as dire as you might have feared.

[kayrharris]

Take care of yourself. Still waiting to see if Payton has gall bladder problems.

[geoffil]

I am glad you are better. You still had your sense of humor whilst channeling your inner Annie. Funny.

[Catfish]

Glad you're feeling better. Gallbladder ick is nasty but highly fixable. I had a tetch of it myself on Christmas Day, easily traceable to the lobster Newburg Christmas Eve.

I waved to you from the turnpike extension as we drove from Valley Forge to the Poconos two days after Christmas.

Love,

[Ritterskoop]

A friend had his gall bladder removed when he had gastric bypass surgery. It's a routine part of his procedure. He has to take some vitamins every day but nothing else special. I'm glad this is on your radar now before it gets icky.

[lilclyde54]

For whatever this is worth, if it is your gallbladder causing these problems, the procedure is not so bad if they can do it with a scope. I had mine take out 4 years ago and was out of the hospital the next day. The only reason I stayed that long is because my GB had gotten embedded in my liver wall. Since that procedure, I haven't had a bit of trouble.

[christie1111]

I once had a pectoral muscle pull that was bad enough to send me to the ER. I knew it wasn't a heart attack but since my younger brother did have one, they did all those same tests. Just the possibility caused me to have a bit of an anxiety attack which did not help much (increased BP and heart rate).

Glad it is a gallbladder thing that can be controlled.

[PlacentiaSoccerMom]

Good luck to you.

My dad's gall bladder burst when I was a kid and he nearly died. Please be careful and make sure that you follow up with your doctor.

[a1mamacat]

Geez Louise...

Don't make me come down there!!